NBA Draft 2019: 5 most overrated prospects

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Rui Hachimura #21 and Brandon Clarke #15 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrate after a play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Brandon Clarke #15 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

4. Brandon Clarke, Forward, Gonzaga

Next up we take a look at Hachimura’s teammate, and frontcourt partner-in-crime, Brandon Clarke played just one season at Gonzaga before deciding to enter his name into the 2019 NBA Draft. Clarke transferred to the Pacific Northwest after spending two seasons at San Jose State where he was named Mountain West Six Man of the Year as a freshman and All-Mountain West First Team and Mountain West All-Defensive Team as a sophomore.

The accolades continued with the Bulldogs as he took home the West Coast Conference’s Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors (the first player in WCC history to win both in the same season) and made All-WCC First Team. Clarke stuffed the stat sheet at Gonzaga with averages of 16.9 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 1.9 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 3.1 blocks per game.

Clarke stands at 6-foot-8 and his propensity to swat away wayward shots made him an intriguing option as a potential switchable rim-protector before the pre-draft process began. Yet, his arms are very short (6-foot-8 wingspan) to take on that role. Given his lack of an outside shot, he would need to be placed near the rim in order to be an offensive contributor too. A 40.5-inch vertical leap could help him, but with shorter arms and smaller hands — and a slight build at 215 pounds — it’s difficult to envision that aspect of his game clicking immediately.

Clarke was a Third-Team All-American selection by the Associated Press and the Sporting News and a very important piece to a really good Gonzaga team following his junior season. However, unlike previous small-ball centers, he doesn’t have a standout skill besides defense and jumping high that can create a path to sustained success at the moment.

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