2015 NBA Draft Watch List: Seniors, Part Twelve

It’s just 2 weeks 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.

This is the final post on the senior class.

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.

Chasson Randle, Stanford, Guard, 6’2, 185

(2013-14, 35.1 mpg) 18.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.0 spg

47.4 FG%, 76.7 FT%, 38.9 3FG%, 59.6 TS%, 54.8 eFG%

27.0 USG%, 13.6 AST%, 13.5 TOV%, 1.7 STL%

Randle bounced back after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season to put together his best all-around season as a junior, on his way to being named First Team All PAC-12.  He had three games where he scored over 30 points in a game, as well as another 13 where he scored more than 20, including two NCAA Tournament games. Randle continues to be a very good perimeter shooter, having excellent range and a quick release, plus the ability to uses screens and his dribble well to create space.  He is a good ballhandler, uses screens well to get into the lane and finds creative ways to finish at the rim.  Randle has also become much better about looking to draw contact on his way to the basket, almost doubling his free throw attempts from his freshman and sophomore season combined. Randle has improved his ability to hit the mid-range jumper off the dribble, and he uses screens and his dribble well to get free.  He does a good job drawing defenders when he is in the lane, and finds open teammates, and he has a good feel for the two-man game with his post players.  Randle is an average defender, positioning himself well and being quick to react as a help defender.  He works hard to try and contain his man on the perimeter, and he can be quick to track down long rebounds.

What he needs to show this season: Randle has shown improvement with his ability to create for others off the dribble, but he still has some work to do, especially being able to make reads quicker off of screens and getting his teammates the ball in a spot they can make a play.  He also has a tendency to try and force action to happen, and he ends up in some bad spots and with some ugly turnovers.  As a defender, he needs to work on his on-ball defense, improving his lateral movement and getting over screens. Randle has shown improvement in almost all areas, but he will need to show what he can do as a point guard at the next level, and so far his college play has been very mixed.

Rayvonte Rice, Illinois, Guard, 6’4, 230

(2013-14, 32.7 mpg) 15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.7 spg

43.0 FG%, 73.1 FT%, 29.5 3FG%, 52.5 TS%, 48.1 eFG%

27.6 USG%, 4.5 OREB%, 17.8 DREB%, 11.0 REB%, 3.2 STL%

Rice made an immediate impact last season after spending two seasons at Drake. Rice is a strong-bodied guard who uses his size well to attack the basket and get to the rim.  He likes to use screens to get into the defense, but he is just as capable of using his body to force his way past his defender. Rice has shown good form and range on his jumper, though he often has trouble not letting his body drift when he looks to shoot off the dribble, which he does often. He does do a good job using his dribble to create separation for his jumper, though he needs to work on being able to go straight up with his shot. Defensively, Rice positions himself well on and off the ball, and he has shown good lateral movement over short distances. He can be very good reacting to and disrupting passing lanes. Rice is a very good rebounder for his size, tracking the ball well and using his body to clear space while going strong after the missed shot.

What he needs to show this season: Rice has the tools to be a consistent perimeter shooter, but he needs to watch his body drifting when shooting off the dribble. He can be very good when he gets his feet set behind the line, though he will force some shots with defenders in closing distance. Also, while he can do a good job attacking the basket off the dribble, he often tries to force the action to his right, and defenders can adjust to his much-weaker left hand. Rice can work harder on moving without the ball, especially coming tighter off of screens to give him some space. I’d like to see Rice go stronger at the rim when attacking, instead of letting the help defender force him outside the lane. Go strong and look to draw contact. Defensively, Rice needs to work on getting through screens cleaner, and he has to react better when guarding the ball. Rice has the body to succeed at the next level, but he just needs to polish his game to be an effective scorer.

Will Cummings, Temple, Guard, 6’2, 175

(2013-14, 34.4 mpg) 16.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.5 spg

44.8 FG%, 78.7 FT%, 30.8 3FG%, 55.8 TS%, 49.3 eFG%

25.0 USG%, 2:1 A/TO, 26.7 AST%, 2.5 STL%

Cummings enjoyed a breakout season for the Owls as a junior, posting career bests in almost every category. Cummings shows very good poise at the point guard position, and he showed an improved ability through the course of last season to handle pressure.  He is Temple’s clear leader on the floor and he does a solid job getting the team into its offense quickly or knowing when they need to reset. While he doesn’t show a lot of great speed on the floor, he does change his pace well enough to get defenders off balance, and he has good acceleration off the dribble. Cummings is a very good ballhandler and will look to attack the basket with either hand. He has shown good finishing ability around the rim and he is not afraid to take some contact. Cummings does a good job keeping his head up when he gets into the defense, sees the help defenders, and can find an open teammate or use an improving floater. Defensively, Cummings keeps good positioning on and off the ball, and has active hands and feet. He is also very good at getting over and through screens. Cummings has looked very good in transition, getting the ball up the floor quickly and making generally good decisions.

What he needs to show this season:  Cummings does a good job making smart passes on offense, but he could show more as a playmaker, especially making reads off of screens and knowing where to find open teammates off the defensive rotations. Also, he needs to continue working on his jumper. His form isn’t bad, but he is slow to get into his shooting motion and needs time and space to get a good look on perimeter jumpers. Defensively, he plays the ball well, though he can work on reacting better to his man when he has the ball, especially not letting players beat him easily around the corner. Cummings made very good strides as a junior, and if he makes the same level of improvement as a senior, he has a shot at a good pro career.

Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin, Forward, 6’6, 210

(2013-14, 28.9 mpg) 14.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg

53.8 FG%, 79.9 FT%, 46.9 3FG%, 62.3 TS%, 57.4 eFG%

22.2 USG%, 10.2 OREB%, 21.9 DREB%, 15.6 REB%, 2.9 STL%

Parker had an excellent junior year, winning Southland Player of the Year and leading the Lumberjacks to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.  Parker fills his role well within the offense and makes the most of his offensive chances. He is a solid screener on the perimeter and he opens up well to the ball, giving him looks in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations. He can also post up depending on the match-up, and though not always pretty, he gets some good looks off his moves. Parker is a solid perimeter shooter, when he has space and time, and he has shown the ability to beat defenders off the dribble if given room. Parker is at his best when he is just looking for open spaces within the offense for him to fill, and he has a good idea where his teammates will be whenever he touches the ball. Defensively, Parker plays much bigger than 6’6, and he often has to guard bigger players. He has no problem getting physical around the basket, and he also has very good awareness, which he uses well as a help defender in the lane. Parker always seems to be active on defense, whether it’s getting in position for a rebound, which he does well, jumping up and down to make inbounds passes tough, or helping to trap in the halfcourt.

What he needs to show this season: While Parker may not be a great athlete, he has a great feel for the game on both ends of the floor, and he does move on the court well, even if he isn’t very quick. He understands how to play angles well on defense, but for the next level, he will need to do a better job defending on the perimeter, anticipating and moving his feet. On offense, Parker does all of the little things a team needs, but at 6’6, he will need to develop his perimeter game more, including becoming more comfortable from long-range while making his shot quicker. Parker is the kind of player any coach would love to have on his team, knowing he will give all he has in practice and in games. There is a spot for him as a professional at a high level; he just needs to round out his offensive game.