Kevin McCullar
Guard, Kansas University (Sr)
Ht: 6’5” WS: 6’9” Wt: 206 lbs
Age: 23 Born: San Antonio, Texas (USA)
A six-year college player who (sorry to be cliché) simply makes winning plays on both ends of the floor. Excellent defender who can lock down at the point of attack with great lateral movement and physical strength. Should be able to switch 1-3 and even guard some smaller forwards at a high level. Great defender off-ball who stays engaged, can fly around and make tough closeouts, and communicates well. Projects to be a player that hounds the opponent's primary offensive wing/guard and make their life miserable. Offensively, poised to play a connective role in the NBA as he can attack closeouts, drive-and-kick, and maintain the rythm of the offense. Maybe has some secondary-creator upside where he flashed more this past season (averaged 18.3 PPG, 4.1 APG) where he took a big role in the Kansas offense. Showed some nice plays outs of ball-screens and gets to the rim pretty well which might pop even more w/ NBA spacing, however I am a bit hesitant to buy into that. If he is going to thrive as a connective piece for a team, he needs to confirm that the shooting development is legitimate. Both the 3P% and FT% have increased throughout his collegiate career. His best percentages came this year shooting 33.3% from 3 and 80.5% from the FT line, where he was much more confident and featured a few more shots off the bounce. I buy the shot reaching a sufficient level as his shot diet will be much more simplified. NBA coaching can hone in on tweaking his mechanics to be replicable and smooth where he can find comfort in hitting corner threes regularly. Perhaps the biggest concern is the injury history, where he has been bombarded by big and small injuries every year of college, missing the end of this season with Kansas. If he can stay healthy with the support of an NBA medical staff, he returns perhaps better than top-20 value and I'm willing to take that risk to get a player of his archetype.
Tyler Kolek
Guard, Marquette University (Sr)
Ht: 6’1” WS: 6’3” Wt: 197 lbs
Age: 23 Born: Cumberland, Rhode Island (USA)
A high-IQ guard whose level of feel for the game, competitiveness, and toughness should trump the fact that he's a relatively ground-bound guard listed at 6'1". He's a great lead guard who plays with great pace. Uses his balance and footwork well to manipulate defenses and get to his spot in the half-court. He's an incredibly proficient and smart passer after averaging 7.7 APG this past season (continuing his. 3-year streak of leading the Big East in APG). Dynamic out of PnR, reading the floor exceptionally well and can make any pass in the book based on how the defense responds. Good shooter with a consistent lefty stroke. Some concerns about the pull-up scoring are warranted, and this will be a key piece of his development to hit a higher impact level in the NBA. He's a smart and willing defender with great hands. Understands defensive concepts and is never really caught out-of-place. The smaller frame and lack of athleticism really do limit what he can be as a defender and will probably be a liability on that end in some sense. The focus with his profile has to be the passing and playmaking as a lead guard. He thrive serving as a bench piece or 5th starting option that runs an offense and be a true extension of the coach. Despite being in a league that covets length and athleticism, there is plenty of value in this type of a player.
Baylor Scheierman
Wing, Creighton University (Sr)
Ht: 6’6” WS: 6’8” Wt: 202 lbs
Age: 24 Born: Hastings, Nebraska (USA)
Knockdown shooter with great feel and size from the wing position. Dynamic movement shooter who can run off of screens and maintain quality balance and footwork within his shot. Does a great job of relocating without the ball and finding open space on the floor. Can attack closeouts and get to the rim, pull-up (very good pull-up shooter as well), or make the right passes on kickouts. Excellent decision maker with great court vision, makes quick reads and seems to always hit the open man. This helps him as a ball-screen operator as well he uses his understanding of angles and physical strength to create open looks for himself or his teammates out of PnR. Great rebounder who averaged a staggering 9.0 RPG as a wing (!) this past season. While he has decent strength, does not have much vertical or horizontal athleticism which hurts his defensive ability. Does a good job of rotating on time annd playing with effort, but legitimate issues complicate his defensive impact, especially from the wing position. So long as a team can insulate him defensively through personnel or scheme, the offensive skillset is at a bona-fide NBA level which has tremendously value going in the 1st round.
