Prospect Spotlight 2022: Bennedict Mathurin

[Jamaaliver]

Bennedict Mathurin -- Arizona

6'6" | 210 lb | Wing | 20 years old | Sophomore

Knockdown shooter with shot-making ability off the dribble, though he needs work as a passer and defender

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17.3 ppg 5.7 rpg 37.9 3PT% 75.2 FT%

Shades of: Jamal Crawford, Caris LeVert, Prime Victor Oladipo

PLUSES

• His role was to spot up and shoot 3s during his freshman season and he drilled 41.8 percent of them. As a sophomore, he was asked to do a lot more but he still made 38.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot triples, which includes a large number on extremely high difficulty. He’s a dynamic weapon who can shoot off movement, or attack straight off the catch.
• If he’s able to shoot a better percentage from 3 off the bounce (34.7 percent), it’ll only make him a more dynamic threat. He is a speedy ball handler who’s beginning to add change-of-pace moves into his repertoire.
• He’s a daredevil passer who’s fun to watch. He’ll whip the ball to his rolling big or to an open 3-point shooter on the wing. If he’s playing with a talented playmaking big man, he has exciting potential in the two-man game at the wings and elbows. He can pull up for 3s over the top, or attack the paint to find kickout opportunities for teammates. He’s a baller.
• With his athleticism and length, he has shown plenty of impressive flashes on defense. He can move his feet quickly from side to side, and with both long arms and a strong frame, he can withstand drives to the rim. There are NFL-cornerback vibes to his off-ball defense with the way he intercepts passes or strips driving attackers.
• Fans will love watching him run the break. He’s always ready to run ahead of the defense, eager to turn stops into points. He can drain 3s or throw down explosive dunks when he has space to launch.

MINUSES

• Defensive consistency is his biggest issue right now. He has lockdown moments, but lacks proper footwork on simple stuff like closeouts. He’s slow to fight over on-ball screens. And he fouls way too often as a result of his overaggression and improper positioning. Sometimes, he just doesn’t put as much energy into defense as he should.
• He shouldn’t be expected to be a lead playmaker. He’s probably best suited to play in an offense that features multiple ball handlers. He’s not a main facilitator because his playmaking is solid but not spectacular. Think about him like Jamal Murray, whose game is enhanced by Nikola Jokic.
• Turnover prone. He can get a bit careless with the ball, hurling it into closed passing windows or driving into contact. Improving his shot selection and his decision-making as a passer should be areas of focus.
• He lacks scoring touch around the rim when facing length or contact. In no way does he shy away, though. He’s tough, but right now the results aren’t following when he’s met inside.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Bennedict Mathurin scouting report

At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan, Mathurin has the size, length, strength and quickness to hold his own against any perimeter player in the NBA



Offense

What separates Mathurin as an NBA prospect is his ability to knock down jumpers in a variety of ways, more than comfortable shooting off the bounce but also willing to play off-ball and come off of screens and cuts to free himself up for open looks.

Spoiler:

Mathurin's jumpshot is clean and confident. He has a quick and high release and doesn't get phased by defenders challenging his shot. He's always looking to stop on a dime and pull up for a jumper – almost to a fault at times, forcing contested looks – but he's a tough shot-maker. He has the "it" factor, wanting the ball in his hands in big moments, which we saw on this pull-up off the dribble to help his team survive and advance on Sunday night.

Mathurin's knockdown jumper plays to his advantage as he's already advanced attacking closeouts. From there, he does not shy away from contact at the basket and uses his elite athleticism and body control to finish amongst the trees. He'll go right at anyone standing between him and the rim, but he has also developed a reliable floater to keep rim protectors guessing.

As a playmaker, Mathurin is capable of making simple reads off of the dribble, always willing to take what the defense gives him. If there is too much focus on his ability to score, he shows patience to let plays develop before finding the best way to feed an open teammate.

And for how smooth he can be as a scorer with the ball in his hands, it's his work off of the ball that impresses me the most. Mathurin is incredibly active with a high motor, always moving or cutting, making him a headache for opposing defenses. Because he is strong, athletic and physical when he attacks the basket, he has no problem making cuts that lead to tough finishes.

We saw that when he threw down the dunk of the tournament against TCU. The finish rightfully turned heads but it all started with his off-ball movement, anticipation and acute awareness.

He's always finding open spaces off the ball. Whether it's a timely backdoor cut for an easy bucket or running off of screens to free up a catch-and-shoot jumper, Mathurin is just as much trouble without the ball as he is with it.

Even though he projects as a combo guard, I see Mathurin thriving at the next level as more of a shooting guard than a point guard. His ability to create without the ball makes him easier to build around and also elevates his floor should he not hit as a No. 1 option. I have little doubt about Mathurin's all-around offensive game translating and developing in the NBA, whereas, his defense could be what determines his ceiling as a pro.

Defense

Mathurin has the tools to be a lockdown perimeter defender but isn't always dialed in on that end of the floor. He tends to get too relaxed, coming out of his defensive stance, even if he's the primary defender in certain actions like a pick-and-roll. It's more of an effort thing than an actual inability to defend, which could be seen as a pro or a con.

When Mathurin is going toe-to-toe with some of the prolific scoring guards in the NBA, he'll have no choice but give it his all in defending at a high level. He can be pesky and annoying on-ball and takes some risks off-ball, but he has a long way to go when it comes to defending endless pick-and-rolls at the next level.

NBA draft projection

Mathurin should be a top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and his March Madness run will only continue to improve his draft stock.

Playing with a must-win attitude as a fierce and fiery competitor, this stage is built for Mathurin to show off everything he has to offer as a prospect.

