The all-time Big East NBA mock draft

No. 1 overall pick in 1990

1989-90 Syracuse stats (Senior): 17.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.0 blocks per game (Lost in Sweet 16 to Minnesota)

Coleman’s NBA career didn’t exactly pan out as hoped when he went number one in 1990, but as a prospect, Coleman had promise. He had the size to play the four or five, was a vacuum cleaner on the defensive glass, and brought versatile scoring, as a capable post presence and pick-and-roll threat in the halfcourt, and he was a devastating transition finisher. He even shot 36.6 percent from 3 on 41 attempts as a senior, hinting at a future as a stretch five in today’s NBA. He was certainly strong enough to contend with modern NBA centers even before we get to the likely gains he would have from a modern strength program, and it’s not hard to envision that today’s teams would know better what to do with him, probably turning him into a stretch five that you can’t stick power forwards on because of his rebounding ability.

However, he’s not higher because the same concerns that ultimately undid his NBA career still apply. He’s a Syracuse grad, meaning that his defensive understanding is a question. He also spent most of his time as a true four next to Rony Seikaly, which presents issues as he didn’t learn valuable rim protection skills, and his block numbers were inflated by chasing weakside rejections. The character concerns that came out in the NBA (Regarding his late-career weight gain and the destruction of his relationship with Kenny Anderson) were also known at this point. He’d need a specific situation to thrive in the NBA from a chemistry perspective, which makes me hesitant to put him higher.