Right now, former college freshmen Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid are being discussed as really the only three options for the no. 1 overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft. One name you’re not hearing that much is another freshman that came into the college basketball season with a lot of hype last year, Kentucky’s Julius Randle.
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All things considered, team-wise, Randle was the most successful out of the bunch. He’s the one that almost captured himself a ring, helping lead the Wildcats through an amazing run in the NCAA Tournament, but just falling short of obtaining the ultimate prize, being defeated by UConn in the title game.
So why is his name not up there near the top? Well, some scouts are not only curious about the fact that he’s left-handed, but they’re also questioning how good he can really be.
“He’s a man, and he won’t get pushed around by other players,” one Eastern Conference scout said via Basketball Insiders. “Right now, he’s left-hand dominant, so he must work on his right hand and keep improving his jumper if he wants to take the next step and really wreak havoc. He should be able to play in the league for a really long time, but the question is how good will he be?”
In helping lead that incredible charge for Kentucky last year, Randle did get progressively better as the year went on. After it was over, he ended up averaging 15 points per game and a little over 10 rebounds.
The questions are there, yes, but Randle showed last season that he has the mindset to get himself better.