Draft Notes: Sochan, Combine, Withdrawals, Davison
The Pelicans and Nuggets are among the teams believed to have interest in Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, while the Spurs are viewed as a “strong fit” for him, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes in his recap of last week’s draft combine.
According to Vorkunov, one team executive put Sochan’s floor at the No. 12 pick, which means the Nuggets – who control No. 21 – would have to trade up if they want a shot at him. He’s far more likely to be available for the Pelicans (No. 8) or Spurs (No. 9).
Vorkunov’s article includes several more tidbits on the combine, including a look at some of the more outside-the-box questions teams asked in their interviews with prospects. According to Vorkunov, one club challenged Christian Braun to repeated staring contests, while the Nuggets told players during their meetings that if they could name enough players on the club’s roster, one of their team officials would do push-ups.
Here’s more on the 2022 NBA draft:
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com shares his impressions of 15 prospects who attended the 2022 draft combine, focusing on probable lottery picks like Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels, and Sochan as well as less heralded players such as Marcus Sasser, Darius Days, and John Butler. Like ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Woo believes Daniels in particular boosted his stock at the combine.
- Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee), Tykei Greene (Stony Brook), Osayi Osifo (Jacksonville), and Eric Hunter Jr. (transferring from Purdue to Butler) are all withdrawing from the 2022 draft after declaring as early entrants, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (all links via Twitter). James is coming off his junior season, while the others are seniors who will use their extra year of NCAA eligibility in 2022/23.
- Wisconsin’s Brad Davison and Wake Forest’s Alondes Williams are taking part in a workout today with the Nets, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that Davison previously worked out for the Hawks.
Draft Notes: Sochan, Murray, Daniels, Walton, Mayer
Jeremy Sochan doesn’t mind being thought of as irritating, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. The Baylor forward, who has gone from a fringe first-rounder to a likely lottery pick in a matter of months, sees aggressive, annoying defense as his ticket to success in the NBA.
“I’ve always had that little edge,” he said. “My mom, she was my first coach, and to this day, she tells me defense comes first. … She used to tell me to be cheeky, being able to see the play two steps ahead. So, I feel with that, being cheeky, maybe getting into people’s spaces, can separate their games, and they can play worse. There’s examples: Draymond (Green), Patrick (Beverley), Jrue (Holiday), so there’s so many. I feel like I can be one of those in the next step.”
Sochan was the main attraction Friday in Chicago at an eight-player workout staged by Tandem Sports + Entertainment. At least nine NBA teams had representatives at the session, according to Aldridge, including the Spurs and Knicks, who both interviewed Sochan during the Draft Combine. San Antonio holds the ninth pick and New York has No. 11, which is about the range where Sochan is expected to be taken.
“We did a little bit (of defense) at the end, with the two-on-two, the screen work, but you can’t really show too much,” Sochan said after the session ended. “I feel like they’re going to have that in mind, and when I go to team workouts, I’ll be able to show a little bit more of that. And whoever picks me, I’ll be able to show that in practices and games.”
There’s more on the draft:
- Iowa’s Keegan Murray will turn 22 before he plays his first NBA game, but he doesn’t believe his age will discourage teams from drafting him, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “I’d say I’m a 21-year-old in an 18-year-old’s body,” Murray said. “In high school, I was a 5-foot-10 sophomore and ended up growing to 6-foot-8 my senior year of high school. So I’m a late bloomer in that sense, so for me, I’m young. I feel young. … If you’re comparing me on age and not what I do on the court, then maybe that’s another conversation. I feel like my ceiling is as high as anyone else in the draft.”
- Dyson Daniels is starting to get some consideration as a top-five pick after an outstanding pro day at the combine, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The Australian swingman, who played with G League Ignite this season, impressed scouts with his shooting and “immense potential,” according to Givony.
- North Carolina guard Kerwin Walton worked out for some teams this week, but he may decide to return to college and transfer, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Walton’s workouts included the Timberwolves and Bucks, and he has an upcoming session with the Hornets, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
- Baylor’s Matthew Mayer plans to take his name out of the draft and transfer to another school, per Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. “I’ve decided that I’m coming back to college, but don’t know where,” he said.
Knicks Notes: Daniels, Draft Prospects, Pacers, Hardaway
Australian guard/forward Dyson Daniels, who played with the G League Ignite this past season as team’s de facto point guard, is on the Knicks‘ radar with the No. 11 pick, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. Daniels is a defensive-minded initiator who’s a strong rebounder and passer, and the Knicks have been looking for a lead guard for a long time.
