Big East NBA Draft

[dehere23]

Sorber goes 15 to the defending champs. Seemed to be a two horse race between him and McNeely during the season as to who would go higher. McNeely dropped to the end of the first and I think the combination of injury plus the “load” he was asked to assume at UConn as the season progressed probably resulted in him slipping some. Still, first round is first round.

Kam and Kalk get picked early 2nd. Seems Kam’s ability to show he can play the point this year improved his draft stock, even though his shooting percentages went down.

Peavy gets taken later in the second. I think he has a chance to stick because of the defense and versatility.

Dixon and Luis - both potential mid-late second rounders, end up not getting taken. But both signed two way deals which often out a kid in a better position long term. Dixon to the Lakers and Luis to the young/rebuilding Jazz, which should give him opportunities.

Kadary signed with the Wizards, announced right after the draft. Must be a two-way though I didn’t read the article for details.

Saw from Braziller that Aaron Scott also got invited to the Celts summer league camp.

Haven’t read or heard about any others yet.

 

[dehere23]

Also 4 kids from that famed Montverde “high school” team taken in the first round - Flagg, Queen, McNeely and Newell. Pretty crazy they weren’t in HS that long ago competing against teenagers.

 

[CL82]

Sampson Johnson went undrafted, to no one's surprise, but ended up getting signed by the Pacers to an Exhibit 10 deal.

 

[Burnsly]

Surprised that Luis didn't get drafted. He had a sensational year. Unfortunately the optics of that last game really hurt & cost him big time $$$.

 

[Hall Is Life]

Surprised that Luis didn't get drafted. He had a sensational year. Unfortunately the optics of that last game really hurt & cost him big time $$$.

I seriously doubt that one game led to him going undrafted.

 

[dehere23]

I think him being a tweener hurt most. He was projected at best as a late second rounder before the season for that reason. The 3% isn’t there yet for someone at his size for what the NBA wants, and so much of his damage was in the mid-range or paint as a small ball 4.

 

[TheHall87]

Surprised that Luis didn't get drafted. He had a sensational year. Unfortunately the optics of that last game really hurt & cost him big time $$$.

As noted above, I don't think one game kept R.J. from being drafted. Mind you it certainly didn't help, but teams have been evaluating in-person and on video all year.

Furthermore, being undrafted in and of itself does not cost him "big time $$$." He would probably have received a two-way deal regardless if he was selected in the 50's or left out of the draft.

The only real difference is he was able to pick his landing spot as opposed to having to go to whichever team drafted him.

 

[dehere23]

Yes I don’t understand all the nuances but a number have read or heard a number of places that kids and agents often prefer the two-way option to many second round scenarios.

 

[Gohall129]

Sorber could not have landed in a better situation. McNeely will struggle- bad fit for him. Hornets a much better situation for Kalkbrenner who will carve out a role for himself before becoming a league journeyman

 

[TheHall87]

Yes I don’t understand all the nuances but a number have read or heard a number of places that kids and agents often prefer the two-way option to many second round scenarios.

It is not uncommon for agents to reach out to teams near the end of the draft to ask them not to select a player as they have a deal made with another team.

 

[Burnsly]

Luis might have been projected as a late second rounder at best before the season bit he was the best player in the conference once the season started. As far as his 3 point %, he's right there with a number of lottery picks. I think the things that hurt him the most were his age & that last game.

 

[dehere23]

Luis might have been projected as a late second rounder at best before the season bit he was the best player in the conference once the season started. As far as his 3 point %, he's right there with a number of lottery picks. I think the things that hurt him the most were his age & that last game.

You are spot on about age and that’s why many of these kids declare. Right or wrong NBA models penalize kids the older they get and he would have been 24 if he returned.

I follow the Big East mocks during the season and at best I always saw Luis lingering in the back half of the second round. Sorber and McNeely were the only two I ever saw projected consistently as first rounders and then the guys who went in the second were generally in the range they got taken.

The last game showed some issues re: Luis that have been out there - he isn’t the easiest kid to coach. A friend of mine who is a Miami insider told me there was no way he was portaling there for big $ (which Miami has) to play for Lucas even after they hired Luis HS coach as an assistant. He said he was told some of what you saw in the ARK game was par for the course and the assistant was amazed Pitino was able to control him all year and coax what he did out of him to maximize the talent.

I also think there was a question of whether someone who was ball dominant from a scoring perspective could “blend in” ultimately as a third-fifth scoring option, which is what he would be based if the shooting doesn’t improve. Everyone seems to love the kids athleticism, rebounding and defense. But that’s what the two-way deals allow a kid to do - keep working and prove the NBA wrong.