The final NBA Combine piece of our series focuses on the most exciting and important part of the Combine – the scrimmages that pit the best players in the draft against each other. With international prospects and mid-major stars getting an opportunity to play against the best competition, it is their final opportunity to show they belong in this draft class and make a huge rise in the final month before the draft. Let’s take a look at who made the biggest rises and endured the biggest falls after the final on-court action before the NBA Draft.
On the Rise:
Player: Jalen Williams], Santa Clara
The biggest winner from the entire combine has to be Williams, who looked like a bubble-first round pick before Chicago and now is getting lottery buzz after a sensational week. The strong playmaking wing poured in 19 points on 7/8 shooting to catapult himself up draft boards.
Scouts already knew his defensive talent, but to see him score so efficiently against top competition proved that the flashes they saw all season in the WCC were legit. Any competitive team with a pick in the mid-first round will have this guy high on their radar as he could immediately become a contributing piece to put someone over the top and become a contender.
Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga
Nembhard (pictured) has been dominating the college game for years and is finally ready to make the jump to the professional game after two incredible seasons with the Zags. There are few players in this class more polished than the 6’5 point guard and he proved it by dissecting and analyzing opposing defenses faster than anyone could react on the opposite end. With a 26-point outburst and 11 assists to go with them, Nembhard proved he is the ultimate floor general who can play solid minutes right away after he hears his name called late in the first round or early in the second.
Dereon Seabron, NC State
Few people outside of Raleigh knew Seabron’s name before the season, but he made sure all of that changed with a massively successful campaign that was ultimately overshadowed by the Wolfpack’s lack of success. Seabron stands just under 6’6 and used his long strides and explosion to get to the rim and shoot an efficient 11-18 from the field during the scrimmages. There are questions about his facilitation skills, but he showed off his potential with flashes during these contests and he should earn a selection in this draft because of it.
Falling
Julian Champagnie, St. John’s
Champagnie’s performances weren’t necessarily poor, but as a second-round prospect who faced average competition, he needed more than just decent displays – he needed the performances like the players above to guarantee a selection and maybe even climb to the first round. Instead, plenty of other names are buzzing in this class while Champagnie is becoming an afterthought in the process.
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
After one of the most successful careers in recent college basketball history, Gillespie is turning his sights to the NBA Draft as he hopes to build a long career as a floor general guard. His lack of pure athleticism and size are concerning characteristics of his game, and these concerns were only intensified after he shot 3/19 and struggled immensely with the elite athletes competing against him.
Keon Ellis, Alabama
There’s a lot to like about Ellis’ game, but his inconsistency was always frustrating throughout the Crimson Tide’s season. He only shot 1/6 from the perimeter during his two scrimmages and only scored nine points in his nearly 50 minutes. While his struggles to remain consistent were evident, the athleticism and length he possesses are intriguing and should lead to a late round selection where he can earn his minutes the hard way.