“I wanted to show NBA people he was a point guard,” Ignite head coach Jason Hart told The Post during Wednesday’s workouts. “So now when he gets drafted, they can put him at another position, but I think he’s a point guard because he can guard them. And he’s a natural pass-first type guy. So I played him at point guard. That’s what he looked to me. I was a point guard. And he had the same qualities point guards have. He just happened to be 6’7″ [Daniels measured 6’7.5″ in shoes Wednesday].”
Hart added that Daniels brings intangible qualities and wisdom that belie his young age (he turned 19 in March).
“He’s a young player with a lot of wisdom and know-how,” Hart said, per Berman. “That’s why a lot of NBA teams are intrigued by him. He knows how to do a lot of things to make a successful team. With his size, skill set and being an elite defender, he has the upside where his offense will catch up.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- The Knicks are keeping tabs on several players who might land at the back end of the lottery if they keep their first-round pick, including Daniels, Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, Memphis center Jalen Duren, and Duke center Mark Williams, writes Steve Popper of Newsday.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic lists 10 prospects who might be a good fit in New York, including the aforementioned players and some new ones, such as Ohio State guard Malaki Branham and Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis.
- In a separate story for the Post, Berman speculates that the Knicks may revisit trade talks with the Pacers centered around Myles Turner and/or Malcolm Brogdon, both of whom the Knicks are reportedly interested in. Brogdon might be considered more expendable after Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton in February, while Turner seems less likely to be moved following this season’s Domantas Sabonis deal.
- The team never made an official announcement about it, but the Knicks have hired Tim Hardaway Sr. to serve as a scout, and he’s been interviewing draft prospects at the combine this week, sources tell Berman (Twitter link). The elder Hardaway was recently elected to the Hall of Fame.
Draft Notes: Withdrawals, LaRavia, J. Williams, T. Smith, More
Former Murray State forward K.J. Williams has withdrawn from the 2022 NBA Draft and will transfer to LSU for 2022/23, he told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Williams averaged 18 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals on .538/.327/.699 shooting last season for the Racers.
Boise State guard Marcus Shaver has also withdrawn from the draft, announcing on Instagram that he’ll return for a final season with the Broncos. Shaver put up 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 34 games last season.
Here are more draft-related notes:
- After a strong showing at the combine on Wednesday, where he led his group by making 18 of 25 shots during the three-point star drill, Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia opted to sit out of scrimmages on Thursday, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Although it went unsaid, the implication is that LaRavia may have received a promise from a team that he’ll be selected in the draft. LaRavia has been rising up draft boards recently. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had him going No. 28 in his latest mock draft, while John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks him as the No. 20 prospect.
- Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams and North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith are also draft risers, per Rafael Barlowe of NBABigBoard.com (All Twitter links). Williams might end up becoming a lottery pick, while Smith has been performing well in workouts and drills at the combine. One scout compared Smith to Warriors guard Jordan Poole. “Breathtaking athlete. Super confident. Jordan Poole in every way. Great shooter with blazing speed and an electric right leg. Impossible to stay in front of in one on one play,” the scout said. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz (Twitter link) also likes Smith’s game, saying he thinks Smith will project well to the NBA. Williams and Smith were both in the 20s in Vecenie’s mock draft.
- G League ignite guard/forward Dyson Daniels has met with nine teams thus far at the combine, including the Knicks, Kings, Cavaliers and Hawks, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Daniels is a projected lottery pick, currently the No. 10 prospect on ESPN’s big board. He’s considered a strong passer, rebounder and versatile defender.
- Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim, who recently worked out for the Kings, Knicks and Warriors, has an additional 10 teams lined up for workouts, as Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com relays (via Twitter). Boeheim led the ACC in scoring in ’21/22.
- In an interview with Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com, Iowa State’s Izaiah Brockington said he thinks his competitive fire and work ethic will translate to the NBA-level. “I feel like my work ethic allows me to catch guys that a lot of people deem ‘better’ or would rank higher [than me],” Brockington said. “I feel like I have the intangibles that other people don’t. I have athleticism, and I have the dog mentality — somebody who just loves to compete and loves to win and isn’t gonna let somebody just walk all over them.” Brockington has workouts scheduled with 10 teams, according to Davies.
Central Notes: Pistons, Pacers, Cavaliers, Draft
Although there’s a consensus among most draft experts that the top tier in the 2022 class consists of only three – or maybe four – prospects, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, whose team will be selecting fifth overall, said on Tuesday night that he doesn’t agree with that assessment.
