15. Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State, (Freshman)
Harris has been rising up draft boards steadily all season and of late has been catching the eyes of many GMs who were impressed with his skills and size for a shooting guard. Coming from a Tom Izzo team, you know that Harris will be able to play defense. And with a solid jumper and good range, Harris will be a highly sought-after commodity on draft night. A shoulder injury could prevent Harris from declaring this season and if he returns, he will be a likely lottery pick next year.
16. Glenn Robinson III, SF, Michigan (Freshman)
Robinson has been playing like a seasoned upperclassman during the Wolverines’ Final Four run. Robinson is the best athlete on Michigan and is an excellent finisher but shows a savvy side to his game as well, clearly picking up a few tricks from his dad. If Robinson declares, I am still skeptical he can easily crack the lottery, but with a year behind him as the focal point of Michigan’s offense he could be a potential top-five pick if his workouts go well.
17. Mason Plumlee, C, Duke (Senior)
Plumlee has had an interesting career at Duke. Until this season, Plumlee’s production has not matched his draft stock potential, but Plumlee finally put it all together this year. Players with his size and athleticism are hard to find, and that alone warrants late lottery consideration. But from a game standpoint, Plumlee still is not consistent enough. Wherever a team has Plumlee now, his stock should only go up during pre-draft workouts.
18. Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga (Junior)
Yet another center. Olynyk transformed his body and had a sensational year as he led Gonzaga to unprecedented success – until the Big Dance, of course. Olynyk’s ability to guard on the perimeter will be highly sought after, and he could come in and contribute right away for many teams. While he doesn’t have as much upside as some other prospects in front of and behind him, Olynyk has good size and has some nice moves in the post.
19. Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh (Freshman)
Adams has great length and athleticism and should be no worse than a quality backup center that can block a few shots and grab some rebounds. If he develops at all on the offensive end, watch out. To say Adams is raw offensively is an understatement, but Adams played well and showed flashes at times as a freshman. If still around, some team in the 20s will jump at the chance to take a low-risk, high-reward type of prospect.
20. Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky (Freshman)
Goodwin is more of a combo guard, the type suited to come off the bench and provide an offensive spark. Goodwin is not of the same caliber backcourt player as Dion Waiters a year ago or even Russ Smith this season. But he has very good size for a combo guard.
21. Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville (Junior)
After his performance in the regional final, Dieng shoots up five spots. In the NBA, Dieng will be a very good shot-blocker and a quality rebounder. But when he flashed his 18-foot jumper, he showed why he is a starting-caliber NBA center prospect. If Dieng were 20 and not 23, he would be a surefire lottery pick. As things stand, he remains a lock to go in the first round.
22. Tony Mitchell, PF, North Texas (Sophomore)
Mitchell is an athletic freak who failed to impress this season, given the expectations placed on him. Mitchell will wow you in workouts and at times on the court but often his abilities don’t match up to his production on the court. Still, as the NBA searches for PFs that can stretch the court or defend, keep an eye on Mitchell, who compares somewhat to Josh Smith.
23. Jeff Withey, C, Kansas (Senior)
Withey has been an intimidating presence in the middle all season for the Jayhawks, dating back to last year’s NCAA Tournament. Withey is long and big but not an explosive athlete. However, he still alters many shots. To limit Withey’s effectiveness, teams need to attack him and draw him into foul trouble. Withey’s defensive and rebounding ability alone make him a potential starting NBA center.
24. Giannis Adetokunbo, SF, Filathlitikos (18 years old)
If you haven’t heard of this 6-foot-10 point guard by now, don’t worry, he is the 2013 Bismack Biyombo. Adetokunbo, like Biyombo, has seemingly come out of nowhere to plant himself firmly in the late-first to early second round. If Adetokunbo stays in the draft, I see his stock soaring based on his youth and upside and would not be surprised to see him ultimately wind up in the lottery. Adetokunbo has the length and explosion to be a tremendous lockdown defender and demonstrates the skills to be a versatile offensive player as well.
25. Allen Crabbe, SG, California (Junior)
Crabbe grabbed a lot of national attention when Mike Montgomery got physical with him to motivate him. For much of the season Crabbe has showed why he was one of the better overall scorers and prospects in the Pac-12. Crabbe’s game is predicated on his jump shot and combined with his length should be a solid guard prospect for any team in the mid-late first round. Crabbe plays within himself and is not reckless on the court. Should be solid, comparable to Danny Green.
26. Sergey Karasev, SF, Triumph (Russia) (19 years old)
Karasev is the son of a coach and very promising. While he probably is at least another year or two away from coming to the NBA, he warrants draft-and-stash consideration. Karasev is very aggressive on offense, often times attacking his opponents. He also does a great job of getting to the line. The biggest weakness of Karasev’s right now is defense as he shows a lack of quickness needed to be effective on that side of the ball.
27. B.J. Young, SG, Arkansas (Sophomore)
Young is a gifted athlete. Explosive and always capable of taking it coast-to-coast, Young will be a great combo guard at the next level. The main area that Young must work on is his jumper as he lacks touch, range and consistency. Young could also turn into a nice defender of PGs in the NBA, where his length and athleticism at the position could create headaches for opponents.
28. C.J. McCollum, PG, Lehigh (Senior)
McCollum entered the year as a likely lottery pick, but a broken foot shut him down and caused him to slide. If McCollum lasts into the 20s, some playoff team may have found a great sixth man, or at the very least, a good backup point guard. McCollum’s game is all predicated on offense and his ability to score from all over the court in a variety of ways.
29. James McAdoo, PF, North Carolina (Sophomore)
McAdoo has fallen hard from a likely top-five pick to clearly out of the lottery. A lack of athleticism and inability to hang with NBA PFs likely will keep him in the mid-to-late first round, but he does some unique things. David West has shown that PFs don’t all have to look and play like Blake Griffin to be successful, so it will be important for McAdoo to show he can follow in West’s footsteps once in the NBA.
30. Le’Bryan Nash, SF, Oklahoma State (Sophomore)Joe Kotoch is the Editor-in-chief of Pro Basketball Draft, a leading scouting service in the world of professional basketball. Before Joe created PBD he served as an NBPA & FIBA certified agent and scouted players all across the world. Born and raised in Cleveland, Joe also contributes to Fox Sports Ohio and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. You can follow Joe on Twitter @Probballdraft.
McAdoo is a beast, love that kid!
Giannis Adetokoubo was not born in Nigeria. He was born in Athens, Greece, where he has lived his entire life.
How did you have the ability to create this kind of wonderful masses involving commenters to your website?
Mentioning Muhammad and James Harden is a joke. His breakdown ability is awful and has no right hand. And by the way no mention of Doug McDermott in the first round is ridiculous.
Yeah, Harden is a far far more well-rounded player, even at the point he entered the NBA.
I don’t understand why Goodwin is listed at 20 when the author thinks he’s not as good as Russ Smith. For that matter I don’t understand why most analysts don’t have Russ Smith in the late first round, to me he seems like he will fit in perfectly as a defensive PG off the bench for a playoff team who has the potential to become a starter as he gains experience- like Norris Cole has been for Miami.