Finding that next gem in the 2020 NBA Draft class could be a difficult task. This will be a highly scrutinized draft class since there’s no official champions being crowned in the conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament won’t be a thing. But a good candidate to be a late riser up draft boards is the Arizona Wildcats true freshman power forward Zeke Nnaji, who could be a star rebounder and good defender at the next level.
The former East Carolina Pirates transfer wing Elijah Hughes just got done with his junior campaign if college basketball is officially all said and done this season. Hughes is a versatile offensive playmaker that is also a decent defender. He shoots better than 42 percent from the field for his career and posted an offensive box plus/minus rating of 5.8 in 2019-20.
The wing need for multiple teams around the NBA could be something that is mostly filled in the second round. This draft class of wings isn’t as good at the top, but there is some depth later on down draft boards.
One of the candidates to win the Naismith Award during this shortened college hoops season is senior Marquette Golden Eagles shooting guard Markus Howard. He averaged 27.8 points per game last season while shooting better than 41 percent from beyond the arc.
The first real dropper over the course of the 2019-20 college basketball season on draft boards on this list is the Florida Gators freshman wing and former five-star recruit Scottie Lewis. He did shoot better than 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from downtown, but averaged less than nine points per game during his freshman campaign.