2015 NBA Draft Watch List: Seniors, Part Five
By Ed Isaacson
It’s just over a month from the start of college basketball season and the road to the 2015 NBA Draft has begun. It’s time to start taking some early looks at players who are already on the NBA’s radar, or have enough skill or potential to break through this season.
Players will be broken down by class, starting with the seniors. Overall, the list will contain between 50 and 60 seniors, 30 to 40 juniors, and 20 to 30 sophomores.
These are not meant to replace scouting reports, which will come out during the season. These are not all-inclusive and just meant as a brief primer for those who want to track draft prospects throughout the season. These are also not in any particular order other than who I choose to write about each post.
Ryan Boatright, Connecticut, Guard, 6’0, 175
(2013-14, 32.4 mpg) 12.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.6 spg
39.1 FG%, 79.8 FT%, 37.6 3FG%, 52.1 TS%, 45.0 eFG%
22.4 USG%, 1.7:1 A/TO, 21.2 AST%
With a few seasons under his belt playing next to Shabazz Napier, and culminating in an NCAA Championship this past season, Boatright will now be called on to be the leader of this Huskies’ team. Boatright is a strong ballhandler, able to uses both hands well, and possessing a strong repertoire of advanced dribbles, including strong crossover and change-of-pace moves. He has shown a quick first step and can be tough to contain in isolation. Also, Boatright does a good job using screens, both to create space for his jumper, and to get into the lane. He has developed a somewhat reliable floater/short jumper and can be a creative finisher around the rim. Boatright is a very good on-ball defender, getting strong position and moving his feet well. He plays angles well and can force his man to his weaker hand well. He is also strong off the ball, and moves well enough to deny passing lanes and get a quick jump on lazy passes. Boatright gets over screens well and does a good job finding routes through the lane to avoid getting caught up when chasing his man off the ball. Boatright is quick up the court in transition and is capable of pushing the ball or running the lanes.
What he needs to show this season: Poor shot selection has plagued Boatright for the past three seasons, and at times it seemed like he regressed in some ways. Boatright needs to watch his decision-making, especially when he gets into the lane. He can be a very good passer when he draws help defenders, but he needs to work on making decisions quicker before he gets stuck among the defense without an opening to shoot or pass. Also, I want to see Boatright make better reads off of screens instead of looking to find a way to get a shot off most of the time. Boatright’s size, or lack of, does give him some problems getting good shots off, both around the basket and on the perimeter. He makes some moves so quickly that he doesn’t give himself a chance to get in good position for a shot, leaving him taking some wild or off-balance shots. If he can be more patient and let things open up, he should find better opportunities. On defense, Boatright can take some bad risks, especially looking to jump passing lanes and can take himself out of a play. He also needs to watch falling for ball and shot-fakes easily.
Ryan Harrow, Georgia State, Guard, 6’2, 160
(2013-14, 33.9 mpg) 17.8 ppg, 4.2 apg, 1.3 spg
44.6 FG%, 83.9 FT%, 28.8 3FG%, 52.8 TS%, 47.6 eFG%
29.4 USG%, 2.5:1 A/TO, 27.2 AST%, 9.1 TO%, 2.3 STL%
After stops at North Carolina State and Kentucky, Harrow finally found a comfortable situation at Georgia State, where he was an All-Sun Belt First Team player. He is a good ballhandler who can attack the basket to the left or right. Harrow shows good acceleration when going to the basket, but also a nice change-of-pace dribble to keep defenders off-balance. Once he gets into the lane, Harrow can finish in a variety of ways around the basket, or he can find an open teammate off the penetration. While not a good jump shooter, Harrow can knock down shots if he has time and space to get set. Defensively, he showed some good ability to pressure defenders on the top of Georgia State’s zone, but there were also many times where he just seemed to go through the motions. He can be very good at reading passing lanes and making passes difficult. Harrow is very good in transition and he is speed and ballhandling let him get a quick jump on defenders.
What he needs to show this season: Harrow was a great fit for Coach Ron Hunter’s system, and the pairing with R.J. Hunter makes both players better. Harrow’s scoring ability shined last season, but he still has some work to do to improve. While he does a good job getting into the defense and to the basket, he can have trouble getting good shots off against lengthy defenders. Also, instead of looking to draw contact, he will avoid it, leading to some wild shots. Also, I would like to see Harrow make quicker decisions on reads off of penetration and screens. As mentioned above, perimeter shooting is still an issue for Harrow and it is something he will need to address during his last college season. Defensively, the biggest thing I want to see from Harrow is effort this season. He has a chance to make his final season special.
