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TIER XIII: Some other guys with a chance
56. Mouhamed Gueye, 20, 6-10 sophomore C, Washington State
I’m at least kind of intrigued here, even if Gueye is a developmental player who almost certainly needs a year in the G League before he can be contribute anything to the varsity.
Gueye is still young enough to improve considerably, especially considering he took up the game at a late age. He took a very strong step forward in his second year at Washington State. That’s especially true on offense, where he improved from 49.3 percent to 67.4 percent at the line and nearly tripled his assist rate from a year earlier. Gueye also cut a mad foul rate to something more reasonable and became something a volume scorer from midrange on a Cougars team with few elite options.
Measuring at 6-10 in socks with a 7-3 wingspan, Gueye is believable as a pro five if he can add some weight to his 213-pound frame — until you look at his defensive tape. Woof. Gueye was absolute toast on switches, and his lack of strength and physicality made him a speed bump in post defense as well. He needs to get massively better on this end just to be somewhat viable at the next level, and that’s probably the biggest impediment to using anything higher than a late second-round pick on him.
57. Isaiah Wong, 22, 6-3 senior SG, Miami
I’m not totally sure if there’s a place in the league for Wong unless he either becomes a lights-out shooter or a much better defender, but he’s interesting enough to take a hard look at in the late second round.
Wong is undersized, and his 3-point weapon isn’t overly threatening (34.7 percent career on low-ish volume). But he has a real knack for breaking down his man and slithering to the rim. The problem is that ”on-ball scorer” is the hardest role in the league for a player to break though, and Wong lacks most of the attribute teams typically value in off-ball role players. He may end up as a 20-point scorer in the G League who has trouble penetrating an NBA rotation.
58. Jalen Wilson, 22, 6-6 senior SF, Kansas
Wilson is a big name as a collegian after winning the 2022 national title at Kansas, but I have a lot of worries about how his game will translate.
Listed as 6-8 as a collegian, Wilson turned out to be not even 6-6 in socks, and his 3-point game isn’t exactly plug-and-play for the NBA at 31.6 percent career at Kansas. I don’t trust his very-sideways release on the shot either.
Wilson’s go-to move is backing down smaller players after switches, but that’s unlikely to be a useful option at the pro level. He’ll need to figure out how to play off the ball and still find his offense. The good news is that he’s a big-time rebounder for his size, and his handle could still allow him to function as a second-side operator.
TIER XIV: My favorite two-ways
59. Jaylen Martin, 19, 6-5 SG, Overtime Elite
I’m a bit puzzled why people aren’t talking about Martin more. I get the downside: he’s a 6-5 guard with a limited skill level, sort of a poor man’s Hamidou Diallo right now. Nonetheless, his numbers at Overtime Elite were nearly as good as those of the two Thompsons. He also played in the G League Elite camp and was one of the better players there — even though most of them were three or four years older — but somehow he wasn’t invited to the NBA Draft Combine.
Needless to say, I think there is more than enough development potential here to make him an intriguing play with a two-way and I had to resist the temptation to put him higher on my board. I’m really interested to see how the league values him on draft night.
60. Mike Miles Jr., 20, 6-1 junior PG, TCU
A short guard with even shorter arms, Miles had some unimpressive measurements at the combine that offset some decent play on the court. I want to believe in him as a player because he’s tough and can get his own shot, but it’s hard to get too excited about a 6-1 point guard with a barely positive assist-turnover rate.
Where Miles shined this past season was efficient, volume scoring. He improved to 36.2 percent from 3, converted 56.3 percent despite his being vertically challenged and drew fouls at a very high rate. His powerful frame and first-step driving ability may play better in the pros than it did in college, especially if he can play next to a big point guard and cross match.
61. Drew Timme, 22, 6-9 senior C, Gonzaga
Timme was an awesome college player, but his translation to the pros might be rough sledding. Let’s start with the fact he’s shorter than you think, measuring just 6-8 3/4 in socks at the combine. Throw in a 26-inch no-step vertical, and it’s not clear how he’s going to hang as a rim protector if he’s asked to play center.
