Height: 6 Feet 4 Inches
Weight: 204 Pounds
Wingspan: 6 Feet 6 Inches
League: NCAA
Draft Age: 18.73
Draft Projection: Late First Round
As Tennessee’s top men’s basketball recruit in the high school class of 2020, Jaden Springer came to Knoxville as a hyper-talented guard who needed to clean up his offensive game. Although a projected one-and-done player from the start, he saw a limited role to start his NCAA career, though he worked his way into the starting lineup by the end of the season.
Though his draft position may not show it, Springer had a very successful freshman season with the Volunteers. Always a strong defender, Springer continued his success on that end, while also improving as a shooter, facilitator, and overall scorer. Though his offensive game is still a work in progress, his shooting clips should provide for optimism for the Charlotte native.
Whoever drafts Springer will still be getting a project, in some ways, as he is probably not ready to carry the load of an NBA offense yet. Perhaps a year or two playing in a reserve role could prepare him for starting duties down the road, though. Optimally, he projects as an athletic two-way guard who can space the floor and facilitate. This is certainly within reach for him, too, assuming that his development continues to trend how it has.
Considering the amount of point guard talent that should be available in the back end of the first round, Springer very well could be passed up on for some of the young men mentioned before by contenders looking to add win-now players. However, one of the rebuilding teams with a late first-round selection could be intrigued by the possibility of adding the young guard.