Biggest Sleeper for 2014 Draft?

[ManualRam]

nick johnson looks fantastic. his game is so well-rounded for a guard. he's a combo guard but his experience at the point will definitely help his game as a pro. i think he can play and defend either position at the next level, most likely in a reserve role. he's a terrific defender. strong, intense, athletic, on balance and contests shots extremely well. his jumper has improved as has his handle. he's a good passer with a high iq. i think he can be a delonte west type guard in the nba... without all the baggage of course.

as a slight aside, out of all the top teams i've watched (haven't witnessed any of l'ville's cupcake walk) arizona has been the most impressive to me. they look so much better with a real PG at the helm as opposed to that turd chucker mark lyons. all their players have improved. they have the size and athleticism in the frontcourt. rhj is that swiss army knife off the bench. they defend, rebound, play together as a team and they have just enough shooting from the outside with johnson and york with the occasional mcconnell and ashley 3, but they probably need one more guard to step up and join the rotation. gottlieb might've been on to something.

[SBM]

Graduated from MS State been watching Hood since day one. Don't overrate him. He is not a SF at the next level and I question if he can play SG or be a starter in the NBA period.

[ManualRam]

Graduated from MS State been watching Hood since day one. Don't overrate him. He is not a SF at the next level and I question if he can play SG or be a starter in the NBA period.

he's not the same player that he was at MS state. he's bigger, stronger, more athletic and he's playing bigger, stronger and more athletically. watching him, i forget how good of a standstill shooter he is because he's doing most of his damage off of the bounce. he really benefited from the redshirt yr and playing under a real coach. he was reportedly the best player in duke practices last yr so his improvement is not a huge surprise.

[No-Man]

Nick Johnson or Markel Brown?

And I believe Branden Dawson will stay for another year, MSU has nothing, and he+Valentine will be the leaders of that time, he will have a bigger opportunity to shine and be drafted higher.

[boogie-reke]

hood would already be in my lotto, but i don't know where. he's been really impressive. he could already shoot it but his driving game has been more impressive to me. his pull up leaner game is calbert cheaney-esque and he's finishing his drives with force. he's looks more athletic with the added muscle too.
high iq, can catch and shoot, can defend so he at least has 3 and d potential.

His decision making is what impresses me most when he drives. High IQ, as you said.

Definitely a lotto player. Frame looks not that bad at all, at first it's the thing that made me pause and worry - but he seems to really improve in that area already and isn't maxed out yet as far as filling up.

Noah Vonleh btw is a kid people don't seem to talk about alot - kid's been a terror on the glass, with his length he's a serious NBA prospect.. could definitely see him end up a top 10 draft pick when it's all said and done - his upside is just great, and by all accounts he seem a very hard working and humble kid to boot. I really really like what I see out of this kid.
I remember trying to see Noel play, and came away very impressed by him in that game playing on the opposing team - he hit a big big 3 in that one and showed some very nice athletic ability and general mobility for a guy his size - the fact he actually grew a couple of inches and gained some more mass and bulked since then really improves his NBA stock for me - he's a legit NBA PF territory now being 6'10, 230-240 - and moreso with him being an elite rebounder.
Whenever I see him he also showed glimpses of good footwork and patience in the paint - aswell as potential to develop a mid-range catch and shoot game.. and his driving game was always a big advantage for a guy his size. If the talks about him being coachable are true, I can definitely see him being a solid offensive player to boot.
I just really think he'd be a very nice NBA player when it's all said and done, as he continues to improve his offense and adds more muscle to his upper body. I currently have him as a top 10 draft pick if he declares.

Nick Johnson caught my eye aswell. Ray McCallum came to mind when I saw him play - as far as being an all-around player capable of playing the 1 and 2 when needed, good athlete and defender, with shooting being the question mark. Ray has the advantage of being a better pure PG tho.

[LloydFree]

I think Noah Vonleh will be a better pro than some of the more hyped players. He's in my top 7 or 8 right now.

[dukelane22]

Graduated from MS State been watching Hood since day one. Don't overrate him. He is not a SF at the next level and I question if he can play SG or be a starter in the NBA period.

No. Don't UNDERRATE him. Hood's averages after 5 games:

21.8 ppg
4.8 rpg
2.4 apg

He's shooting 72% from the floor and 72% from the 3. And get this, he's doing it with the same amount of shots per game that he attempted at Mississippi State. The difference is that now he is playing for a coach who understands and utilizes his strengths to his and the teams advantage. Coach K puts his players in positions to be successful and Hood has not disappointed. I think his game translates to the NBA just fine. He can play the 2 the 3 and I think he even has the ability to play some spot minutes at the 1 considering how good his decision making is.

Hood measures out at 6'8 and a half and weighs around 215. He's shown the ability to shoot the 3, his mid-range shot is money, and he's getting all the way to the rim off of the bounce at will. Add the fact that he has a very high basketball i.q., can guard three maybe four positions, and is crazy efficient...you have no choice but to admit that the kid is a stud and these attributes should virtually make him a top 10 talent.

That said, he still has to show this consistently against formidable opponents and there is no reason to believe he won't.

[Talent Chaser]

UCLA sophomore Jordan Adams has been playing like a first round prospect so far this season. Has an an nba body for the 2 (6'5" 220), and has been averaging 19 points/4 rebounds/2 assists/4 steals/50% fg. Also has been shooting 53% from three on 6 attempts, and 83% from the line on 6 attempts per game.

