2018 NBA mock draft: The NCAA season is here
Austin Wiley
C, Auburn
This draft is so deep with big man talent, it can be difficult to rank their various strengths heading into the college season. Wiley will have the opportunity in the SEC to go head-to-head with many of them, but overall he stands out compared to his competition.
Several of this year’s bigs project to take up residency around the rim, and be successful doing so. However, the development to the outside and on defense is what so many of these guys are held back by. Wiley has a secondary skill set already visible before his freshman season begins.
The ability to get a shot off with one’s back to the basket is less valuable now than before, but it still operates as a nice go-to in case of emergency for young athletes trying to impact the game. Wiley plays with a jittery motor on both ends that bodes well for his effectiveness, but he also finds easy points by using his bulk and touch down low.
It’s one thing to rocket around the floor and stumble into productivity. It’s another to fall back on a skill set and craft a legitimate plan, something Wiley seems more capable of than most bigs in the back half of this class.