Kevin Knox makes his NBA Draft lottery case at the Champions Classic

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari has turned Lexington into a one-and-done factory. Now in his ninth season at the helm, the 58-year-old has helped produce 21 such players since 2010, approximately 2.6 per draft. 15 of them were selected in the lottery. The longest Calipari’s had to wait to hear a Wildcat called is pick No. 7, but the trend may be set to change in 2018.

Kentucky’s roster of 5-star freshmen and McDonald’s All-Americans is littered with flawed NBA prospects. Hamidou Diallo has a special combination of physical tools and athleticism, but his feel for the game is unquestionably a problem. PJ Washington has shown flashes but continues to struggle to put it all together, and Nick Richards looked completely lost against Kansas at the Champions Classic on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt has yet to even see the floor due to a foot injury.

Calipari knows his players aren’t there yet, too. He spoke frequently at the post-game press conference of the team’s youth and even referenced still teaching them how to slide defensively after they struggled to stay in front of Vermont’s Trae Bell-Haynes. The Wildcats have yet to figure out their late game offense and only recently practiced what to do when they get double teamed, he said.

Read More: Kentucky’s close win over Vermont highlights concerns

Still, the roster is talented and Calipari’s best hope of keeping the lottery streak alive lies with Kevin Knox, a 6-foot-9 forward with an intriguing skill set for the modern NBA. Knox is currently ranked No. 11 on The Step Back’s draft big board, but he oscillates between late lottery pick and the late teens around the web.

Prior to the Champions Classic, Knox hadn’t played like a first rounder. The primary problem was his offense. He was just 6-of-23 from the field in the Wildcats’ first two games and shot a porous 2-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc against far smaller and less athletic competition. On the big stage with Kansas, though, Knox finally made his case to be a lottery pick in what currently looks like an unsettled first round.

Knox finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals and a block in a four point loss. He was the best player on the floor as a young freshman, which says something even though the Jayhawks don’t have a surefire first round pick on their roster. Kansas is one of the more experienced teams in college basketball, plenty of its players will have a shot to play in the NBA and it was early in the season. These are typically the types of games where young players struggle. Need proof? Just look at the performance of the rest of the Kentucky freshmen.

Knox delivered on November’s biggest stage, but his performance obviously looks less impressive if his jumper doesn’t fall. And so it goes for his NBA prospects. Knox’s jumper is his swing skill, the one that will determine a significant portion of his NBA outcome. As a 6-foot-9 forward — one who will probably be at his best playing as a small ball 4 assuming he’s willing — he has the potential to bring the benefits of going small while actually staying big.

During his final season of Nike EYBL play, Knox struggled to shoot consistently. He attempted 5.1 3s per 40 minutes, but connected on just 26.9 percent of them, according to DraftExpress’ stats database. The rest of his prep stats tell a better story. As a senior for Tampa Catholic, Knox made 75 of his 213 3-point attempts (35.2 percent) and his free throw percentage rose throughout high school, per MaxPreps.

Against Kansas, Knox’s full array of shooting skill was on display as he connected on three of his six attempts from behind the arc with all three makes coming on different looks, including off the dribble, spotting up and coming off a screen:

Three makes on six attempts brings Knox to 5-of-14 from deep this season. Obviously, that’s a useless sample size. Other early trends suggest he should be alright. From a form perspective, Knox’s jumper looks good and he’s made 10-of-12 from the foul line, reflecting a consistent and repeatable stroke. Calipari is also letting him shoot 5.1 3s per 40 minutes, which is a good indicator the head coach trusts the shot.

Given Knox’s height and length, few college players have a chance of contesting his jumper when he wants to rise. It’s just a matter of the shots falling. Knox admitted he needs to become more consistent from behind the arc after the game before concluding, “I’ve just got to keep shooting and not let my misses affect my play.”

If Knox’s shooting is his swing skill, his defensive versatility is his foundation. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan and weighing 215 pounds, he is tailor-made to be a multi-positional defender in the NBA. On Tuesday, Knox spent the night chasing the Jayhawks’ various guards around the perimeter. Kansas runs a ton of weave actions designed to get defenders moving and out of position to set up drives to the basket. Knox, though, managed to do a nice job forcing his man into tough angles and then using his length to contest shots at the rim:

The space Knox is able to cover in the above clip pops off the page. He shows a nice understanding of verticality that combined with his long arms and jumping ability makes him a difficult defender to get clean looks over. Being able to stay in front of quicker opponents while navigating through Kansas’ brush screens bodes well for his versatility at the next level.

Knox’s pathway to valuable NBA player is relatively clear. On offense, he needs to be able to knock down outside looks at an above average clip while being able to attack close outs and play in transition. Defensively, he can help make a switching scheme run with his versatility and comfort playing both inside and out. He’s also one of the younger players in the class with plenty of time to figure everything out. Ultimately, that’s what makes Knox’s NBA prospects so much more enticing than the rest of the Wildcats’ roster. It’s easy to see where his upside lies and how he gets there. With the others, that remains a bit of a mystery unless you’re willing to suspend reality and assume Diallo is going to become a consistent shooter, for example.

Next: The Toronto Raptors' youth has a bright future

Knox may have struggled through Kentucky’s first two contests, but every young player has their hiccups. His performance on Tuesday night, however, will be worth coming back to as we start to parse through the top prospects in the 2018 NBA Draft.