The problem is, right now he has to play center. Timme is a 25.0 percent career 3-point shooter and a 65.6 percent marksman from the line. He has enough handle, craft, passing and floater game to stick as a four if he can credibly stretch the floor, but there is no evidence thus far that he can provide the needed shooting.
The other aspect is that Timme might be bad defending the rim, but he’s worse defending the perimeter. With a miniscule steal rate and little evidence of switchability, center still feels like his best hiding spot. His most likely scenario is that he turns into one of those guys who wrecks the G League but can’t get established in an NBA rotation due to his defensive shortcomings.
62. Jalen Slawson, 23, 6-7 senior PF, Furman
Boo! The man who took down my Wahoos in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Slawson showed his skill-based game that wrecked the Southern Conference can also scale up to an elite ACC opponent. He only measured 6-6 1/2 in socks and posted a pedestrian 29-inch no-step vertical but has a 7-foot wingspan and shot 39.4 percent from 3; he also absolutely stuffed the box score with high rates of blocks, steals, rebounds and assists and shot 62.6 percent inside the arc. He’s a solid operator from around the elbows with a plus basketball IQ. There’s a lot to like here as a skill four if he can compete athletically.
That last part gets a little worrisome, though. The action in the combine scrimmages seemed to blaze right past him, with Slawson scoring 11 total points in the two games. He also needs to prove the shooting is real; he only shot 32.9 percent from 3 for his career, and last season’s improved mark came on relatively low volume. He’s already 23 too, so it’s not like this is an upside play.
63. Adam Flagler, 23, 6-1 senior PG, Baylor
Flagler is a short, score-first guard who turns 24 in December, so there’s a lot working against him. His rebound rate is low enough to test the limits of gravity, at just 4.3 percent last season and 4.1 percent the year before. Amazingly, he got at least one rebound every single game, although he finished with exactly one 10 times. No, you’re not drafting Flagler for his rebounding, but it’s an indicator stat; Flagler’s was the lowest of any prospect in this cycle except for Nick Smith Jr.
What gives Flagler a chance is that he can really shoot, nailing 39.6 percent of his 3s over the course of his college career. His form looks the part too, and he can get into it off the catch or off the dribble. Flagler also sharply increased his assist rate as a senior, posting nearly three dimes for every turnover and making a much more credible case for himself as a lead guard in the pros. He’ll have to be a full-time point guard at the next level, and will still be undersized, but the shooting gives him a chance.
64. Hunter Tyson, 23, 6-8 senior PF, Clemson
A big shooter who made 40.5 percent from 3 last season, Tyson is older (23) and more limited athletically than most other players in this realm, with very low rates of steals, assists and 2-point baskets. That said, he moves better than his numbers, and he’s not completely toast against smaller players on switches; he didn’t look out of place at all at the combine.
Because of his size and plus rebounding (17.3 percent rebound rate in ACC games as a senior), Tyson has a chance to stick in a rotation if he can prove the 40 percent 3-point shooting is real. I have my doubts, based on career number at 36.9 percent from 3 and 79.1 percent from the line, but there are worse bets to make this far down the board.
65. Jalen Pickett, 23, 6-2 senior PG, Penn State
An insanely productive fifth-year senior who will turn 24 on opening night, Pickett is quite possibly a classic “4A” player who is too good for the G League but not good enough for the NBA. Pickett’s craft on the ball, post-up game and mastery of the midrange led to a breakout fifth NCAA year that included a sizzling 59.2 percent mark on 2s in Big Ten play and an insane 12.2 rebound rate. However, he rarely drew fouls, had poor rates of blocks and steals and underwhelmed at the combine.
A 28-inch no-step vertical underscored the idea that he’s at an athletic disadvantage, and at 6-2 in socks, that’s tough to overcome. The history of players this old on draft night is underwhelming, to say the least, but Pickett was so crazy productive in his final season that it’s possible he becomes an exception.
66. Omari Moore, 22, 6-5 senior SG, San Jose State
The Mountain West Conference Player of the Year has echoes of an under-scouted sleeper, leading the historically lowly Spartans to a 21-win season while offering prototype guard size and filling the state sheet with a 30-8-8 per-100 possessions triple crown line.
