2018 NBA Draft: 5 under-the-radar power forward prospects

By Max Holm | Oct 28, 2017

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Bennie Boatwright #25 of the USC Trojans handles the ball against Ike Anigbogu #13 of the UCLA Bruins during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UCLA won 76-74 (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

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5. Yante Maten — Georgia

Yante Maten is a senior worth keeping tabs on. The leader for the University of Georgia has grown throughout his three years in the SEC and might be the best player in this year’s conference. Maten went from averaging just five points per game and not attempting a 3 as a freshman to 18.2 points and shooting 48.8 percent from 3 as a junior.

The 3-point shot is what’s really intriguing about Maten. It opens up his offensive game and will be pretty crucial for his chances to make the NBA. He’s a bit on the shorter side at 6’8″, but makes up for it with a strong build. A good sign for his shooting is that over 445 free throw attempts in college he’s hit 73 percent of them.

Whether he can make more strides as a passer, rebounder and defender remain to be seen. Defense is probably the most critical of the three. Still, averaging just 6.8 rebounds a night won’t cut it, though he averaged eight as a sophomore. Maten is going to score a lot, but how well-rounded he can make his game is worth keeping more tabs on.

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