NBA Draft: Fast Risers Draft Going Into The College Season
With the college basketball season approaching, we are going to witness a lot of talented players boosting their NBA Draft stock. We know who the 2022 NBA Draft has as its top prospects in Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Hardy. What about those you haven’t thought or heard of? The ones who seem to have fallen through the cracks.
While these upcoming names are all from power conference schools (mid-major Draft risers will be separate), they haven’t reached the pedigree of household NBA names just yet.
I looked at numerous things when picking players for this list. Last season numbers played a role in the decision. I wanted to find names who have carved out somewhat of a role in the college landscape. These players, given an added leadership role, will absolutely skyrocket up boards. Not all of them are going to be mocked as 1st round picks. You’ll definitely want to keep an eye on them.
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
The Indiana University Junior was one of the biggest names to de-commit from the NBA Draft. He tested the draft waters, however, opted to stay in school. His reasoning, new IU coach Mike Woodson.
Having a former NBA coach developing your game for the NBA level sold Jackson-Davis on returning. Jackson took to social media to explain his decision to stay.
“He (Woodson) said that he doesn’t want a rebuild, he wants to win right away,” Jackson-Davis said Friday. “And he said that I’m a big piece of that. After hearing an NBA coach tell you that, it was really a simple decision to come back.”
Jackson-Davis has a pretty solid NBA game. He averaged 19.1 points and 9 rebounds (3.2 offensive). He lacks a true jumper and doesn’t have a 3-point attempt to his name, thus making it a bit harder for him to likely carve out a role in today’s NBA had he came out in the most recent draft. It was definitely in his best interest to come back. He will be an NPOTY candidate assuming IU has a solid campaign.
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Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
Molinar is not a swiss army knife when it comes to on-court versatility. That is going to change this season. He’s a scoring guard that has shown flashes of elite point guard play. Molinar is fantastic at creating his shot off the dribble. He’ll pass at a fairly effective rate, however, he’s a shoot-first guard.
Last season, Molinar scored in double figures in 11 straight games, increasing his scoring average from 5.9 points per game as a freshman to 16.7 per game as a sophomore. What’s most surprising, he tripled his 3-pt attempts per game (1.1 to 3.4) shooting .436 from beyond the arc.
There is more to his scoring than just 3-point shots. While the 3’s will definitely increase, his mid-range game will as well. Molinar is one of the most well-rounded scorers in the SEC. He can take the next step as a facilitator and become one of the best-kept secrets of the NBA Draft.
Isaiah Wong (Miami)
There might not be a player I like more than Wong. He wasn’t a household name at Miami. This is primed to be his breakout season. As a sophomore, Wong was Third-Team All-ACC. In a way, it felt like his own conference snubbed him.
Wong played in all 27 games for Miami (starting 26). He averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest. Wong was the third Hurricane ever with back-to-back 20 point games in the ACC Tournament.
Wong is the catalyst for this Miami team. He’s not on the playmaking level of former Hurricane standout, Shane Larkin, but a much more prolific scorer. It’s going to be difficult to envision Miami being a bottom-feeder in the ACC with his leadership.
Wong, who took his name out of the NBA Draft, knows what he needs to do in order to strengthen his draft status and lead the Canes to the promised land.
“Being in the NBA has been a lifelong dream of mine,” Wong said in a statement. “With that said, after taking it all in, now armed with the knowledge of what it’s going to take to be the type of candidate I desire, my family and I have decided that I will be returning to Miami. … I’m 100% committed to doing what it takes to return this program where it belongs.”
While the three names mentioned are my top choices for breakouts, there are some honorable mentions.
Prentiss Hubb
Notre Dame point guard who averaged 14.6 points and 5.8 assists
Seth Lundy
Penn State wing who will have a bigger role in the offense
Branden Carlson
Utah center led the team in blocks in 2021 (and the top returning scorer)
I don’t see them having the breakouts of the three profiled players. In my eyes, they could also end up cracking some first-round mocks as well.
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
