Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith are in a tier of their own atop Sam Vecenie’s latest Big Board for the Athletic. Vecenie has four Duke players in the top 24, including Paolo Banchero at No. 4 and AJ Griffin at No. 6.
One new addition: Kentucky wing Shaedon Sharpe at No. 5. Sharpe hasn’t played this season after joining the Wildcats in January with the plan to play in 2022/23, but he could be draft-eligible this year if he declares. Sharpe is an outstanding athlete at 6’6″ (7’0″ wingspan) and is a legitimate pull-up shooter, according to Vecenie.
Strong performances during March Madness when more NBA eyes will be watching the 2022 draft class could lead to major movement on the board, as Vecenie states that there are minimal differences from spots 15-58. He plans to update his board again in April.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic explores 11 draft sleepers to keep an eye on during March Madness, including Colorado State forward David Roddy and Memphis forward Josh Minott. Hollinger’s favorite “deep, deep sleeper” is Toledo shooting guard Ryan Rollins, who was No. 29 on Vecenie’s board.
- Shabazz Muhammad recently had an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, stating that he’s hoping to make an NBA comeback. Muhammad last played in the league in 2017/18 with the Bucks, and he admits he wasn’t in the best shape at the time. “I’ve been working on my game seriously. When I was in Milwaukee, I noticed I had gotten myself out of shape. I’m in tip-top shape right now. I’m 220 pounds. That was my original weight when I came into the NBA and had some good years in Minnesota,” Muhammad said. “I realized you can’t take the NBA for granted, and that’s one thing I thought I did when I was in the NBA. Now, I’m thinking about getting back there by working my butt off and doing everything I have to do on and off the court as a person to be the best player and teammate I can be.” The 29-year-old swingman is currently playing in the Philippines.
- Sources tell Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link) that Russian teams are attempting to lure their American players back to the country by promising bonuses. Many players currently under contract have returned stateside due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. As Stein notes (via Twitter), Russian teams were barred from European competition by FIBA, but league play is set to continue within the country. Stein is skeptical that the American players will rejoin the teams given the instability in the region and the fact that WNBA star Brittney Griner is currently detained in Russia.
AJ Griffin is highly overrated
No he’s not
How about some facts either for or against Griffin, rather than just he sucks because I said he does, or he doesn’t because I personally like him..?? lol
Me, personally, I’m a bit in the middle on Griffin. Thats why I’m curious as to why or why not you guys like him..I certainly am not as high on him to take him #6 just yet. Then again, I’ve only had limited exposure to his overall game, soo that could change..
For me, at times, he seems like he could be a solid 2-way, all-around forward. Idk, it just seems like he randomly disappears and has a really bad offensive game once every 5 games
Kentucky center Tchiebwe is the favorite to be player of the year. He has no offense, is not much better on defense, and does not jump. He rebounds great. This is the best?
Is there a site that lists prospects by school name, so that I can look them up by what teams are sceduled on tv?
Because he didn’t play for Duke?
CH and Smith are the extent of this draft’s tier 1, it’s been that way for awhile. The discussions of the two will be endless and mostly about CH. But like most drafts, this one will really start when both are off the board. I think most teams will have a tier 2 that’s as deep as 6-8 guys. I see trades within that range, but not so much from outside it to in it. So, NYK, go get that top 10 pick.
Holmgren is gonna be an NBA bust.
Banchero is overated as is griffin. Weak class is understatement. And im a Duke fan
It’s a weak class in terms of star potential maybe, but there are alot of solid role players to be had, that could grow into more.
I Dream about an OKC unicorn squad: Holmgren Poku and Bol Bol …