(Pick Via Cleveland Cavaliers)
Ashton Hagans is a player who looks primed to shoot up into the first round of mock drafts at some point this season. As a very solid prospect in the high school class of 2018, Hagans did not have quite the season he was hoping for his freshman year, thus returning to Lexington for a second season. Hagans is a phenomenal defender and resourceful passer, yet his jumper is in desperate need of work.
This season for the Wildcats, Hagans is averaging 13 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from three. He could find a lot of success at the NBA level if his jumper ever gets fixed, but for now Portland can utilize his passing and defending abilities off the bench.
Draft Stock Trend: n/a
(Pick Via Memphis Grizzlies)
At this point in the draft, the talent pool is a mix of upperclassmen, smaller program players, and players who failed to meet expectations in college. Here, the Wizards use their first second round selection to take junior Jordan Nwora, who has absolutely shined at Louisville so far. This season, he is averaging 21.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1 assist on 50 percent shooting from both the field and the floor.
The 6-foot-7 forward will be a candidate to increase his draft stock throughout this season and could end up being a late first rounder. For now, however, Nwora will land in Washington to help the painful retooling process there.
Draft Stock Trend: n/a
Largely unrecruited out of high school, Obi Toppin had a phenomenal freshman season at Dayton. He has followed up his freshman campaign by posting elite averages of 23 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game on over 69 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from deep. His efficiency is absolutely eye-popping, with a PER of 37.6 this season.
Toppin has a very real shot of being drafted in the first round of this draft, contingent on his ability to keep up this pace. If he does, it will be very hard for teams to pass on him with their first pick. The Spurs would be extremely lucky to land him in the second, as the team is supposed to be in win-now mode.
Draft Stock Trend: n/a
N’Faly Dante has yet to play his first college game, yet the five-star product still projects to be the second Oregon big to be selected by an NBA team in two years. Defensively, Dante is an NBA-ready player who can protect the paint at an elite level. His offensive game is what has scouts concerned, as although his post game has improved, he still needs to expand his offensive arsenal away from the basket a bit.
The Bulls could use Dante to find a center to throw into the rotation with Daniel Gafford and Wendell Carter Jr., as Cristiano Felicio is simply taking up space on the bench and in the salary cap. Going after a shooting guard here may be more reasonable position-wise, yet in the second round the name of the game is swinging for the fences.