Ranking the 10 best power forward prospects in the NBA Draft

Power Forward #2: Taylor Hendricks, UCF

While Hendricks didn’t come out of anywhere in the way that players like Grant Nelson or Nae’Qwan Tomlin did this season, his ascent is almost more impressive: while he was considered a top fifty recruit last year, no one expected him to play as well as he did and cement himself as a lottery pick in his freshman year.

Hendricks stepped into the limelight for the Knights from his first game and never looked back, taking control of the team and doing his best to keep it afloat. He shot 39.4% from deep, averaged almost two blocks a game, and showed the rangy defense that teams crave while flashing his upside as a legitimate stretch four:

Calling Hendricks a probable starter is more of a disservice to his game at this point, as he’s flashed both the ability to be a dangerous rim protector and offensive threat. With the right developmental framework and plan, Hendricks could become a true game-changing power forward and contend for all-star appearances in the future.

There are many more teams that might covet Hendricks than ones who won’t, which makes it unlikely that he’ll fall past Dallas at ten. Whether he goes there or higher to a team like Utah, Indiana, or Washington, whichever team takes him will gain one of the highest-upside forwards in the 2023 draft class.