With a high-level performance in the Sweet 16 and beyond, the Arizona sophomore can potentially play his way into top-five consideration.

Sporting News

[Jamaaliver]

Prospects to watch in the Sweet 16 of March Madness



At 6’6”, the 19-year-old sophomore has led the Arizona Wildcats to a great season. He’s been their leading scorer both in the regular season and through March Madness so far.

In 36 regular-season games (32.3 minutes per game), Mathurin averaged 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from behind the three-point line.

And while his shooting splits are down a bit through the first two games of March Madness, he’s averaged 24.0 points a night, which is tied for the eighth-most in the entire tournament.

This includes a massive 30-point performance in the second round against the TCU Horned Frogs. He added eight rebounds and four assists in that game, leading the Wildcats to a hard-fought overtime win.

Mathurin’s offensive game has taken a massive leap this season and it’s one of the main reasons why he’s jumped up in the mock drafts. His scoring and ability to shoot the ball are pivotal skills and should translate perfectly to the NBA level.

While there are some slight concerns about his defensive game, his build and frame leave a lot of hope for him to improve on that end. Keep an eye on Mathurin for the rest of March Madness.

Hoops Habit

[Jamaaliver]

Ranking the Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects in the 2022 Sweet 16

4. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona, SG, Sophomore)



There isn't a prospect on record with 80-plus threes in a season who's had more dunks than Bennedict Mathurin.

That combination of explosiveness and shot-making has led to lottery projections all year. Mathurin is an easy NBA fit to picture, but the pull-up shooting and playmaking passes against Wright State and TCU were really what scouts had been craving.

He won't be on the board in the late lottery if he continues to flash more creation—shooting off the dribble, handling in tight windows, ball-screen facilitating—plus the intensity level he brought to Arizona's win over TCU.

Trending in the right direction entering the Sweet 16, Mathurin faces a tough Houston defense that starts four seniors.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Dude will be a beast on the wings. But I still have Johnny Davis as the 2nd best guard in this class...

Ranking The Top 15 Wings in the 2022 NBA Draft

2. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona, SG/SF, Sophomore)

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Signature strengths: Explosiveness, shot-making

Archetype/projected role: Shot-maker, off-ball scorer

Bennedict Mathurin made a leap this year with an extra bump in usage to average 17.7 points and lead Arizona to a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.

He did most of his damage in transition with explosive athleticism that creates easy finishes. Mathurin also shot 60.5 percent at the rim in the half court, mostly by cutting and crashing the offensive glass.

He still struggles to use his handle to get all the way to the hoop, as he totaled just seven successful drives to the basket on 134 pick-and-roll ball-handling possessions. He also shot 3-of-14 out of isolation for the season.

Operating off the dribble, Mathurin showed improvement as a pull-up shooter and ball-screen playmaker. He hit 34 dribble jumpers and delivered 32 assists as a pick-and-roll passer.

Shot-making is still his signature scoring skill, even if the 36.9 percent three-point mark feels relatively average for a sophomore. Mathurin buried 83 threes with a confident stroke and rhythm.

His defensive results were mixed at Arizona, where too often his questionable awareness and intensity overshadowed his outstanding tools.

Overall, he's still in position to receive rookie minutes in a simplified catch-and-finish role as a fast-break weapon, shooter and slasher. How much he can sharpen his pull-up (33.0 percent), floater (28.9 percent) and playmaking ability (2.5 assists per game) will dictate his offensive trajectory as a spot-up player or featured scorer.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Bennedict Mathurin: All-Summer League 2nd Team

No. 6 went to work during his 3 SL games

19.3 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 48.8 FG% | 38.5 3PT%

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Can we chat about Mathurin? The Pacers wing was the sixth pick in the draft, and he was awesome in his three games in Vegas before being shut down with a sore toe. Mathurin averaged nearly a point per minute (19.4 per game in 22.4 minutes), only had two turnovers in three games, scored comfortably at all three levels and padded his résumé with a couple of emphatic poster dunks. His 31.8 PER was the best of any summer leaguer who played at least 60 minutes, and it wasn’t driven by crazy outlier shooting percentages either.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

Ben Mathurin making a strong case as best rookie in this draft class. I wish more players would stay in college an extra year or two; it can really help guys hit the ground running in the NBA.

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[Jamaaliver]

Well deserved.

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[atlantabbq99]

This whole thread doesn't make any sense. Mathurin went in the top 5. Hawks had no chance in drafting him in the middle of the first round.

These posts belongs in the Draft threads

[Jamaaliver]

This whole thread doesn't make any sense. Mathurin went in the top 5. Hawks had no chance in drafting him in the middle of the first round.

These posts belongs in the Draft threads

He ended up going #6 actually. And Hawks were rumored to want to trade into the top-7 of the draft...

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[Jamaaliver]

Dude is having a rookie season for the ages. Really excited to see Bennedict, Ivey and AJ Griffin all battle it out for top SG of this draft class.

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[atlantabbq99]

There is not much here. There is a reason why Mathurin was projected as a top 5 pick and went in the top 5. He is doing everything you would expect a high lottery pick to be doing. Hawks had no chance at getting him at 16

[HMFFL]

If he can get his field goal percentage up he would be even more impressive. I'd like to see his three point percentage around 35% or higher during the second half of the season. It could become very special

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

There is not much here. There is a reason why Mathurin was projected as a top 5 pick and went in the top 5. He is doing everything you would expect a high lottery pick to be doing. Hawks had no chance at getting him at 16

Again, Ben Mathurin was NOT drafted in the top-5, bbq...