3) Chicago Bulls ’21 college draft targets
A long awaited debut around the college basketball landscape will take place once former Texas Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes and his No. 12 ranked (preseason AP Poll) Tennessee Volunteers tip off their regular season schedule. Delays to the start of the regular season in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic led the Tennessee season opener now to be pushed to Dec. 12, when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats.
And maybe the most highly anticipated debut of any of the Vols players when they take on Cincinnati on Dec. 12 will be the former highly coveted five-star recruit and true freshman shooting guard Jaden Springer. This 6-foot-4 and 205 pound Charlotte, NC, native is one of the most talented players to roll through Knoxville in the last three or five years.
Coming out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, Springer ranked as the nation’s No. 16 2020 high school prospect, No. 3 combo guard, and No. 4 prospect out of Florida (247Sports Composite). Springer is a former McDonald’s All-American that already has a pretty well-rounded game coming into college. He’s a versatile scorer that is excellent driving the lane and running with the ball in transition.
The on-ball defense has some progression that’s needed for Springer, but he could be potent on that end of the floor too. Springer is already a very good rebounder, outside shooter, and facilitator when he’s cast in a role as a secondary ball handler/distributor. He’s likely to fall as a mid-to-late lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, depending on how his game trends during this college hoops season.