Isaiah Collier
Guard, University of Southern California (Fr)
Ht: 6’3” WS: 6’5” Wt: 205 lbs
Age: 19 Born: Marietta, GA (USA)
Strong, physical lead guard who looks to get downhill where he can be dynamic. Uses power and speed as a 6'3" guard to take advantage of smaller, weaker defenders by constantly looking to pressure the rim and make plays. When he's on, feels like he is a guaranteed paint touch coming out of a ball screen or a straight-line drive. He looks for contact and absorbs it well possessing great balance and body control. He's a good finisher, making 61.1% of his rim attempts this past season, who does a good job of creating angles for himself. When the defense collapses to his paint drives, he's excellent at making kickouts to the perimeter and finding open shooters on the perimeter. Reads the defense well and reacts accordingly. Averaged 4.3 APG, showing he can make a variety of different passes out of a live dribble. The consistency in his decision-making is a concern, as he averaged 3.3 TOs per game and does tend to over-penetrate on his drives. Lots of passes on film do tend to miss the mark, going out of bands or away from his teammate's reach. Also a very streaky shooter, finishing the season as a 33.8% 3-point shooter and doesn't have much of a pull-up game (from 3 or mid-range). This brings serious questions over how he will be able to generate offense in the NBA, as defenders will just go under his screens and force him to hit outside shots as defenses don't collapse the way they did in college. He is strong and quick, but the defense is quite problematic. Isn't really able to slide his feet with ball-handlers, numerous bad closeouts, and constantly seemed disengaged on the defensive end. There are tools for him to be a solid defender given the physical profile, but a lot of work needs to be done and he needs to be willing to defend. The ability to get automatic paint touches and create out of drives is very interesting from a guard prospect, but the bust potential is legitimate if the shooting, decision-making, and defense don't improve. Ultimately offers and intriguing reward, but with a significant amount of risk.
AJ Johnson
Guard, Illawarra Hawks (NBL)
Ht: 6’4” WS: 6’9” Wt: 167 lbs
Age: 18 Born: Fresno, California (USA)
A long, athletic guard/wing with a ton of upside as an offensive playmaker with defensive tools. His evaluation disregards stats from the 2023-24 season. He was a skinny (weighed in at 167 lbs) teenager in the Australian NBL who was barely able to get on the floor, but flashed in his limited minutes as well as when he played at the NBA Combine. He's a very fluid mover who uses his athletic tools well, showing good footwork, balance, and coordination. Has a smooth shooting stroke, showing an impressive arsenal of pull-ups and step-backs to create space and hit shots. Has a good first step and has enough vertical pop for some creative finishes at the rim.The processing needs to improve as professional basketball seemed to move too fast for him. Handle needs to tighten if he looks to be more on-ball in his future. Nothing too advanced within his passing, but had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Has all the makings of a legit NBA scorer if he adds strength. The lack of strength does also hurt him defensively, as he constantly got picked on and bullied. There are plenty of positives that give you something to work with. He plays engaged and looks to be an aggressive playmaker defensively. Solid screen-navigator, uses his length to make sound recoveries, and steadily improved in reading the opposing offense to blow things up. There is not a lot of production to take him early, but later in the first round gives great value as an upside swing. If everything hits and he develops physically, he may look like one of the best players in the draft, but its a bet nonetheless.
