JBL | The Quadaily 25, 2028 Season (Day 37): Whatever This One Is
It's time to take a look at how some of the nation's top JBL prospects are performing. As this is before JBL's Top Prospects list arrives, this will be done at random.
C/PF Raijon Ward, Texas: The 6'10 combo post (though, if you listen to certain colluders, he is only a center) is fifth in the nation in scoring in scoring, at 21.0 ppg. He's doing at while shooting considerably better than last year (51.5% vs 41.2%, on 2.5 more attempts per game). His threes are also more accurate, at 42.9% versus 29.9% last year. He is a dependable free throw shooter (71.7 career mark), able but not spectacular rebounder (5.7 rpg)...he is a turnover machine (3.57 TOPG so far this year), but he won't be asked to do as much as he does for Texas in the JBL. He is excellent at finishing, and is known to have an excellent work ethic. He is a more defensively-minded player, but his scoring gives one hope that his offense can translate to the pros. He projects, currently, as a lottery pick.
C Jeremy Sawvell, Arizona: The nation's top recruit is shooting an absurd 75.9% from the field. He's doing most of his damage as a pick-and-roll runner (23.6% of his plays) or cutting to the basket (30.2%), which is understandable for someone of his raw athleticism. The encouraging thing, though, is that while 6.9 of his attempts per game are at the rim, he is shooting a very high clip on the few takes he has elsewhere. For instance, he's shooting 57.1% on long jumpers, albeit at under one a game. His mid-range game, limited to 1.1 shots per game, is at an astounding 86.7% makerate. This is one aspect of his game we hope grows as the season goes on. To be posting 18.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg, and an absurd 36.4 PER, it's impressive to say he has exceeded expectations thus far. He rates as a solid candidate for the top overall pick (though, with some post saturation in the past couple of drafts, this could his standing in the draft somewhat.)
PG Justin Noel, NC State: Noel has put NC State on his back in his freshman season, averaging 16.5 ppg and 6.8 apg. He is shooting an absurd 61.3% from the field, and 52.4% from deep, on 2.6 attempts. His ability to finish around the rim, where his superior athleticism and freakish first step outpace and outclass opponents, have been the major reason why. He is shooting 80% at the rim on 3.8 attempts per game. Noel's issue, and what will hamper his pro prospects significantly, is his transparently bad defense. It isn't just his technique, but his seeming unwillingness to put forth effort on that end. Of course, he is just a freshman, and this part of his game could come along (see Dawkins, Jack). We could consider him at the back-end of the first round, though it would be a surprise if he came out this season.
PF Brandom Dampier, Missouri: The lean freshman has been better than advertised at Mizzou, going for 18.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and over an assist, steal, and block per game. His PER is 36.3 at the moment, thanks mainly to his 63.6% shooting on 9.4 attempts per game. He is efficient at every area of the floor that he is allowed to shoot from; he has yet to take anything past a mid-range jumper, which is smart for Missouri, but perhaps not for his long-range prospects. Dampier is still learning his inside game, which makes his production even more impressive. And his rebounding is at the very top of this class. With his elite athleticism and first step, as well as top-flight quickness for someone his size, he projects very well as a pro. His basketball acumen is considered elite, too. He could workout his way into the top twenty, though the lottery would be a stretch, due to his size and purported lack of offensive awareness.
Again, this is all conjecture based on nothing but hunches from past drafts and how these players compare to young JBL players now.
A quick look at some team stuff:
- UConn showed they are for real by taking down Michigan State handedly, leading wire-to-wire in a 63-52 victory. Then they went to Purdue and, with the help of Jack Dawkins' 40 points, got a revenge win over the Boilermakers, 81-70. Dawkins leads the nation in scoring, at 25.6 ppg. But UConn has the nation's top RPI, and a top-20 DRtg nationally. They are not an offensive juggernaut, leaning heavily on Jack (1/3 of their scoring comes from him), but they are solid at the line, and in the paint (11th nationally). This is the same kind of profile Stanford had last year. And their only two losses are on the road at Duke and Kentucky; both were one-possession games. The Huskies have a great look to them for now, though it is early.
- Washington took down Texas on the road in a fantastic resume-building win for the Huskies. Washington led by 14 (60-46) with 4:07 left, only to see Texas go on an 13-2 run over the next three minutes, before holding on for the win. Washington was led by Garrison Palmer's 18, and Gligorije Mbargorba's 11 off the bench. The win came despite leading scorer Daryl Mills' going 2-8 from the field, finishing with just four points (though four assists and five steals). Darren Bar, as big a glue guy as any in the nation (10.9/5.0/1.8 off the bench), added eight big points to help seal the win.
- It's been a rough season for Cincinnati. This was on full display in their 70-68 loss to North Carolina. The Bearcats (2-6) led by as much as 18 (54-36) in the second half. Heck, they lead for all but 1:39 in the game, which was the last 1:39 in the game. Jackson Swann made a jumper to give UNC their first, and only, lead. Cincinnati even had an incredible shot at regaining the lead, but Connor Seymour's bunny right at the rim somehow did not go in. (He would say it slipped out of his hands as he began to put it down after the game.) North Carolina gave Cincy extra chances by going 2-4 at the line in the final:31...but Isiah Gentry missed a three that would have given them the lead, and Carolina smartly (maybe?) fouled Seymour before he could get up a last-chance three for the tie. He made one of two, but the intentional miss could not be corralled to get a shot off before the final whistle. This was actually Cincinnati's second loss to North Carolina this season; they fell back on 24 in Chapel Hill. They also own an 81-80 loss at K-State, a 57-54 loss to a young Villanova team, and a ten-point loss at Stanford. Games against Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Georgetown await, too. Right now, their PPG/OPPG is 66.9/67.3. That's how close their season is from being stellar. Right now, it's not that.
The Quadaily 25
Day 37, 2028
1. Indiana (7-1, 1)
2. Duke (7-1, 2)
3. Southern Cal (6-1, 3)
4. North Carolina (9-1, 4)
5. Connecticut (8-2, 5)
6. Kentucky (7-0, 8)
7. NC State (8-0, 10)
8. Kansas (7-3, 6)
9. Arizona (6-2, 9)
10. Michigan State (5-3, 7)
11. Colorado (7-0, 11)
12. Virginia (8-0, 12)
13. Washington (6-2, 15)
14. Illinois (8-0, 16)
15. Missouri (6-1, 17)
16. Pittsburgh (7-0, 19)
17. Florida (5-2, 13)
18. Texas (4-3, 14)
19. Ohio State (9-1, 21)
20. Purdue (5-3, 18)
21. San Diego State (8-0, 22)
22. Michigan (5-3, 20)
23. Georgetown (4-4, 23)
24. Georgia Tech (6-1, NR)
25. Oklahoma State (6-2, NR)
Next: Stanford, New Mexico, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Iowa State
Dropped Out: UCLA (24), Rhode Island (25)