“I don’t see it as a ‘big three,'” Weaver said, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. “I think there’s tremendous players all along the board. Length — everyone wants to add length and size. We’re gonna pick the best player for us. Length, size, speed, it really doesn’t matter. We’ll pick the best player for the Pistons. We’re very comfortable with the guys that are all along the board in the lottery.”
Weaver said he considers the 2022 draft class to be about as strong as last year’s, especially in the top half of the lottery. He also confirmed that fit will be a consideration when the Pistons make their pick at No. 5 and expressed confidence that the incoming rookie will have no problem fitting in with the culture the team has established over the last couple years.
“There’s a certain culture here. Working hard, being selfless. Coach (Dwane) Casey‘s coaching staff has done that,” Weaver said, per Bianchi. “We’re confident because the last two drafts, we’ve had three players make All-Rookie, so we’re very comfortable with our culture here and what our coaches have been able to do with these young players.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said on Tuesday that he isn’t worried about having slipped to No. 6 as a result of the lottery, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “I would’ve much rather have the first pick because we want the shot,” Pritchard said. “You want to take the shot, but historically there’s seven really good players in every draft. If we make the right pick, we’re gonna be just fine.”
- Pritchard is excited about the flexibility that the Pacers will have this summer as they consider roster moves, Boyd adds in the same story. “We’ve got cap space. We’ve got a good pick,” Pritchard said. “… The gamut of what we can do is wide and wider than I’ve ever seen ever in my time in this league, and I like that because now we get to get on the board and look at every scenario. There won’t be one. There won’t be two. There might 50 things we’ll look (at) up on the board, and that’s when you can be aggressive.”
- Adding wings and play-makers will be a top priority for the Cavaliers this offseason, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who explores which prospects the team might target with the 14th overall pick. Malaki Branham (Ohio State), Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite), Tari Eason (LSU), and Jeremy Sochan (Baylor) are among the prospects the Cavs like, says Fedor, though it’s possible not all of them will still be available at No. 14.
Draft Notes: Withdrawals, Pro Days, Turell, Minott
UAB senior guard Jordan Walker, San Francisco senior guard Khalil Shabazz, and Auburn sophomore big man Johni Broome are among the players who have indicated that they’ll withdraw from the 2022 NBA draft class and return to college for at least one more year, according to a series of announcements.
None of the three were considered great bets to be drafted in 2022, so they’ll look to improve their stock in 2022/23 before potentially returning pro a year from now. Walker and Shabazz will have exhausted their NCAA eligibility at that point, while Broome – who recently announced that he’ll transfer to Auburn from Morehead State – will have the option of remaining in school.
Early entrants in this year’s draft have until the end of the day on June 1 to withdraw their names if they want to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s official withdrawal deadline is June 13.
Here’s more on the 2022 draft:
- Earlier this week, the NBA sent teams a list of 17 Pro Days that will be run by agencies at next week’s draft combine in Chicago, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Shaedon Sharpe, Keegan Murray, Dyson Daniels, and Jeremy Sochan will be among the many prospects in attendance at those various agency-run Pro Days, Givony adds.
- Yeshiva swingman Ryan Turell, a Division III star, has been forced to withdraw from next week’s NBA G League Elite Camp after suffering a minor injury in a workout, sources tell Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).
- Memphis wing Josh Minott has worked out for the Nets, Grizzlies, and Bucks early in the pre-draft process, a league source tells Zagoria (Twitter link).
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com identifies five of his favorite under-the-radar prospects in the 2022 draft class, including NC State guard Terquavion Smith and UConn forward Tyrese Martin.
Full List Of 2022 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed its list of 76 players who have been invited – and who are expected to attend – next week’s draft combine in Chicago. The combine workouts will take place from May 18-20.
Over the course of the week, players will conduct interviews with NBA teams, participate in five-on-five games, and go through shooting, strength and agility drills.
While several of the prominent names at the top of the draft likely won’t participate in scrimmages, those top prospects are still expected to attend. That group includes Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, and Jaden Ivey.
A handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp could be invited to participate in the combine as well.
