Who are the best pro prospects coming out of the SEC?
It’s a conference unlike any other. It’s lean, mean and damn near ferocious. In football, despite the Atlantic Coastal Conference’s recent rebuttal, the Southeastern Conference Conference is above the competition.
But on the hardwood, the SEC has gone step-for-step with the ACC — and the Big East in its final breaths.
Kentucky is still among the most feared competitors in college basketball in spite of a young squad and a 17-5 record. Missouri has gone blow-for-blow with teams even after losing its floor general, Phil Pressey, to last year’s NBA Draft. And Florida, well Billy Donovan is a model of consistency in Gainesville. The Gators have made it to three-straight Elite Eight appearances and, coincidentally, have produced some of the NBA’s elite: Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Chandler Parsons, David Lee, etc.
For the past year all eyes have been on Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. As of late, the focus has been on Joel Embiid. Though the possibility of Parker going on a two-year mission trip is quite possible, and Embiid apparently isn’t ready to trade in his Ramen noodles and college lifestyle for a paycheck.
So, let’s take a look at that powerhouse of athletes known as the SEC. It gave us the film that won best uni-brow in Anthony Davis. The Orlando Magic landed a building block in Tobias Harris. The “football” conference is never short on talent. Even Shaquille O’Neal came from LSU.
Here are the top-five prospects coming out of the SEC in this year’s draft:
1. Julius Randle – PF Kentucky Height: 6’9″ Weight: 250 lbs
He’s a man-child. Randle has the physical strength, tenacity and skill to perform in the NBA right away. With 16 points and 10 rebounds a game, Randle has formed a reliable duo with Willie Caulie-Stein, who I’m not sold on yet despite the love he gets from ESPN’s Chad Ford. Randle can stick his feet in the hardwood and flat out protect the paint, but his early value comes with his offensive ability. He finishes off dunks with authority and moves better than most big men in transition.
2. Patric Young – PF/C Florida Height: 6’9″ Weight: 240 lbs
Young is a rarity in today’s game. At one time he could have been a lottery pick, but a statistically disappointing college career knocked Young down a few notches. Having said that, Young has made great strides this year. Off the bat, Young’s NBA impact will be felt on defense and in transition. He shows quick, agile lateral movements in the defensive paint and gets off the ground quickly to swat shots. He’s a reliable defensive and offensive rebounder, fighting mightily on the glass with persistence. He’s a 10-10 guy. He’ll snatch 10 boards and score 10 points. When is a double-double not helpful? Young benefited from Donovan’s system and bulked up. If Young succeeds on the next level, it will be for his ability to bang down low and compete on a high level. Also, he’s used to winning under Donovan. If he improves his offensive touch from 5-feet and out, which he has, Young can be a steal for any team.
3. James Young – SG Kentucky Height: 6’6″ Weight: 215
The soft-stroking lefty is one of John Calipari’s more intriguing phenoms. At first, all the attention was on Randle and the Harrison twins (Aaron and Andrew), but Young has re-directed the spotlight like lightning to an umbrella. Young is averaging 15 points a game and shooting 35 percent from three. He’s almost guaranteed to be a lottery pick if he keeps playing the way he is, but the the ironic thing is he’s almost destined to go anywhere from picks 10-14 unless Parker and Embiid temporarily give “the bird” to the NBA — no, not Larry. Young isn’t strong enough to play small forward, but he can be a go-to scoring option from the perimeter.
4. Andrew Harrison – PG Kentucky Height: 6’6″ Weight: 215 lbs
He is so quick, sometimes it’s like we’re seeing double — see what I did there? The younger brother (by a minute), Andrew Harrison has shown better vision and ball skills than his brother, Aaron, which makes him a viable candidate to run point in the NBA whereas Aaron seems more suited for a combo guard role. Neither brother has been able to keep a spot in the lottery since declaring their commitment to Kentucky last year. Andrew’s 11 points and 3.5 assists a game have drowned out a 26-point breakout game. I think he can still play himself back into the lottery via March Madness and the NBA Combine because point guards are vital in the league. Coaches want to entrust their point guards to run the offense alone, but Harrison has to prove he can do that before June.
5. Chris Walker – PF/C Florida Height: 6’10” Weight: 220
Honestly, if Walker didn’t have a sweet nickname that made me believe the force will ACTUALLY be with him, I wouldn’t have him on here because he’s not physically strong enough yet. Walker’s only played one collegiate game and, in barely seven minutes, he recorded two blocks and was on the oop-end of two lobs from fellow freshman Kasey Hill that rocked the O’Connell Center. He gets up and down the court well. His arms are long, and his defensive awareness seems pretty high for a 19 year old. Again, it’s only been one game. In the month he spent practicing with the Gators, he put on at least 10 lbs of muscle, so there’s that. The value in Walker is his athleticism. “Sky” Walker, as he’s now known in Gainesville, has more hops than the Easter Bunny. He’s got more bounce than a pogo stick. Walker can flat out jump out of the building. He actually reminds me of a younger Dwight Howard. He’s not refined offensively, but when he gets a step toward the rim, he’ll rock the rim. I think he needs to stay for his sophomore year, but when the luring call of a multi-milliion-dollar contract tries to seduce him, no one can guarantee he’ll stay at Florida.
Honorable Mentions:
Casey Prather – SF Florida Height: 6’8″ Weight: 212 lbs
Prather is a quick, athletic swingman. He follows every shot on the offensive glass. He’s a pesky defender and, when he leaks out in transition, he can electrify the crows and his teammates. His flaw is he can’t shoot, so much so that it’s frightening. At this point, the problem isn’t his footwork or release. Prather simply has no confidence in shooting from the perimter. If he can improve that, he’ll be a steal. Look for him to go early in the second round.
Jabari Brown – SG Missouri Height: 6’5″ Weight: 215 lbs
Brown is a guy that can straight up kill teams via the long ball and might be a thorn in teams’ sides come March — assuming the Tigers make the NCAA Tournament. In Mizzou’s 68-58 loss to Florida last night, Brown flashed the jumper, and I was thoroughly impressed. The kid flat out has range. He knocked down a buzzer-beater three before halftime from about 8 feet behind the three-point line. And in the second half, he hit from about the same distance on a catch-and-shoot jumper. No dribble. No hesitation. Brown didn’t even blink as he flicked the wrist and listened for the swish. He’s shooting 47 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 20 points a contest. My worry is he doesn’t commit totally on defense and reminds me of Jimmer Fredette too much in that sense. If Brown can show teams he has the ability to play on both ends, and not just be points off the bench, he can be a high-value pick in the second round.
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