4. Desmond Bane – Texas Christian University
Chris Vernon of The Ringer NBA Show has an annual list of draft prospects who he thinks won’t fail. He’s not predicting they’ll be superstars, but he’s immensely confident they’ll be useful. One guy that should be high on that list this year is Desmond Bane.
Bane was a four-year guy for TCU and was one of the most consistent players in the Big 12 last season. You could always count on him. He averaged 16.6 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting from the field to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
In today’s NBA, it’s crucial to have multiple wings who can come in and give you 15-20 minutes of solid three-and-D basketball. There’s no doubt in my mind that Bane can be that guy at the next level. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he has a solid NBA frame. He’s a bruiser when he gets in the paint and he can also light it up from outside. During his senior season, he connected on an elite 44.2 percent of his 6.5 3-point attempts per game.
Because of his age, Bane projects as a late-first, early-second guy in the draft. But don’t let the fact that he stayed in college for four years scare you. He’s the real deal.