Upon closer inspection, however, Moore’s case gets less compelling. His defensive tape featured myriad blow-bys, and he was a non-factor in the scrimmages at the combine. His physical testing didn’t go well either, with just a 29-inch no-step vertical. Moore’s secondary stats hint that he may struggle in any role other than a high-volume creator; he shot just 34.0 percent from 3 and 68.9 percent from the line for his career, and the iffy defensive tape is backed up by a miniscule steal rate.
There still might be something here; he’s 6-6 in shoes and can handle the ball, and maybe if his body fills out and he shoots a little better, there’s a rotation guard to be found.
67. Emoni Bates, 19, 6-8 sophomore SF, Eastern Michigan
Once you get past all the AAU hype, what you end up with is that Bates is a subpar athlete for the NBA level who will have to rely on elite shot making and decisions to make up for the physical limitations. He measured with a 6-9 wingspan and just a 27-inch standing vertical and weighed in at just 179 pounds. Compounding the lack of physical tools was his near-total disinterest in playing defense as a collegian, something that must be corrected at the pro level.
The good news is Bates is still quite young, not turning 20 until January, and he shows deep shooting range and the ability to convert tough shots. The problem is that virtually his entire shot diet right now is tough shots. Normally we think of development projects involving non-shooters, but this is a pretty comprehensive development project despite the fact that he can shoot.
68. Seth Lundy, 23, 6-4 senior SG, Penn State
Lundy shot well enough as a senior to get some attention heading into the draft then backed it up by making shots at the combine. He measured long (6-10 wingspan) and has a powerful frame that led to him overachieving as a rebounder, which should ease some concerns about his positional fit. While his overall defensive impact was fairly limited, he was solid on the ball and has the strength to hold up in some switch situations.
Lundy hadn’t been a notably successful shooter in his first three seasons at Penn State but erupted to 40 percent from 3 in his senior year. He’ll have fans because of the size-shooting combo, but Lundy also had the worst assist rate of any prospect in this draft — when he puts it on the deck, it’s to take a different jump shot from the one he just passed up.
69. Tosan Evbuomwan, 22, 6-7 junior PF, Princeton
You don’t often get Ivy League prospects with a 7-2 wingspan and a 33 1/2-inch no-step vertical. Evbuomwan can’t shoot — 25.8 percent career on low volume and 60.2 percent from the line — but if he ever figures it out, there’s enough there to be a really interesting pro forward. He operated almost as a “point center” at Princeton, handing out 9.0 assists per 100 possessions, and was able to score in the paint despite being undersized. That said, he basically has no NBA position right now and would be in the odd position of being a development project as a 22-year-old.
70. Charles Bediako, 21, 6-10 sophomore C, Alabama
An interesting project because of his defensive potential, Bediako was the centerpiece of Alabama’s suffocating defense, rejecting 4.8 shots per 100 possessions with his 7-3 wingspan while generally showing good mobility. He wasn’t a dominant rebounder and needs to add strength, but he’s much younger than most of the other two-way possibilities after surprisingly leaving Alabama following his sophomore season.
As for his offense? Bediako shot 68.4 percent last season by specializing in dunks and not much else. His size makes him effective inside the charge circle, obviously, but I wouldn’t call him a fearsome rim runner at this point. Also, there’s the little matter of his shooting: Bediako shot 35.5 percent from the line last year.
71. Chris Livingston, 19, 6-6 freshman PF, Kentucky
I already wrote a lot about about Livingston’s pro outlook with our Kyle Tucker recently, so I won’t repeat myself here except to say nothing really changed about his outlook. It’s a complete flier on a young, developmental player with a limited skill level but some athletic upside. Livingston is rumored to have stayed in the draft based on a pick promise, so we’ll see what transpires on draft day.
72. D’Moi Hodge, 24, 6-3 senior SG, Missouri
Hodge won’t get drafted because he’s 37 years old (okay, 25 in December), but he blew up as a shooter last season (40.0 percent from 3 on massive volume, 250 total attempts in just 35 games). He’s no point guard and may be a bit small for the two but has just enough craft to him to make it work on the offensive end, converting 63 percent of his 2s each of the past two seasons.
