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2015 NBA Draft: Emmanuel Mudiay Drops Triple-Double in CBA

By Maxwell Ogden

Mar 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay of Prime Prep Academy poses for a portrait. He is a finalist for the USA Today Player of the Year Award. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay of Prime Prep Academy poses for a portrait. He is a finalist for the USA Today Player of the Year Award. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Perhaps the most polarizing player in the 2015 NBA Draft is point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Commonly regarded as a Top 5 prospect, Mudiay left college basketball for an international professional basketball experience in the Chinese Basketball Association.

So far, so good.

On November 9, 2014, Mudiay led the Guangdong Southern Tigers to a 127-116 victory over the Qingdao Eagles. Not only was he impressive, but he was downright dominant.

Mudiay finished with 22 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his first career professional double-double.

Say what you will about the competitiveness of the CBA in comparison to that of the NBA, but that’s a downright great performance.

Mudiay went toe-to-toe with NBA D-League star Justin Dentmon and FIBA star Hamed Haddadi of Memphis Grizzlies fame. He overwhelmed his opponents with a well-rounded attack and, at times, blazing athleticism.

Regardless of where you play, a triple-double is a triple-double. It’s no easy feat.

The 6’5″ floor general has received comparisons to everyone from Kyrie Irving to Rajon Rondo. His size alone makes him a potential first-round pick, but it’s his ball-handling, facilitating and slashing that make him such a hot commodity.

Due to academic issues, Mudiay left the collegiate ranks. This prevented him from playing under the iconic Larry Brown on the SMU Mustangs—something that intrigued scouts about as much as Mudiay’s size and ability.

Instead, he’ll play in China—a haven for aging NBA veterans. He’ll gain perspective from former association players that he both goes against and teams with.

Former Top 10 pick and four-time CBA Finals MVP Yi Jianlian, for instance, is one of Mudiay’s teammates.

There’s no question that Mudiay will be one of the toughest players to evaluate in this coming draft season. With more performances like this, however, he’d go a long way towards securing his spot as a Top 10 pick.

Polarizing or not, Mudiay can flat-out play.