Year after year, there continues to be a special list given off from the NCAAB season. This list are the names of the special players who outperformed all the rest and displayed their true skills all year long. This year, it has been special. There have been special talents playing at a top-level no matter who the opponent, showing their draft stock and improving it game after game. Let’s take a look at the top 5 prospects for next year’s NBA draft.
#1 draft prospect- Cade Cunningham(NCAAB)
Overall, the guaranteed first overall pick, Cade Cunningham. Cade, who attends Oklahoma State, is having a phenomenal year. Playing guard, he has tremendous size standing at an amazing 6’8 and a wingspan of over 7 feet. Cade has exceptional speed as well. He has the ability to go full court at any time by himself, and slow it down and make the read and pass. Cade’s most amazing part of his game is his dual-threat offense.
Cade has tremendous ability to take it to the hoop and shoot the ball. As he used to strive in only driving, he has been able to fix his shooting and develop a natural shot and soft touch. We know Cade is amazing at offense, but the second half of his game is his defense. Due to his exceptional speed, he has a great defense. He has shown multiple times his ability in locking down guards and showing great strength.
#2 draft prospect- Jalen Suggs(NCAAB)
Jalen Suggs is a very similar player to Cade. As he may not be as big as he is, they are both great sizes. Playing guard, Suggs stands at 6’4. Suggs is a great leader. Being a freshman at a top school like Gonzaga may be hard, but it has been nothing but impressive from Suggs. Gonzaga is currently the #1 team in the country behind Suggs leadership and elite play. Suggs is a very strong player. When attacking the rim, unlike lots of other guards, Suggs embraces the contact. He likes the physicality as he finishes at a strong rate when driving.
Suggs is very fast and has incredible speed, which poses a threat when playing against man defense. Suggs is also an incredible shooter. This season, Suggs has incorporated a lot of shooting into his game. Very often when noticing good defense, Suggs will fake his strong drive, and pull up for a midrange, right where he strives. Suggs may be a few spots lower in many mock drafts, but I think he deserving of the #2 pick in the draft next year.
#3 draft prospect- Jalen Green(G-league)
One of the top guards in the nation is Jalen Green. Green is not like all the other guards expected to attend the draft, as Green is not part of NCAAB. Green is currently playing in the G-league. Green’s game is all about his tremendous speed. He has incredible ability to ball handle and travel the court at a top speed, which benefits every other part of his game like off-ball screens, creating space, or pulling up for shots.
Green is always faster than anyone on the court, which is an amazing advantage. Green has great ability to finish the ball. He has a soft touch and physical toughness inside the paint. One question with Green however, is his ability to play with teammates around him. He strives in isolation but has shown reasons to question his play with others.
#4 draft prospect- Evan Mobley(NCAAB)
Evan Mobley is the best big man in this draft. While the first three selections are expected to be small ballplayers, Mobley is expected to be the first big man taken. Coming out of USC, Mobley plays center standing at a whopping 7feet tall. Mobley has outstanding coordination for a big man. He has great hand-eye coordination and focus. One of Mobley’s biggest strengths is athleticism. Mobley is a solid athlete.
While his speed for NCAAB is solid, Mobley is very smooth on the court. He is very soft and fasts off of his feet, proving great significance in his lob game. Mobley is also a good shooter. Being soft has resulted positively in his shooting. He has a nice soft form in his shot and has proved to knock down threes when given a chance to attempt them. One area where Mobley needs improvement is his defensive rebounding. Often times, Mobley won’t be as physically dominant as he can be and will struggle to get rebounds where he should be in the tough NCAAB league.
#5 draft prospect- Jonathan Kuminga(G-league)
Like Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga is not in the NCAAB, but he is in the G-league. Standing at 6’8, Kuminga plays power forward. Kuminga is a very strong player. As he does have good speed for a forward, Kuminga is incredibly strong in the paint as he weighs in at 225 pounds. He is dominant under the hoop, as he has tremendous rebounding ability using his size to outperform the other players.
While he is big and powerful in the middle, he is also a great shooter. Kuminga puts his shooting skills to the test very often, as last year he scored 42 3-pointers in 19 Nike EYBL games. Kuminga has some spots he needs to work on. Very often, his offense will be put to the test, taking the first shot he has and acting too quickly.