Defensively he’s not a great athlete. He’s gamble- and foul-prone and very beatable one-on-one, but his hands and instincts are outlier good — Hodge swiped 5.4 steals per 100 possessions in SEC games last season and was over 4.0 each of his first two seasons at Cleveland State. That gives some glimmer of hope that he could become a Walmart version of De’Anthony Melton.
73. Drew Peterson, 23, 6-8 senior SF, USC
Peterson is intriguing because he has a very good handle for his size and could be a real weapon as a secondary playmaker if he could become a more consistent shooter. He’s not terrible — 35.8 percent career — but has a long wind up and doesn’t shoot unless he’s wide open. He isn’t all that efficient inside the arc either, resulting in him being a fairly inefficient scorer overall, even at the college level. If he can nail down the shooting and finishing, he has a chance to stick; otherwise, he’s probably the third-best player on his G League team.
74. Sir’Jabari Rice, 24, 6-3 SG, Texas
Owner of arguably the best shot fake in college basketball, Rice is entertaining due to the near-certainty of him absolutely pulling some dude straight out of his shoes with his feet-on-the-floor, two-armed sucker fake. His actual shot is pretty good too, with a 37.1 percent conversion rate this past season.
Otherwise, Rice is an undersized two with meh athleticism who is likely facing an uphill battle to matchup on an NBA court. He’s a smart player, but he also turns 25 in December, so time isn’t on his side. If he can become a 40 percent 3-point shooter, he may have a chance to stick.
75. Oscar Tshiebwe, 23, 6-7 senior C, Kentucky
By now, everyone is likely familiar with Tshiebwe, a good-level rebounder (24.8 percent rebound rate in SEC games this past season, down from an insane 29.1 percent in 2021-22) with a 7-4 wingspan and whose other limitations likely will force him to play in Europe.
He struggles to defend in space on defense and to finish against length on offense, two things the center position will require of him in the NBA. He’s probably coming to the league 20 years too late but is worth a flier because of the rebounding and his hands, which catch everything and flick a high rate of steals when he can get close enough to the ball.
56. Mouhamed Gueye, 20, 6-10 sophomore C, Washington State
I’m at least kind of intrigued here, even if Gueye is a developmental player who almost certainly needs a year in the G League before he can be contribute anything to the varsity.
Gueye is still young enough to improve considerably, especially considering he took up the game at a late age. He took a very strong step forward in his second year at Washington State. That’s especially true on offense, where he improved from 49.3 percent to 67.4 percent at the line and nearly tripled his assist rate from a year earlier. Gueye also cut a mad foul rate to something more reasonable and became something a volume scorer from midrange on a Cougars team with few elite options.
Measuring at 6-10 in socks with a 7-3 wingspan, Gueye is believable as a pro five if he can add some weight to his 213-pound frame — until you look at his defensive tape. Woof. Gueye was absolute toast on switches, and his lack of strength and physicality made him a speed bump in post defense as well. He needs to get massively better on this end just to be somewhat viable at the next level, and that’s probably the biggest impediment to using anything higher than a late second-round pick on him.
57. Isaiah Wong, 22, 6-3 senior SG, Miami
I’m not totally sure if there’s a place in the league for Wong unless he either becomes a lights-out shooter or a much better defender, but he’s interesting enough to take a hard look at in the late second round.
Wong is undersized, and his 3-point weapon isn’t overly threatening (34.7 percent career on low-ish volume). But he has a real knack for breaking down his man and slithering to the rim. The problem is that ”on-ball scorer” is the hardest role in the league for a player to break though, and Wong lacks most of the attribute teams typically value in off-ball role players. He may end up as a 20-point scorer in the G League who has trouble penetrating an NBA rotation.
58. Jalen Wilson, 22, 6-6 senior SF, Kansas
Wilson is a big name as a collegian after winning the 2022 national title at Kansas, but I have a lot of worries about how his game will translate.
Listed as 6-8 as a collegian, Wilson turned out to be not even 6-6 in socks, and his 3-point game isn’t exactly plug-and-play for the NBA at 31.6 percent career at Kansas. I don’t trust his very-sideways release on the shot either.
