LaMelo Ball Headlines List Of Draft Combine Participants
Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball will be among the prospects participating in the revamped virtual draft combine this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Ball is scheduled to take part in team interviews and a media session this week, but may not participate in any other portion, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cautions (via Twitter).
While Ball’s participation might be limited, many of this year’s other top prospects aren’t taking part in the event at all. As Woo points out (via Twitter), Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, Cole Anthony, Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Saddiq Bey are among the players who don’t appear on the list of participants sent out by the NBA.
The list of top prospects besides Ball who will be participating in the event includes Precious Achiuwa, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, and Isaac Okoro, among others.
Here’s the full list of combine participants, via Charania:
- Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
- Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
- Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
- LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
- Desmond Bane, G, TCU
- Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
- Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
- Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
- Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
- Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
- Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
- CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
- Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
- Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
- Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
- Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
- Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
- Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
- RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
- Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
- Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Markus Howard, G, Marquette
- Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
- Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
- Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
- Tre Jones, G, Duke
- Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
- Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
- Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
- Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
- Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
- Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
- Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
- Skylar Mays, G, LSU
- Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
- Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
- Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
- Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
- Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
- Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
- Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
- Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
- Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
- Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
- Paul Reed, F, DePaul
- Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
- Grant Riller, G, Charleston
- Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
- Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
- Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
- Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
- Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
- Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
- Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
- Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
- Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
- Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
- Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is unable to hold its typical in-person draft combine this year, but the league has put together an alternative combine that will feature interviews through videoconferencing as well as the making of “pro day” videos, which will include strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, and shooting drills. Participants will also undergo medical testing and exams.
For more details on this year’s combine, be sure to check out our full story on the changes.
Wizards Notes: Quickley, J. Smith, Draft, Facility
While they can’t meet in person with this year’s draft prospects, the Wizards are doing their homework on a number of players.
According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, the team has spoken to Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley and intends to interview Maryland’s Jalen Smith this week. The Wizards have also touched base with Arizona’s Zeke Nnaji, as we noted on Tuesday.
While much of the draft speculation involving the Wizards will focus on the team’s lottery pick, the club is also projected to hold the 37th overall selection. The three players listed above could be candidates for that pick — Smith is ranked 30th on ESPN’s big board, with Nnaji coming in at No. 34 and Quickley at No. 54.
Hughes also points out that even if the Wizards don’t get a chance to draft any of those players, it makes sense to get as familiar with them as possible. For instance, after working him out a couple times, the team was high on Moritz Wagner leading up to the 2018 draft. Although they couldn’t justify picking him at No. 15, the Wizards ultimately ended up acquiring Wagner from the Lakers in a trade a year later.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- In a two-part series, Sam Vecenie and Fred Katz of The Athletic break down what a number of different draft scenarios would look like for the Wizards, who will likely end up at No. 9 or 10 if they don’t get lucky in this year’s lottery. The Athletic’s duo have Washington selecting Anthony Edwards at No. 1 and view Tyrese Haliburton, Cole Anthony, and Devin Vassell as some of the team’s potential options in the 9-10 range.
- Head coach Scott Brooks said during an NBA TV appearance earlier this week that as long as “everything goes as planned,” the Wizards will reopen their practice facility for individual voluntary workouts on Friday, tweets Katz. As Katz notes, not all the Wizards players are still in the D.C. area, but some are.
- In case you missed it, Rui Hachimura earned a spot on Hoops Rumors’ All-Rookie Second Team for 2019/20, based on your votes. Check out the full results of our All-Rookie polls right here.
Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley Enters 2020 Draft
Kentucky sophomore guard Immanuel Quickley has become the latest Wildcat to declare for the 2020 NBA draft, telling ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that he’ll forgo his remaining college eligibility and sign with an agent.
Quickley, who started 20 of 30 Kentucky games in 2019/20, averaged a team-high 16.1 PPG to go along with 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, and a .417/.428/.923 shooting line. His breakout sophomore season earned him SEC Player of the Year honors.
Givony, who has Quickley ranked 58th overall on ESPN’s big board for the 2020 draft, notes that the guard’s impressive wingspan helped him defend guards, wings, and forwards. While Quickley’s defense and his outside shot will intrigue NBA teams, those clubs likely won’t get a chance to evaluate his play-making and shot-creating abilities during pre-draft workouts, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Givony writes.
Quickley is the fourth Kentucky underclassman to declare for the NBA draft so far this spring, joining Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans, and Kahlil Whitney. Junior big man Nick Richards is expected to be the next Wildcat to enter the draft, tweets Adam Zagoria of Forbes.