Dezmine Wells, Maryland, Guard, 6’5, 215
(2013-14, 30.6 mpg) 14.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 spg
48.1 FG%, 81.7 FT%, 30.4 3FG%, 58.4 TS%, 50.8 eFG%
25.0 USG%, 12.1 DREB%, 7.9 REB%, 15.5 AST%
Wells continued to shine as a bright spot on a Maryland team that seemed very lost at times. In his second season with the Terrapins, he handled many different roles on offense, while also being one of the team’s best defenders. Wells is aggressive when he has the ball and plays much bigger than his size. He likes to attack the basket and he uses his body well to force his way into the lane. He doesn’t shy from contact and is able to finish strong through some tough hits. This past season, Wells spent some time running the offense for Maryland, and while he wasn’t a playmaker, he did a good job keeping mistakes down and getting teammates involved. Wells can be a good perimeter shooter off the catch when he has time to get set. He has a quick, high release and doesn’t force many bad shots. On defense, Wells can guard multiple positions, keeps good position on and off the ball, and he uses his strength well to play physical defense when needed. He is a fundamentally-sound rebounder, getting strong position and putting a body on any offensive players in the area. Wells runs the floor well in transition and is capable of some spectacular finishes when he heads towards the rim.
What he needs to show this season: Heading into last season, I wanted to see Wells polish his offensive skills, including becoming a more reliable ballhandler and a more consistent shooter. He did make strides in those areas, but he was often needed by his team to handle much more. Perimeter shooting still needs some work, especially from long-range. He needs to work on moving without the ball, and using screens to get open for his jumper. Also, I want to see Wells work on being able to hit his jumper off the dribble, especially in the mid-range area. Defensively, Wells does a lot of things well, but he doesn’t have great foot speed and could have trouble guarding quicker 2’s and 3’s. He should get through screens better, especially with his strength, and he needs to work on anticipating his man’s movements off the ball and reacting quicker. Wells is physically gifted and seems like the kind of player that coaches would love to have out on the floor for them; it is important that he shows some more improvement this season.
Aaron White, Iowa, Forward, 6’9, 228
(2013-14, 28.1 mpg) 12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg
58.4 FG%, 80.7 FT%, 25.8 3FG%, 65.9 TS%, 60.0 eFG%
19.8 USG%, 19.0 DREB%, 13.1 REB%, 12.2 AST%
White was named Third Team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive season last year. White is a good offensive threat in the post, using his lower body well to seal off the defender and getting into his move quickly. White is an efficient scorer in the post, and as important, he draws fouls at a tremendous rate. He also helps the Iowa offense with his solid screening on the perimeter, and he has good understanding of how to execute in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations. White is an above-average passer, using his height on the perimeter to see over the defense, though the passes usually don’t lead to many scoring attempts. Rebounding, on both ends, could be better from White, but when he gets good position, he goes strong after the ball and clears the area well. He also anticipates well on the defensive end and can use his size to disrupt passing lanes.
What he needs to show this season: As mentioned above, White executes well in pick-and-pop situations, but he has trouble knocking down jumpers, mid- and long-range, even when open. One issue may be on his release, where he seems to over-follow-through leading to jumpers which come up short because of the rotation on the ball. The rest of his form looks good, so his release may be the problem. In the post area, White does get into his moves quickly, but he doesn’t get to a shot quickly. Part of the reason he draws so many fouls is that by hesitating and pump-faking, defenders bite easily, but I don’t think this will be the case at the next level. White could also get some easier shots around the basket if he became comfortable using his left hand to get short shots off. On defense, White’s lack of foot speed gets him in trouble out on the perimeter, and if against an offense which screens often, Iowa ends up switching on screens, leaving White in some bad mismatches. The alternative has been White giving too much space to his man, which a good shooter can take advantage of. White looks to move his feet on defense, but he needs to work on getting quicker. White made the most of his offensive opportunities last season, and if he is as effective again this year, he will draw many professional teams’ eyes.