Wilson’s go-to move is backing down smaller players after switches, but that’s unlikely to be a useful option at the pro level. He’ll need to figure out how to play off the ball and still find his offense. The good news is that he’s a big-time rebounder for his size, and his handle could still allow him to function as a second-side operator.
TIER XIV: My favorite two-ways
59. Jaylen Martin, 19, 6-5 SG, Overtime Elite
I’m a bit puzzled why people aren’t talking about Martin more. I get the downside: he’s a 6-5 guard with a limited skill level, sort of a poor man’s Hamidou Diallo right now. Nonetheless, his numbers at Overtime Elite were nearly as good as those of the two Thompsons. He also played in the G League Elite camp and was one of the better players there — even though most of them were three or four years older — but somehow he wasn’t invited to the NBA Draft Combine.
Needless to say, I think there is more than enough development potential here to make him an intriguing play with a two-way and I had to resist the temptation to put him higher on my board. I’m really interested to see how the league values him on draft night.
60. Mike Miles Jr., 20, 6-1 junior PG, TCU
A short guard with even shorter arms, Miles had some unimpressive measurements at the combine that offset some decent play on the court. I want to believe in him as a player because he’s tough and can get his own shot, but it’s hard to get too excited about a 6-1 point guard with a barely positive assist-turnover rate.
Where Miles shined this past season was efficient, volume scoring. He improved to 36.2 percent from 3, converted 56.3 percent despite his being vertically challenged and drew fouls at a very high rate. His powerful frame and first-step driving ability may play better in the pros than it did in college, especially if he can play next to a big point guard and cross match.
61. Drew Timme, 22, 6-9 senior C, Gonzaga
Timme was an awesome college player, but his translation to the pros might be rough sledding. Let’s start with the fact he’s shorter than you think, measuring just 6-8 3/4 in socks at the combine. Throw in a 26-inch no-step vertical, and it’s not clear how he’s going to hang as a rim protector if he’s asked to play center.
The problem is, right now he has to play center. Timme is a 25.0 percent career 3-point shooter and a 65.6 percent marksman from the line. He has enough handle, craft, passing and floater game to stick as a four if he can credibly stretch the floor, but there is no evidence thus far that he can provide the needed shooting.
The other aspect is that Timme might be bad defending the rim, but he’s worse defending the perimeter. With a miniscule steal rate and little evidence of switchability, center still feels like his best hiding spot. His most likely scenario is that he turns into one of those guys who wrecks the G League but can’t get established in an NBA rotation due to his defensive shortcomings.
62. Jalen Slawson, 23, 6-7 senior PF, Furman
Boo! The man who took down my Wahoos in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Slawson showed his skill-based game that wrecked the Southern Conference can also scale up to an elite ACC opponent. He only measured 6-6 1/2 in socks and posted a pedestrian 29-inch no-step vertical but has a 7-foot wingspan and shot 39.4 percent from 3; he also absolutely stuffed the box score with high rates of blocks, steals, rebounds and assists and shot 62.6 percent inside the arc. He’s a solid operator from around the elbows with a plus basketball IQ. There’s a lot to like here as a skill four if he can compete athletically.
That last part gets a little worrisome, though. The action in the combine scrimmages seemed to blaze right past him, with Slawson scoring 11 total points in the two games. He also needs to prove the shooting is real; he only shot 32.9 percent from 3 for his career, and last season’s improved mark came on relatively low volume. He’s already 23 too, so it’s not like this is an upside play.
63. Adam Flagler, 23, 6-1 senior PG, Baylor
Flagler is a short, score-first guard who turns 24 in December, so there’s a lot working against him. His rebound rate is low enough to test the limits of gravity, at just 4.3 percent last season and 4.1 percent the year before. Amazingly, he got at least one rebound every single game, although he finished with exactly one 10 times. No, you’re not drafting Flagler for his rebounding, but it’s an indicator stat; Flagler’s was the lowest of any prospect in this cycle except for Nick Smith Jr.
