NBA Draft Rumors: Doug McDermott’s stock is rising
Several players have been shooting up the draft boards as of late.
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Former Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajun’s point guard Elfrid Payton may be selected in the lottery and former Indiana Hoosiers’ big man Noah Vonleh could go as high as four to the Orlando Magic. Former Creighton Blue Jays’ forward Doug McDermott is another prospect who will likely be selected higher than many originally thought.
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, McDermott has seen his stock rise.
"However, there’s a bit of a love fest going on over McDermott. This started at the NBA combine in Chicago, when McDermott came off incredibly well in interviews. One executive who interviewed McDermott in Chicago said that he and his fellow front office staffers fell in love with the forward during their face-to-face meeting, to the point that the group cheered and high-fived when McDermott correctly answered a tough math question designed to trick players. That’s how likeable this guy is. As a coach’s son, McDermott says all of the right things and carries himself very well, which is an important part of this process.However, he has also wowed teams on the court and surprised some talent evaluators in workouts. The guy can flat out score the ball and hit shots from anywhere on the court, so it’s no surprise that he has been able to dominate in the workout environment and embarrass some of his peers. One executive recently told me that McDermott is the best shooter to come through the draft in quite awhile. The Creighton star averaged 26.7 points per game as a senior and he never shot below 52.5 percent from the field during his collegiate career. Last season, he hit 44.9 percent of his three-point shots, a number that was actually down from his campaigns as a junior (49 percent) and sophomore (48.6 percent). Not to mention, he’s also a solid rebounder and has an exceptional basketball IQ."
McDermott, who won the Naismith Award as the country’s best player, put up a career-high 26.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for the Blue Jays. He shot 52.6% from the field, 44.9% from beyond the arc and 86.4% from the free throw line. He measured in at 6’7.75 and 218 lbs. with a wingspan of 6’9.25 He is ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the draft by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.