Jarrett Culver isn’t a perfect NBA prospect, but the Texas Tech star’s sterling play during the NCAA Tournament has made him some serious money.
Every season a few players really manage to take advantage of their run in the NCAA Tournament to boost their NBA stock. This year, Jarrett Culver may be the guy who’s done the most to improve his stock with professional scouts.
The Texas Tech sophomore was widely considered to be a first round talent heading into March Madness, but his role in getting his team to the Final Four now has projected squarely in the lottery. That’s a big difference in cash for the talented wing.
Fans of Culver point to his athleticism and ability to create shots on his own as skills that should translate to the NBA. There’s currently a dearth of quality two guards in the league which has a number of teams desperate for players with Culver’s size and athleticism.
That doesn’t mean that everyone is in love with Culver’s game. Critics of the 6-foot-5 guard point to his questionable perimeter shooting ability as a real limit to his ceiling at the next level. The fact that he only shot 31.9 percent from three during the regular season is a major red flag. That number actually reflects a regression from what he did for Texas Tech as a freshman.
Culver’s performance against Gonzaga in the Elite Eight provided both his fans and critics evidence to back up their beliefs. He led the Red Raiders with 19 points on the back of hitting seven out of eight free throws. On the other hand, he finished the game 5-of-18 from the field including two of 8 from three. Gonzaga’s length in the frontcourt obviously bothered him.
It’s safe to assume the NBA’s debate on Culver is going to rage right up until the draft arrives. He’s a sensational athlete who has all of the physical traits teams are looking for to fit the modern era of pace and space. All of his athletic gifts should allow him to stand out in workouts for teams during the pre-draft process.
Some teams will drop him way down their respective boards because of his lack of shooting ability. That’s the one thing Culver needs to focus his efforts on after his collegiate career is over. If he can show teams he’s improved his stroke from distance he could tempt a lot of teams picking in the top 10 to consider calling his name on draft night.
No matter what, Culver’s done a good job of improving his stock during Texas Tech’s magical run. How he plays during the Final Four might go a long way towards determining just how high he can climb in the 2019 NBA Draft.