What gives Flagler a chance is that he can really shoot, nailing 39.6 percent of his 3s over the course of his college career. His form looks the part too, and he can get into it off the catch or off the dribble. Flagler also sharply increased his assist rate as a senior, posting nearly three dimes for every turnover and making a much more credible case for himself as a lead guard in the pros. He’ll have to be a full-time point guard at the next level, and will still be undersized, but the shooting gives him a chance.
64. Hunter Tyson, 23, 6-8 senior PF, Clemson
A big shooter who made 40.5 percent from 3 last season, Tyson is older (23) and more limited athletically than most other players in this realm, with very low rates of steals, assists and 2-point baskets. That said, he moves better than his numbers, and he’s not completely toast against smaller players on switches; he didn’t look out of place at all at the combine.
Because of his size and plus rebounding (17.3 percent rebound rate in ACC games as a senior), Tyson has a chance to stick in a rotation if he can prove the 40 percent 3-point shooting is real. I have my doubts, based on career number at 36.9 percent from 3 and 79.1 percent from the line, but there are worse bets to make this far down the board.
65. Jalen Pickett, 23, 6-2 senior PG, Penn State
An insanely productive fifth-year senior who will turn 24 on opening night, Pickett is quite possibly a classic “4A” player who is too good for the G League but not good enough for the NBA. Pickett’s craft on the ball, post-up game and mastery of the midrange led to a breakout fifth NCAA year that included a sizzling 59.2 percent mark on 2s in Big Ten play and an insane 12.2 rebound rate. However, he rarely drew fouls, had poor rates of blocks and steals and underwhelmed at the combine.
A 28-inch no-step vertical underscored the idea that he’s at an athletic disadvantage, and at 6-2 in socks, that’s tough to overcome. The history of players this old on draft night is underwhelming, to say the least, but Pickett was so crazy productive in his final season that it’s possible he becomes an exception.
66. Omari Moore, 22, 6-5 senior SG, San Jose State
The Mountain West Conference Player of the Year has echoes of an under-scouted sleeper, leading the historically lowly Spartans to a 21-win season while offering prototype guard size and filling the state sheet with a 30-8-8 per-100 possessions triple crown line.
Upon closer inspection, however, Moore’s case gets less compelling. His defensive tape featured myriad blow-bys, and he was a non-factor in the scrimmages at the combine. His physical testing didn’t go well either, with just a 29-inch no-step vertical. Moore’s secondary stats hint that he may struggle in any role other than a high-volume creator; he shot just 34.0 percent from 3 and 68.9 percent from the line for his career, and the iffy defensive tape is backed up by a miniscule steal rate.
There still might be something here; he’s 6-6 in shoes and can handle the ball, and maybe if his body fills out and he shoots a little better, there’s a rotation guard to be found.
67. Emoni Bates, 19, 6-8 sophomore SF, Eastern Michigan
Once you get past all the AAU hype, what you end up with is that Bates is a subpar athlete for the NBA level who will have to rely on elite shot making and decisions to make up for the physical limitations. He measured with a 6-9 wingspan and just a 27-inch standing vertical and weighed in at just 179 pounds. Compounding the lack of physical tools was his near-total disinterest in playing defense as a collegian, something that must be corrected at the pro level.
The good news is Bates is still quite young, not turning 20 until January, and he shows deep shooting range and the ability to convert tough shots. The problem is that virtually his entire shot diet right now is tough shots. Normally we think of development projects involving non-shooters, but this is a pretty comprehensive development project despite the fact that he can shoot.
68. Seth Lundy, 23, 6-4 senior SG, Penn State
Lundy shot well enough as a senior to get some attention heading into the draft then backed it up by making shots at the combine. He measured long (6-10 wingspan) and has a powerful frame that led to him overachieving as a rebounder, which should ease some concerns about his positional fit. While his overall defensive impact was fairly limited, he was solid on the ball and has the strength to hold up in some switch situations.
Lundy hadn’t been a notably successful shooter in his first three seasons at Penn State but erupted to 40 percent from 3 in his senior year. He’ll have fans because of the size-shooting combo, but Lundy also had the worst assist rate of any prospect in this draft — when he puts it on the deck, it’s to take a different jump shot from the one he just passed up.
