10 under-the-radar NBA draft prospects that every team should target

Under-the-Radar Prospect #8: Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Kansas State

Every few years, an NBA prospect comes entirely out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s a player from a country who picked up the game late. Sometimes it’s a player who had a stunning growth spurt that recalibrated their ceiling. Rarer is the American player who didn’t pick up a basketball until after high school and now starts for a team in the sweet sixteen.

Tomlin wasn’t on any boards or watch lists, no matter how obscure, which makes his ascent all the more impressive. He’s established himself as the best big for the Wildcats, forming the most astonishing big three of college basketball with undersized wunderkind Markquis Nowell and feel-good wing Keyontae Johnson.

Tomlin gives Kansas State toughness, shot-blocking, rebounding, and bountiful energy, all of which form the backbone of their defense. He’s also made leaps and bounds as an offensive weapon, using his great length to finish at the rim and cut into a good position:

With such an odd growth trajectory, it’s likely that some NBA teams may have no idea how to support Tomlin on his journey as a basketball player. What all teams will like, however, is an athletic big man who plays hard on both ends, still has room to grow, and hasn’t developed many bad basketball habits due to his newness to the game.