Zach Edey
Big, Purdue University (Sr)
Ht: 7’4” WS: 7’11” Wt: 299 lbs
Age: 22 Born: Ontario, Canada
College basketball legend with a larger than life 7'4" frame and historic statistical output led him to be college basketball's best player for 2 years at Purdue. Averaged 25.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 2.2 BPG as a senior, which are absurd numbers at any level of basketball. Was the centerpiece of Purdue's offense as he dominated from the paint. Great as a post-scorer, using his size to establish his position and use his excellent touch around the rim to finish efficiently. In order to translate to the NBA, his offensive role will be as a screener. He's an excellent screener, and moves well enough to roll hard to the rim and finish. Also has some good flashes out of the short-roll, reacting quickly to the defense and making the open pass. He's an excellent rebounder who should continue to clean the glass in whatever minutes he gets at the next level. The fact that he's 7'4" and moves as well as he does is absurd. He's well condition and runs hard, handling a substantial minutes load (32.0 MPG in '23-'24). Defensively, he'll be a drop-coverage defender only. His 9'7" standing reach and 7'11" WS allow him to take up space and he's made strides being able to backpedal when defending ball screens. He can be exploited playing in too much space which is a major concern. He'll be targeted at the next level every time he's on the court given his lack of vertical or horizontal athleticism and limitation to drop-coverage. If the ability to play out of ball screens on offense hits, he'll be an offensive mismatch who will be productive when he plays. His defensive concerns seem to limit how long he can actually be on the court, which is why I view him as a quality backup big who lasts a long time in the league. Finding that at the end of the first round is great value.
Ja’Kobe Walter
Wing, Baylor University (Fr)
Ht: 6’4” WS: 6’10” Wt: 214 lbs
Age: 19 Born: McKinney, Texas (USA)
Off guard whose a true floor spacer with a proven ability to knock down 3-point shots in a variety of ways. Really impressive shooter off movement with consistent footwork and mechanics. Percentages not where you would like to see but was somewhat of a "fall guy" for Baylor who takes shots with a high-degree of difficulty, yet even amidst struggles the process remains the same and confidence level stays high. Nonetheless, a big part of his offensive impact will be predicated on whether he is hitting in shots. Doesn't have much juice on the ball with little creativity and wiggle, while also struggling to finish at the rim. Playmaking is also not great as he often does not recognize reads or completely misses them altogether. The hope is Walter can become a threat attacking closeouts as a counter to the natural shooting gravity he possesses. A bit underwhelming defensively, as I like his length and hand quickness as a guard, but really struggles to stay in front of his man and gives up to many open lanes. Might not be a guy teams look to attack on-ball in the NBA, as he does show a willingness to guard, but does not seem like much of a plus defender.
Ryan Dunn
Forward, University of Virginia (So)
Ht: 6’6” WS: 7’2” Wt: 214 lbs
Age: 21 Hometown: Freeport, New York (USA)
Undeniably the best defender in the draft. Excellent ground coverage given his length (7'2" WS) and athletic tools. Truly disruptive as he makes quick rotations and records blocks (2.3 BPG), steals (1.3 SPG), and deflections at a high rate. Great as a weak-side rim protector who jumps straight-up to avoid fouling. Stupendous in ball-screens being able to switch or show-and-recover. Should be able to lockdown scoring wings in the NBA. Offensively, there is not much there. He's a good finisher at the rim (made 67.2% of his rim attempts) and is a great cutter. Runs hard and has a great vertical leap to pop in transition play. Also shows some solid feel for the game with potential as a short-roll or high-post hub, but he's only 6'6" which makes it tough to stick there. The shooting production is non-existent and the mechanics need work. He will be hard to pass on deep into the second round and could go in the first round based on the defense, but questions over his offensive role makes it hard to guarantee taking him very high.
Yves Missi
Big, Baylor University (Fr)
Ht: 6’11” WS: 7’2” Wt: 229 lbs
Age: 20 Born: Yaounde, Cameroon
Athletic, vertical threat as a big who looks like an NBA big from a physical standpoint. He explodes off the ground and his long arms (7'2" WS) and great hands give him a wide catch radius to go up and get lobs near the rim and dunk with ferocity. Played out of the dunker spot or a roller as a freshman at Baylor, primarily getting looks at the rim in the half-court where he finished 70.1% of his attempts. Also a great offensive rebounder (2.6 per game). Did not attempt a single jump shot this past season nor does he project to. There was some interesting playmaking stuff w/ DHOs, short-roll passes and drives, but these were only flashes. His motor never stops running as he plays incredibly hard at all times when he's on the court. Defensively, he's a great shot blocker (1.5 BPG) and an excellent rim deterrent who is aware around the rim. He has some versatility, being able to backpedal in drop coverage and works well enough in space to maybe switch in late-clock situations. Collectively, his constant engagement, motor, and athletic tools should make him an impactful defender at the next level as his technique is refined. He'll be limited offensively, but there is value even if he doesn't tap into his potential if he ends up being an energetic who comes off the bench. There is a world where his upside shines through and is a starting big whose an absolute monster on both ends.