Here’s the full list of 76 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link):
- Ochai Agbaji, G/F, Kansas (senior)
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee (freshman)
- Paolo Banchero, F, Duke (freshman)
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001)
- Malaki Branham, G/F, Ohio State (freshman)
- Christian Braun, G, Kansas (junior)
- Kendall Brown, F, Baylor (freshman)
- John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
- Julian Champagnie, G/F, St. John’s (junior)
- Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee (freshman)
- Max Christie, G, Michigan State (freshman)
- Kofi Cockburn, C, Illinois (junior)
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin (sophomore)
- JD Davison, G, Alabama (freshman)
- Moussa Diabate, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003)
- Khalifa Diop, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Jalen Duren, C, Memphis (freshman)
- Tari Eason, F, LSU (sophomore)
- Keon Ellis, G, Alabama (senior)
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Collin Gillespie, G, Villanova (super-senior)
- AJ Griffin, F, Duke (freshman)
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
- Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers (senior)
- Chet Holmgren, C, Gonzaga (freshman)
- Harrison Ingram, F, Stanford (freshman)
- Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue (sophomore)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, F, Indiana (junior)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003)
- Johnny Juzang, G, UCLA (junior)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001)
- Trevor Keels, G, Duke (freshman)
- Walker Kessler, F/C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Christian Koloko, C, Arizona (junior)
- Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest (junior)
- Justin Lewis, F, Marquette (sophomore)
- E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio State (junior)
- Bennedict Mathurin, G/F, Arizona (sophomore)
- Matthew Mayer, F, Baylor (senior)
- Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska (freshman)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003)
- Josh Minott, F, Memphis (freshman)
- Aminu Mohammed, G/F, Georgetown (freshman)
- Iverson Molinar, G, Mississippi State (junior)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite (auto-eligible)
- Wendell Moore, F, Duke (junior)
- Keegan Murray, F, Iowa (sophomore)
- Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
- Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt (junior)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- David Roddy, F, Colorado State (junior)
- Ryan Rollins, G, Toledo (sophomore)
- Dereon Seabron, G, NC State (sophomore)
- Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jabari Smith, F, Auburn (freshman)
- Terquavion Smith, G, NC State (freshman)
- Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor (freshman)
- Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy (born 2003)
- Julian Strawther, G/F, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Dalen Terry, G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Drew Timme, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Jabari Walker, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- TyTy Washington Jr., G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Peyton Watson, G/F, UCLA (freshman)
- Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame (freshman)
- Alondes Williams, G, Wake Forest (super-senior)
- Jalen Williams, G, Santa Clara (junior)
- Jaylin Williams, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Mark Williams, C, Duke (sophomore)
- Trevion Williams, F/C, Purdue (senior)
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite (auto-eligible)
NBA Announces Initial Early Entrant List For 2022 Draft
The NBA has officially released the initial list of early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft, announcing in a press release that 283 players have filed as early entry candidates. Of those prospects, 247 are from colleges, while 36 are international early entrants.
Those are big numbers, but they fall well short of the 353 early entrants who initially declared for the draft a year ago. Beginning in 2021, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in seniors having to decide between staying at college for one more season or declaring for the draft as an “early” entrant.
That tweak to the NCAA’s eligibility rules has increased the number of total early entrants due to the influx of seniors into the pool. However, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN observes (via Twitter), the number of college non-seniors (123) on the initial early entry list this year is actually the lowest since 2016, while the number of international prospects (36) is the lowest since 2014.
This year’s total of 283 early entrants figures to shrink significantly by June 1 and again by June 13, the two deadlines for players to withdraw their names from the draft pool. But it still looks like the pool will remain extremely crowded, with the eventual number of early entrants certain to exceed 58, the number of picks in the draft.
Our tracker of early entrants for the 2022 draft is fully up to date and can be found right here.
Here are the changes we made to our tracker today:
Newly-added players:
College players:
These players either didn’t publicly announce that they were entering the draft or we simply missed it when they did.
