3. Ashton Hagans – University of Kentucky
While Devon Dotson projects as a solid backup point guard, Kentucky PG Ashton Hagans is a guy I actually like a little more. Hagans had an underwhelming freshman season for the Wildcats, but his decision to go back to school for another year paid off. He didn’t do anything too crazy during his sophomore year, but he gave me more reasons to believe in him as an NBA prospect.
Hagans struggles mightily with his jumper, and his development in that area will likely determine whether or not he pans out at the next level, but it’s not the worst looking jumper I’ve ever seen. If he gets in with a good shooting coach early on, he could turn into an average 3-point shooter which is all he needs to be.
Standing at 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, Hagans has nice NBA size. He uses his wingspan and high basketball IQ to be an absolute pest on the defensive end of the court. That’s where he’s at his best. He blows up dribble handoffs Kris Dunn style, gets his hands in passing lanes and is a hound on the ball. During his two years at Kentucky, he snagged 2.3 steals per 40 minutes. Not bad at all.
Even though Hagans struggles from deep, his touch around the rim is pretty solid. With his elite defense, solid playmaking and nice at-the-rim finishing, Hagans would be an excellent addition to the Bulls’ bench unit.