Jaylon Tyson
Wing, University of California, Berkeley (Sr)
Ht: 6’6” WS: 6’8” Wt: 218 lbs
Age: 21 Born: Plano, Texas (USA)
Perimeter scoring wing who broke out for Cal this past season putting up 19.6 PPG on efficient shooting splits of 47% (15.4 FGA) and 36% (4.5 3PA) with a 30% usage rate on offense. Great athlete who is a strong, physical driver who shows creativity with decelerations and crafty footwork. Also got to the foul line a good bit, shooting ~5 per game. Decent looking jump shot that has progressed steadily with decent FT %s to give some confidence in the translation moving forward. Great as a pull-up shooter that is replicable in its mechanics. Becoming more consistent as a spot-up shooter is pivotal to his development. Solid passer who averaged 3.5 APG, his kickouts on the drives stood out the most. The bet for him as offensive player is that the collection of skills translates to a lower usage role in the NBA where the efficiency and decision-making (3.1 TOs per game) can improve. A bit confusing on defense. At Texas Tech (first 3 years of college), he was an ok defender but as a senior at Cal, he graded poorly. He struggled to stay in front of ball handlers and wouldn't be able to recover quick enough nor navigate through any screens. Off-ball, he lacked engagement and would seemingly fall asleep, reacting late to the offense accentuating the team's defensive struggles. Wishful thinking suggests he had such a substantial workload on offense that his defense naturally took a hit. The hope for him as a prospect is he can shine as an offensive creator whose can stick on defense when he is more of a complementary piece.
Tyler Smith
Forward, G League Ignite
Ht: 6’9” WS: 7’1” Wt: 224 lbs
Age: 19 Born: Houston, Texas (USA)
Fits the mold of a stretch "4" with some upside to be a versatile small-ball "5" in the right circ*mstance. Consistent and effective shooting stoke, working as both a pick-and-pop and spot-up shooter. Good off-ball cutter. Fluid mobility, but the vertical athleticism is nothing spectacular, which limits his at-rim finishing. Solid connective passer, but want to see continued growth as a decision maker. Tremendous upside as a defensive playmaker given his length and activity, with tons of flashes as a weak-side rim protector, but there is no real consistency thus far. Had very little impact as a rebounder as well. NBA teams will need to be patient and hope the disruption pops while the overall defensive game progresses and the frame adds functional strength.
Dillon Jones
Wing, Weber State (Sr)
Ht: 6’4” WS: 6’11” Wt: 237 lbs
Age: 22 Born: Columbia, South Carolina (USA)
Stuffed the stat sheet as the star at Weber State, but has the IQ and skill to stick in the NBA as a role player. Not overly explosive or vertical as an athlete, but was able to make plays offensively given his anticipation and intellect to process the defense at a high level. Most of his scoring came inside the three-point line, getting to the rim (58% finisher at the rim) or pulling up in the mid-range (43% shooting from mid). Was inconsistent as a three-point shooter (32.4% this past season on lower volume) but shot better spotting up than he did on-ball. If he can be more consistent shooting off the catch, his NBA translation becomes much more likely. Plays with a great control of his pace and makes great use of his decelerations. Great passer, reading the floor well and making a variety of passes when creating on the ball. He's a smart enough player where his passing should translate to a more connective role in the NBA. Great length with a 6'11" wingspan helps him pop as an off-ball defender, where you can count on him to make timely rotations and get in passing lanes (2.0 SPG this past season). However, his lack of athleticism limits him. On-ball, he struggles to move his feet and stay in front of ball handlers. His lack of speed hinders his ability to cover ground which leads to poor closeouts. He's worthy of a draft choice based on the character and IQ allowing him to translate into an NBA role player after producing at a high level at a mid-major school.
