Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
It can be hard to decide who to watch on a nightly basis. We are spoilt for options. With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of five players you should keep an eye on this college season to help in the decision making process. The players listed below are all expected to be first round picks in the 2015 Draft, and all but one could find themselves shooting up the draft board by the season’s end.
1) Jahlil Okafor — Duke Blue Devils
Before even suiting up in a game for the Blue Devils, Jahlil Okafor is the favorite to headline the 2015 NBA Draft. He is heralded as one of the most skilled bigs in the NCAA already, being someone who can seamlessly blend power with finesse, and he has an NBA-ready body. It’s why he joins Harrison Barnes and Andrew Wiggins as the only two freshman to make it onto AP’s preseason All-American team. The Blue Devils will look to maximise that, too, by running their offense through him all season long.
Okafor has also embraced the challenge that is set out in front of him. He knows what’s on the table and he hasn’t shied away from it. Talents like him don’t come around very often, which is why he’s not-miss-TV from day one.
2) Montrezl Harrell — Louisville Cardinals
Montrezl Harrell will be one of the best players in college basketball this season. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He also set Louisville’s record for dunks in a season after just 26 games.
Harrell is a physical monster. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, very few players in the NCAA have the strength to slow him down. He’s a force on both ends of the court, being someone who will protect the rim, get in the passing lanes, run the court and putback missed shots.
The biggest knock on Harrell is that he’s still very raw on the low block. He’s not someone who the Cardinals can give the ball in the post and expect to score time and time again. He’s very much a hustle player at this stage of his career. Combine that with him being undersized for a traditional power forward and it’s no wonder why NBA scouts are torn about how he’d transition into the next level.
3) Caris LeVert — Michigan Wolverines
Caris LeVert made huge improvements to his game in 2013-2014. As a freshman, he averaged just 2.3 points in 10.8 minutes per game. As a sophomore, he increased his numbers across the board, culminating in season averages of 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He emerged as one of the key cogs in the Michigan’s high octane offense, and he is now expected to follow in the footsteps of Nik Stausas and Trey Burke by becoming former Wolverines turned lottery picks.
LeVert was the third option last season, behind Nik Stauskas and Glen Robinson III. Now that the two are in the NBA, LeVert finds himself as the star on the team. It might take some adjusting on his end, because he still has a lot of developing to do. Although he was one of the team’s best three-point shooters last season, his midrange game was almost non-existent. And while he flaunted off a tight handle, he struggled to drive by stronger players and finish over size.
If LeVert can build upon last season’s success and prove that he can now take reigns of the Wolverine’s offense, he’ll shoot up draft boards.
4) Wayne Selden Jr. — Kansas Jayhawks
Wayne Selden Jr.’s freshman season with the Jayhawks didn’t go quite as expected.
Coming out of high school, Selden was a five-star prospect who was expected to be one of the driving forces in Bill Self’s system right off the bat. However, he dealt with a knee injury all season long, which greatly hampered his effectiveness on both ends of the court. As a result, he got lost in the mix and became an afterthought in Kansas’ offense.
With both Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid declaring for the draft, Selden is set to lead the Jayhawks, giving him an opportunity to shrug off last season’s struggles. He has fully recovered from the knee injury that limited him so much in 2013-2014, which bodes well for his future NBA prospects and the Jayhawks.
Look for Selden to have a big year.
5) Willie Cauley-Stein — Kentucky Wildcats
John Calipari didn’t think that Willie Cauley-Stein would return for his junior season, but the allure of bouncing back from an injury that he suffered in the Sweet 16 was too much for him to turn down.
Cauley-Stein’s ability to impact the game on the defensive end should make a smooth transition to the NBA. He blocked 106 shots as a sophomore, the second highest total in the Wildcats’ history. He also has great lateral quickness, which allows him to switch onto guards in pick-and-rolls and trap ball handlers in full court presses.
The reason why another year in college could benefit Cauley-Stein is that he’s still incredibly raw on the offensive end. After averaging 8.3 points on 62.1 percent shooting as a freshman, he scored just 6.8 points on 59.6 percent shooting as a sophomore. He still relies heavily on alley-oops and putback attempts to get points, and can’t be relied on to score in the post.
Cauley-Stein will make a huge impact on the defensive end this season, as he always does. For him to improve his draft stock, though, he’ll have to take on a bigger load offensively.