FT Dynasty NBA2k20 Fictional Draft Classes

[Jeffruel]

Final 4

#1 Kansas State survives their toughest matchup of the tournament against #2 Washington State 75-72. Eric Stockton had a long night battling Marcus Porter, but still managed 17 points. Duane Porter went toe to toe with likely #1 pick Kyler Lofton where they finished with 25 and 32 points respectively. Derrick Porter struggled in this one shooting 4-11 from the field.

#3 KU knocked off #1 UNC 74-70 to set up a state of Kansas championship. Tyriq Cannon finished with 24 points. UNC’s Isiah West had only 14 points, while Zaire Oliver finished with 26.

[Jeffruel]

Championship

Kansas State takes on KU for the 4th time this season, with Kansas State winning 2 of the 3. KU got the upper hand early in this one jumping out to a 20-8 lead. Tyriq Cannon got going early, hitting back to back 3 pointers to start the game. Eric Stockton picked up two quick fouls and was forced to sit the majority of the half. Kyler Lofton managed to close the gap to 8 points, by halftime, 24-32. After the break, Eric Stockton played lights out, scoring from all over the court. SG Damon Singleton was not really able to contribute in this one for the Jayhawks, as he was held to just 8 points. Tyriq Cannon managed to keep pace with Stockton in the 2nd half. Going into the final minute of the game, KU trailed KSU 82-79. Tyriq Cannon hit a 3 to tie the game up, but Kyler Lofton would come right back and hit a baseline jumper to go up 2. With 30 seconds remaining, Kansas elected to run the shot clock down to just 5 seconds remaining, and take a deep 3 from Tyriq Cannon. The shot would rim out, and KSU would capture their first ever National Championship, 84-82.

Eric Stockton finished with 27 points 9 assists.
Kyler Lofton had 28 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists.
Tyriq Cannon finished with 34 points and 4 rebounds.

[Jeffruel]

Below are some predictions from 5 great basketball minds, followed by 1 bold prediction from each analyst.

NBA Rookie Predictions
Rookie of the Year	Analyst	Biggest Bust	Analyst
1. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Chad Ford	1. Keon Black (Arkansas)	Chad Ford
2. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Jay Bilas	2. Keon Black (Arkansas)	Jay Bilas
3. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Fran Franchilla	3. Aaron Lucas (Michigan State)	Fran Franchilla
4. Isaiah West (North Carolina)	Stephen A. Smith	4. Tyree Johnson (Illinois)	Stephen A. Smith
5. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Steve Kerr	5. D'Angelo Kempton (Texas)	Steve Kerr
Biggest Sleeper	Analyst	Dark Horse Candidate for Rookie of the Year	Analyst
1. Zaire Oliver (North Carolina)	Chad Ford	1. Macaleb Hughes (Duke)	Chad Ford
2. Derrick Porter (Washington State)	Jay Bilas	2. Tyree Johnson (Illinois)	Jay Bilas
3. Zaire Oliver (North Carolina)	Fran Franchilla	3. Yunlong Lee (Harvard)	Fran Franchilla
4. Arthur Justice (Michigan)	Stephen A. Smith	4. Keon Black (Arkansas)	Stephen A. Smith
5. Finn Schmidt (Germany)	Steve Kerr	5. Macaleb Hughes (Duke)	Steve Kerr
Most Likely to Lead NBA in Scoring	Analyst	Most Likely to Lead NBA in Assists	Analyst
1. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Chad Ford	1. Kelyn Ross (Michigan State)	Chad Ford
2. Santino Fernandez (Argentina)	Jay Bilas	2. Santino Fernandez (Argentina)	Jay Bilas
3. Tyriq Cannon (Kansas)	Fran Franchilla	3. Kelyn Ross (Michigan State)	Fran Franchilla
4. Tray Patteway (Oregon)	Stephen A. Smith	4. Dionte Giddens (Arizona)	Stephen A. Smith
5. Kyler Lofton (Kansas State)	Steve Kerr	5. Eric Stockton (Kansas State)	Steve Kerr
Most Likely to Lead NBA in Rebounds	Analyst	Most Likely to become DPOY in the NBA	Analyst
1. Pierre Lecque (France)	Chad Ford	1. Leo Fournier (France)	Chad Ford
2. Pierre Lecque (France)	Jay Bilas	2. Leo Fournier (France)	Jay Bilas
3. Dmarius Warren (Virginia)	Fran Franchilla	3. Leo Fournier (France)	Fran Franchilla
4. Pierre Lecque (France)	Stephen A. Smith	4. Leo Fournier (France)	Stephen A. Smith
5. Petey Winslow (Dayton)	Steve Kerr	5. Justin Gardner (Washington)	Steve Kerr

Bold Predictions

Chad Ford-Eric Stockton is the player you want coming out of the schools in Kansas this year, not Tyriq Cannon or Kyler Lofton.

Fran Franchilla-Devunte Dawson is the best player in this draft and will be averaging a triple double by year 2.

Jay Bilas-All 3 Porter brothers from Washington State will make an All-Star team at some point in their careers.