69. Tosan Evbuomwan, 22, 6-7 junior PF, Princeton
You don’t often get Ivy League prospects with a 7-2 wingspan and a 33 1/2-inch no-step vertical. Evbuomwan can’t shoot — 25.8 percent career on low volume and 60.2 percent from the line — but if he ever figures it out, there’s enough there to be a really interesting pro forward. He operated almost as a “point center” at Princeton, handing out 9.0 assists per 100 possessions, and was able to score in the paint despite being undersized. That said, he basically has no NBA position right now and would be in the odd position of being a development project as a 22-year-old.
70. Charles Bediako, 21, 6-10 sophomore C, Alabama
An interesting project because of his defensive potential, Bediako was the centerpiece of Alabama’s suffocating defense, rejecting 4.8 shots per 100 possessions with his 7-3 wingspan while generally showing good mobility. He wasn’t a dominant rebounder and needs to add strength, but he’s much younger than most of the other two-way possibilities after surprisingly leaving Alabama following his sophomore season.
As for his offense? Bediako shot 68.4 percent last season by specializing in dunks and not much else. His size makes him effective inside the charge circle, obviously, but I wouldn’t call him a fearsome rim runner at this point. Also, there’s the little matter of his shooting: Bediako shot 35.5 percent from the line last year.
71. Chris Livingston, 19, 6-6 freshman PF, Kentucky
I already wrote a lot about about Livingston’s pro outlook with our Kyle Tucker recently, so I won’t repeat myself here except to say nothing really changed about his outlook. It’s a complete flier on a young, developmental player with a limited skill level but some athletic upside. Livingston is rumored to have stayed in the draft based on a pick promise, so we’ll see what transpires on draft day.
72. D’Moi Hodge, 24, 6-3 senior SG, Missouri
Hodge won’t get drafted because he’s 37 years old (okay, 25 in December), but he blew up as a shooter last season (40.0 percent from 3 on massive volume, 250 total attempts in just 35 games). He’s no point guard and may be a bit small for the two but has just enough craft to him to make it work on the offensive end, converting 63 percent of his 2s each of the past two seasons.
Defensively he’s not a great athlete. He’s gamble- and foul-prone and very beatable one-on-one, but his hands and instincts are outlier good — Hodge swiped 5.4 steals per 100 possessions in SEC games last season and was over 4.0 each of his first two seasons at Cleveland State. That gives some glimmer of hope that he could become a Walmart version of De’Anthony Melton.
73. Drew Peterson, 23, 6-8 senior SF, USC
Peterson is intriguing because he has a very good handle for his size and could be a real weapon as a secondary playmaker if he could become a more consistent shooter. He’s not terrible — 35.8 percent career — but has a long wind up and doesn’t shoot unless he’s wide open. He isn’t all that efficient inside the arc either, resulting in him being a fairly inefficient scorer overall, even at the college level. If he can nail down the shooting and finishing, he has a chance to stick; otherwise, he’s probably the third-best player on his G League team.
74. Sir’Jabari Rice, 24, 6-3 SG, Texas
Owner of arguably the best shot fake in college basketball, Rice is entertaining due to the near-certainty of him absolutely pulling some dude straight out of his shoes with his feet-on-the-floor, two-armed sucker fake. His actual shot is pretty good too, with a 37.1 percent conversion rate this past season.
Otherwise, Rice is an undersized two with meh athleticism who is likely facing an uphill battle to matchup on an NBA court. He’s a smart player, but he also turns 25 in December, so time isn’t on his side. If he can become a 40 percent 3-point shooter, he may have a chance to stick.
75. Oscar Tshiebwe, 23, 6-7 senior C, Kentucky
By now, everyone is likely familiar with Tshiebwe, a good-level rebounder (24.8 percent rebound rate in SEC games this past season, down from an insane 29.1 percent in 2021-22) with a 7-4 wingspan and whose other limitations likely will force him to play in Europe.
He struggles to defend in space on defense and to finish against length on offense, two things the center position will require of him in the NBA. He’s probably coming to the league 20 years too late but is worth a flier because of the rebounding and his hands, which catch everything and flick a high rate of steals when he can get close enough to the ball.