- Max Abmas, G, Oral Roberts (junior)
- Tez Allen, G/F, Southern Oregon (senior)
- Avery Anderson III, G, Oklahoma State (junior)
- Eric Ayala, G, Maryland (senior)
- Marcus Azor, G, UMass Dartmouth (senior)
- Emmanuel Bandoumel, G, SMU (senior)
- Evan Battey, F, Colorado (senior)
- James Bishop, G, George Washington (junior)
- Henry Blair Jr., G, Bob Jones (SC) (junior)
- Buddy Boeheim, G, Syracuse (senior)
- Rasir Bolton, G, Gonzaga (senior)
- Mike Bothwell, G, Furman (senior)
- Jordan Brown, F, Louisiana (junior)
- John Butler Jr., F/C, Florida State (freshman)
- Jared Bynum, G, Providence (junior)
- Toumani Camara, F, Dayton (junior)
- Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn (sophomore)
- Xavier Castaneda, G, Akron (senior)
- Dhieu Deing, G, UTSA (junior)
- Dylan Disu, F, Texas (junior)
- Boogie Ellis, G, USC (junior)
- BJ Fitzgerald, G, Virginia State (junior)
- Allen Flanigan, G/F, Auburn (junior)
- Joe French, G, Bethune-Cookman (sophomore)
- Jacob Grandison, G/F, Illinois (senior)
- Tykei Greene, G, Stony Brook (senior)
- Quincy Guerrier, F, Oregon (junior)
- Mouhamed Gueye, F/C, Washington State (freshman)
- D.J. Harvey, G/F, Detroit (senior)
- Jericole Hellems, F, North Carolina State (senior)
- Cedric Henderson Jr., G/F, Campbell (senior)
- D’Moi Hodge, G, Cleveland State (senior)
- Trevor Hudgins, G, Northwest Missouri State (senior)
- Bodie Hume, G/F, Northern Colorado (senior)
- Austin Hutcherson, G, Illinois (junior)
- Josiah-Jordan James, G/F, Tennessee (junior)
- Deante Johnson, F, Cleveland State (senior)
- Andrew Jones, G, Texas (senior)
- Noah Kirkwood, G, Harvard (senior)
- Hyunjung Lee, G/F, Davidson (junior)
- Kyle Lofton, G, St. Bonaventure (senior)
- Josh Mballa, F, Buffalo (senior)
- Trey McGowens, G, Nebraska (senior)
- Nathan Mensah, F/C, San Diego State (senior)
- Isaih Moore, F, Southern Mississippi (senior)
- Bryson Mozone, G/F, USC Upstate (senior)
- Grayson Murphy, G, Belmont (senior)
- Dwight Murray Jr., G, Rider (senior)
- Nick Muszynski, C, Belmont (senior)
- Ike Obiagu, C, Seton Hall (senior)
- Edward Oliver-Hampton, F, South Carolina State (senior)
- Shareef O’Neal, F, LSU (junior)
- Nick Ongenda, C, DePaul (junior)
- Malik Osborne, F, Florida State (senior)
- Osayi Osifo, F, Jacksonville (senior)
- Zyon Pullin, G, UC-Riverside (junior)
- Eric Reed Jr., G, Southeast Missouri State (senior)
- Will Richardson, G, Oregon (senior)
- Orlando Robinson, F/C, Fresno State (junior)
- KJ Simon, G, UT-Martin (junior)
- Jalen Slawson, F, Furman (senior)
- Jamari Smith, F, Queens University (NC) (junior)
- Amadou Sow, F, Santa Barbara (senior)
- Seth Stanley, F, Hendrix College (AR) (senior)
- Gabe Stefanini, G, San Francisco (senior)
- Sasha Stefanovic, G, Purdue (senior)
- AJ Taylor, F, Grambling (junior)
- Kerwin Walton, G, North Carolina (sophomore)
- Collin Welp, F, UC Irvine (senior)
- Aaron Wheeler, F, St. John’s (senior)
- Khristien White, G, Southwest Christian (senior)
International players:
These players weren’t previously mentioned on our list of international early entrants. The country listed here indicates where they last played, not necessarily where they were born.
- Ibou Badji, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Kay Bruhnke, G/F, Germany (born 2001)
- Tom Digbeu, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
- Fallou Gueye, G, Senegal (born 2003)
- Millan Jimenez, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Yannick Kraag, G/F, Spain (born 2002)
- Zsombor Maronka, F, Spain (born 2002)
- Mario Nakic, F, Spain (born 2001)
- Jaime Pradilla, F/C, Spain (born 2001)
- Pavel Savkov, G, Spain (born 2002)
- Luka Scuka, F, Slovenia (born 2002)
- Emil Stoilov, C, Spain (born 2002)
- Giorgos Tanoulis, F/C, Greece (born 2002)
- Luke Travers, G/F, Australia (born 2001)
- Nicolas Vanel, G, France (born 2003)
Other notable draft-eligible early entrants:
The NBA sent its teams a list of 33 “also-eligible” names. That list isn’t public, but Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) shared some of the most notable players on it, and we’ve added them to our early entrant tracker. They are as follows:
- Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite
- MarJon Beauchamp, G/F, G League Ignite
- Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite
- Henri Drell, G/F, Windy City Bulls
- Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite
- Jaden Hardy, G, G League Ignite
- Makur Maker, C, Sydney Kings (formerly Howard Bison)
- Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite
- Samson Ruzhentsev, G/F, Mega Basket (formerly Florida Gators)
- Kai Sotto, C, Adelaide 36ers (formerly G League Ignite)
- Zaire Wade, G, Salt Lake City Stars
- Kok Yat, F, Overtime Elite
- Fanbo Zeng, F, G League Ignite
Players removed:
Despite reports or announcements that the players below would declare for the draft, they didn’t show up on the NBA’s official list.
