The all-time Big East NBA mock draft

No. 36 overall pick in 1989

1988-89 UConn stats (Senior): 20.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals per game (Missed NCAA Tournament)

Some NBA teams actually thought Clifford Robinson was a full-time center, which he played primarily at UConn. This was straight up one of the biggest scouting misses of the late-80s. Instead, Robinson became one of the pioneers of positionless basketball, playing everywhere from small forward to center on Portland’s early 1990s contenders. He was athletic enough to switch two through five on the perimeter, and UConn never really harnessed his passing fully, something that made his NBA career. In today’s game, Robinson would play all over the frontcourt in different lineups, and college teams would be more willing to explore his versatility, which may have gotten him more noticed. He also definitely would have began putting together an outside shot that was successful late in his career, but was only minimally tinkered with for the Huskies, as he took just 30 total attempts in college.

Put him in today’s draft process, and scouts would immediately identify that he can play all three frontcourt positions, switch everywhere on defense, and be a tertiary creator with his passing and ability to attack closeouts. His ceiling probably isn’t that high simply because he isn’t a strong enough rebounder to have true value as a small-ball five, but Robinson would be a coveted role player coming out of school today.