College sophomores that average less than 15 minutes per game for their team are rare finds on NBA Draft boards, but that’s exactly the situation Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk finds himself in. Now in his second season at Kansas, Mykhailiuk is averaging only 13.4 minutes per game and yet we have him as a late first round option on our most recent big board.
So, why is the Ukrainian native still considered to be such a viable NBA prospect?
It all starts with his age. Despite being a sophomore, Mykhailiuk is only 18-years-old. Born in June of 1997, he is just three months older than Duke’s Brandon Ingram, which means there’s still plenty of upside associated with Mykhailiuk even though he doesn’t possess the outstanding physical attributes of Ingram.
Mykhailiuk burst onto the scene with an impressive performance at the Nike Hoops Summit as a senior from Ukraine. Already quite skilled, Mykhailiuk was a bit of a gunner who was at his best operating with the ball in his hands. Unfortunately, at Kansas, he hasn’t had as many opportunities to work in the offense as a primary ballhandler because Kansas coach Bill Self tends to use his wings as catch-and-shoot options who spend their time running through off-ball screens.
Those actions provide a glimpse of the type of player Mykhailiuk can be at the next level, though, as he’s shown a nice ability to distribute in these off-ball pick-and-roll spots:
While Mykhailiuk has shown himself to be capable with the ball in his hands, the real potential lies in his ability to become a knock-down outside shooter. Through two seasons in Lawrence, he’s connected on a dreadful 29.8 percent of 114 3-point attempts, but there’s a lot to like about his jumper — he has a high release point and gets his shot off quickly in a compact motion.
With such a nice shooting motion, it’s just a question of when, not if, those shots will start falling more consistently for Mykhailiuk. Once they do, the sophomore will develop into a more well-rounded NBA option. As a young prospect with a noticeable set of skills, it’s understandable that Mykhailiuk has made his way onto the NBA radar.