Kyshawn George
Wing, University of Miami (Fr)
Ht: 6’8” WS: 6’9” Wt: 209 lbs
Age: 20 Born: Monthey, Switzerland
Skilled wing with size (6'7" with a 6'10" WS) and elite shooting production. Converted 40.8% of his 3PA, making nearly 43% of his threes off-the-catch. Its a slower shot, but the mechanics are consistent and the release is high. Has excellent vision as a passer and makes great reads out of ball screens, throwing passes with touch and accuracy. Not a great finisher as he lacks explosiveness and verticality to get to the rim, but does possess solid touch and uses his length well around the basket. He's comfortable with the ball in his hands, but lacks the ability to seperate and truly create for himself. Defensively, he uses his length well to be disruptive and does a good job of getting in passing lanes. The bad part is that he is way too reliant on his length defensively, which gets him in trouble a lot. His feet are alright and has an ability to stick in front of ball handlers, but this may be exploited due to some inflexibility with his hips. Lack of strength also gives him problems. The hope is that the defense can be refined if the bad habits can be coached out of him to wind up being a positive defender. The intrigue with him as a prospect is the high-level of shooting being an asset with some potential creation upside given the feel, giving him potential to go late in the first round or early on in the second.
Kel’el Ware
Big, Indiana University (Fr)
Ht: 7’0” WS: 7’5” Wt: 217 lbs
Age: 20 Born: Little Rock, Arkansas (USA)
A big prospect with great size at 7'0" and a 7'5" WS while possessing all the athletic tools of a modern NBA big. Incredibly efficient scorer at the basket, converting 73.1% of his shots at the rim this past season, playing very well as a lob threat out of the dunker spot or posting up. Doesn't really show an ability to play out of ball screens, which could be a major concern as this is the basis of NBA bigs. Needs to improve as a screener and a decision-maker out of his rolls. Shows the potential to space the floor sporting a 42.5% 3P% albeit on low volume. Has some good touch with a jump shot that can be refined around the margins but is a sound starting point to believe he'll be able to shoot it at some point during his career. Defensively, he's a solid drop coverage defender who understands his length is his greatest asset to take up space in short areas. However he's not all that versatile and is a liability if brought out onto the perimeter. He needs to consistently be more engaged to make an impact and be willing to play physical. He's not great at boxing out which hurts his rebounding numbers. Also needs to get stronger in his lower half to have more functional athleticism. A major concern I have with him on both ends is his processing speed. He seems to not have a great read of the court at all times which can put him in a lot of bad spots when he's out there. If things don't go the way he seemingly predetermined, he looks lost and his impact dwindles. He'll need some time but if the shooting can come around and he stays locked in on the court, he has some serious upside as a versatile offensive big with defensive value.
Ajay Mitchell
Guard, University of California - Santa Barbara (Sr)
Ht: 6’3” WS: 6’6” Wt: 197 lbs
Age: 22 Born: Ans, Belgium
Lead guard prospect with great size and an ability to score at a real level. Not overly explosive or athletic, but plays with tremendous pace by changing his speeds and being patient when he has the ball in hind hands, sufficiently reading the defense by keeping his eyes up. Excels out of ball screens understanding how to manipulate defenders by using fakes and pivots to set them up. Can make a wide variety of passes and consistently hit his teammates on-time and on-target. Does a good job of creating shots for himself by understanding angles and having a wide array of moves. Has a good looking lefty jumper that is consistent and replicable. Looks good as a spot-up shooter from the three-point line even if the 33.3%. seems rather underwhelming. Also made over 40% of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers. Questionable as a pull-up shooter, making 38.3% of his mid-range pull-ups and 25.9% on pull-up threes. I buy the shot improving long-term and the off-ball shooting being legit. He's an ok defender who stays engaged and does all the right things, but is not overly disruptive and has some athletic limitations that won't make him stand out on this end. Projects to be a quality backup guard who could pop as an offensive creator as he finds more comfort with NBA-level spacing.
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