[Talent Chaser]

New Mexico 6'4" Senior PG Kendall Williams looks to have good 2nd round potential for 2014. He has been averaging 22 points 9 assists and 3 boards on 58% shooting. He has been getting to the line 11 times per game and has been shooting 91% from the line. Also, he has been shooting 58% from three on 4 attempts and has only been turning it over twice a game making his A-T ratio 4.5-1 + he's been averaging 2 steals per game. Polished prospect and great size for his position.

[Ruzious]

Graduated from MS State been watching Hood since day one. Don't overrate him. He is not a SF at the next level and I question if he can play SG or be a starter in the NBA period.

No. Don't UNDERRATE him. Hood's averages after 5 games:

21.8 ppg
4.8 rpg
2.4 apg

He's shooting 72% from the floor and 72% from the 3. And get this, he's doing it with the same amount of shots per game that he attempted at Mississippi State. The difference is that now he is playing for a coach who understands and utilizes his strengths to his and the teams advantage. Coach K puts his players in positions to be successful and Hood has not disappointed. I think his game translates to the NBA just fine. He can play the 2 the 3 and I think he even has the ability to play some spot minutes at the 1 considering how good his decision making is.

Hood measures out at 6'8 and a half and weighs around 215. He's shown the ability to shoot the 3, his mid-range shot is money, and he's getting all the way to the rim off of the bounce at will. Add the fact that he has a very high basketball i.q., can guard three maybe four positions, and is crazy efficient...you have no choice but to admit that the kid is a stud and these attributes should virtually make him a top 10 talent.

That said, he still has to show this consistently against formidable opponents and there is no reason to believe he won't.

Another stunning stat on him is he's averaging 9.5 FT attempts per 40 minutes - even more than Jabari Parker's 8.1. I don't think Hood was known as someone who could go to the hoop like he has. If he can continue at anywhere near the efficiency he's shown so far, he and Parker might go down as one of the best offensive pair of forwards for 1 season ever.

[Ruzious]

UCLA sophomore Jordan Adams has been playing like a first round prospect so far this season. Has an an nba body for the 2 (6'5" 220), and has been averaging 19 points/4 rebounds/2 assists/4 steals/50% fg. Also has been shooting 53% from three on 6 attempts, and 83% from the line on 6 attempts per game.

That's nothing new. I thought he showed last season that he was at least as good a prospect as Muhammed.

[165bows]

UCLA sophomore Jordan Adams has been playing like a first round prospect so far this season. Has an an nba body for the 2 (6'5" 220), and has been averaging 19 points/4 rebounds/2 assists/4 steals/50% fg. Also has been shooting 53% from three on 6 attempts, and 83% from the line on 6 attempts per game.

That's nothing new. I thought he showed last season that he was at least as good a prospect as Muhammed.

All he was missing last year statistically speaking was his efficiency from deep. Very young for his class, too.

[Casey Jonas]

Jahii Carson is going to be this years Ty Lawson.

[Talent Chaser]

Jahii Carson is going to be this years Ty Lawson.

I see more Kemba Walker than Ty Lawson when I watch him.

[Casey Jonas]

Jahii Carson is going to be this years Ty Lawson.

I see more Kemba Walker than Ty Lawson when I watch him.

His efficiency, if he keeps it up, is much more Lawson-ish.

[ManualRam]

Mitch McGary. The 2 sites I look to for mock drafts have him at #25 and #18. I think he will have a career similar to David Lee/Al Horford. That's a hell of a pick for a mid first rounder.

This is the type of draft where they overrate so many guys in the lotto while 3 to 5 players outside the lotto make multiple all-star appearances

i REALLY hope his back problem was just temporary. mcgary is a hell of a player.

[CBB_Fan]

I think Cleanthony Early (Wichita State) and Doug McDermott could both be sleepers in the late first round. Both are sort of tweeners, but I think Early will end up solely as an NBA SF and McDermott as a PF.

Both players can shoot the ball and score inside. Early is less consistent, but orders of magnitude more athletic. He has the potential to be a good defensive player, and his decent FT shooting (~80%) means he might be able to improve his consistency. He has about a 38" vertical and is quick enough to make a good perimeter player, and though he plays a stretch-4 for Wichita State he played as a guard at his JUCO.

McDermott is the best offensive player in college basketball, and it isn't close. His shooting percentages are nothing short of outstanding, and he does it with great volume. Picture perfect shooting form and fundamentals. But his defensive potential is very low because he is neither quick nor strong. I think that he'll be a very useful roleplayer off the bench for someone that can disguise him on defense, similar to fellow Creighton alum Kyle Korver (but better).

[doordoor123]

I love how deep this draft is, but I also hate it. I really want Brett Comer from FGCU to make it to the NBA. He's going to get overlooked because the school he's from, but he pretty much defined "Dunk City" last year and he is going off this year.
13.8 ppg, 1.2 stl (was 1.6 last year), 6.0 ast (was 6.6 with better talent last year), 3.0 rpg
He also has .462% shooting 3 pointers and has .451 shooting.
Overall, he's efficient and controls the floor really well. Also has a solid point guard size at 6'3. On a side note, he's a great leader or a great guy to have on a team.
I'm not FGCU person, but I've been following the team since last year and I think if he gains recognition at all, he would be a great pick-up and definitely a HUGE sleeper.
Sherwood Brown had problems (number one was his size), but if one person at FGCU can make the NBA, it's Comer. Hopefully they make it to the tournament again and Comer dominates.

[brackdan70]

Mamadou Ndiaye. 7'6" tall 8'1" wing span. somebody will throw 1st round pick for him if he declares this year.

[ManualRam]

ndiaye is slow as molasses. today's nba game is not built for players like him.