That could mean a number of things — they may have decided against entering the draft; they may have entered the draft, then withdrawn; they may have had no NCAA eligibility remaining, making them automatically draft-eligible; they may have incorrectly filed their paperwork; or the NBA may have accidentally omitted some names.
In any case, we’ve removed the following names from our early entrant list, at least for the time being.
- Joe Bryant, G, Norfolk State (senior)
- Keyshawn Bryant, F, South Carolina (senior)
- Ricky Council IV, G, Wichita State (sophomore)
- Devonaire Doutrive, G, Boise State (senior)
- Kevin Easley Jr., F, Duquesne (junior)
- Umoja Gibson, G, Oklahoma (senior)
- Jalen Hawkins, G, Norfolk State (senior)
- Makhel Mitchell, F/C, Rhode Island (sophomore)
- Makhi Mitchell, F/C, Rhode Island (sophomore)
- Lamar Norman, G, Western Michigan (junior)
- Chuba Ohams, F, Fordham (senior)
- Nana Opoku, F, Mount St. Mary’s (senior)
- Anthony Roberts, G, Stony Brook (junior)
- Nate Roberts, F/C, Washington (junior)
- Luis Rodriguez, G/F, Ole Miss (junior)
- Tariq Silver, G, Austin Peay (senior)
- Derek St. Hilaire, G, New Orleans (senior)
- John Walker III, F, Texas Southern (senior)
- Eric Williams Jr., G/F, Oregon (senior)
Finally, Givony reports (via Twitter) that Canadian forward Leonard Miller, from the Fort Erie International Academy has been asked to fill out additional paperwork to finalize his entrance into the draft pool. According to Givony, there’s an expectation that Miller will be added to the list, so we’ve left him listed in our early entrant tracker among the international players.
Dyson Daniels To Enter NBA Draft
Dyson Daniels of the G League Ignite has decided to declare for the NBA draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 6’8″ Australian guard is ranked 10th overall on ESPN’s big board.
“I’m all in for the draft,” Daniels said. “I feel more than ready for this next step in my career and I’m excited for this process to begin.”
Daniels had a strong showing in his first G League season, averaging 12.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 26 games while playing about 32 minutes per night. He also took part in the Rising Stars contest during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend.
The 19-year-old is hoping to become the second graduate of the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, to be taken in the lottery. Fellow Australian Josh Giddey was the sixth pick last year.
Daniels was the first major international player to sign with G League Ignite, and he believes the experience was beneficial. Although he struggled early in the season with the faster pace and more physical style of play, he eventually adapted to it.
“As the season went on and coach put the ball in my hand, I was able to find myself as the primary playmaker,” Daniels said. “We built our chemistry and learned our roles in the team, which helped me take my game to the next level.” One of the things I’m looking forward to showing NBA teams is my ability to create my own shot. That’s something I’ve been working hard on. I’m looking forward to showing them my versatility playing multiple positions and using my basketball IQ to be a problem solver.”
Draft Notes: March Madness, New Mocks, Ignite Prospects
In honor of March Madness, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) conducted a mock draft made up exclusively of players participating in the NCAA Tournament and shared insights on what to watch from those players during the event.
The very top of ESPN’s March Madness mock remains unchanged, since Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, and Purdue’s Jaden Ivey will all be participating in the tournament.
Here are a few more draft-related notes, with the start of March Madness right around the corner:
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has published his annual draft guide, including his top-30 big board. While there are no major surprises near the very top of O’Connor’s board, he diverges from the consensus in a few instances further down, including ranking G League Ignite wing Jaden Hardy at No. 12.
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com takes an in-depth, region-by-region look at the games and players to keep a close eye on during the NCAA Tournament, identifying sleepers, prospects with the most at stake, and the potential matchups that scouts would most like to see.
- In his newly-updated 2022 mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has Jabari Smith coming off the board with the No. 1 pick. G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels, the No. 10 prospect on ESPN’s big board, slides all the way down to No. 23 in Wasserman’s mock.