Stephen A. Smith-Keon Black is the best player in the draft. That guy is a baaaaaad man. No way you should be 6’11 and be able to shoot like he can!

Steve Kerr-No coach puts up with Keon Black’s attitude and work ethic and he is out of the league in 3 years or less.

[Jeffruel]

Class 5 is live. This is by far the most time and effort I have put into a class, and it is also the most fun I’ve had with a class. No google slide scouting report, the scouting took place on pages 6-9 of the forum. Little scouting reports here and there that you can combine with the in game scouting to determine who you want to draft. If you want insider info on a player, let me know and I can give you more of a scouting report on that player.

Refer to the front page for the playstation ID and class name.

Finally, if you guys have any ideas for future storylines and players, let me know. I’d love to incorporate them into the classes!

[Jeffruel]

Merry Christmas everyone. Taking a short break for the holidays, but I’ll be back at it soon!

[Jeffruel]

Top 10 freshmen heading into the college season.

Florida had the #1 class by securing the #2 recruit Terrion Williams Jr., #4 recruit Daquan Gibbs, #10 Justin Hackett, and #31 Duce Pittman. Pittman is the cousin of former Kentucky standout, X.J. Pittman. All 4 should start this season while at Florida.

#1 Breon Dixon
Position: Small Forward
School: Louisville
Height: 6’9
Weight: 243
Profile: Breon Dixon committed to Louisville over Duke and Kentucky. He is one of the better recruits in recent history coming out of high school. Dixon is an aggressive scorer who resembles LeBron James when he was in high school, without the jumpshot. That is a work in progress, but if he can develop that, he could be in the same conversation as LeBron someday. He is an above average passer, but really does well on the defensive end protecting the basket. Get ready for some highlight reel dunks this season at Louisville as Breon can throw down with the best of them.

#2 Terrion Williams Jr.
Position: Small Forward
School: Florida
Height: 6’8
Weight: 229
Profile: Terrion Williams Jr. is the prize of the #1 Florida recruiting class. On a typical year without a player like Breon Dixon, Terrion would be the runaway #1 recruit. He has a smooth jump shot that can hit from all over the floor. He has good height and solid lift on his jump shot so it will rarely get blocked. He is a great ball handler for his height and he has an iso game made for the NBA. He needs to work on his passing and defense this season in college.

#3 Fitzroy Gardner
Position: Guard
School: Kentucky
Height: 6’5
Weight: 218
Profile: Fitzroy, who goes by Fitz, is better suited for the shooting guard position, but Coach Calapari has been adamant about playing him at the point guard position with senior SG Arland Hanson still in the mix. Fitz attacks the basket very well and can finish at the rim with the best of them. He has above average ball handling skills, and Coach Cal is hoping that he will be able to run a drive and kick game with him this year. If Fitz can prove he can play either guard position this season, he could really elevate his draft stock. Scouts hope this is not a wasted year that slows his development.

#4 Daquan Gibbs
Position: Wing
School: Florida
Height: 6’7
Weight: 218
Profile: Daquan Gibbs is a great shooter and will help stretch the floor for the Gators this season. While he could be playing SF, he will probably play SG for the Gators this season with Terrion Williams Jr. getting the majority of minutes at SF. He is an elite defender due to his length on the floor. He is already getting the elite 3 and D label from NBA scouts, but Gibbs thinks he can be much more than that at the next level. He’s going to need to improve on his ball handling and learn to create his own shot this season.

#5 Andrius Klimavicius
Position: Center
School: Nebraska
Height: 7’1
Weight: 239
Profile: Originally from Lithuania, Andrius has been in the United States for 3 years now. Shortly after moving to the United States, he committed to Nebraska as a 4 star, 6’9 forward. Over the next 2 years, he would grow 4 inches and go from a fringe top 150 prospect, all the way up to top 5. Even though the blue bloods came calling, he stuck with his commitment to Nebraska. He is still growing into his new height, so he appears to be a little awkward on the court. He needs to add some weight to his frame as he is still pretty slim. Scouts know he can shoot very well, but they are interested to see him in the pick and roll game with sophomore PG, B.R. Robertson. If they can gel, Nebraska could be one of the best teams in the nation this year.

#6 Jarik Caldwell
Position: Point Guard
School: Duke
Height: 6’3
Weight: 197
Profile: When you think about the best high school mixtapes of all time, names like Zion Williamson, John Wall, Andrew Wiggins, and Aquille Carr all come to mind. Jarik Caldwell had officially added his name to the list. Jarik has insane handles and is constantly forcing defenders to the ground with his dribble moves. He has great vision while on the floor and he throws some crazy passes while out there. He is prone to being too flashy at times, but any team would live with those mistakes. Jarik is an elite athlete who has a great hop step and euro step to finish his layups. While he is good at creating for his teammates and finishing at the rim, he needs to get better at shooting and creating his own shot outside of the paint.

#7 Royce Wennington
Position: Shooting Guard
School: Wichita State
Height: 6’5
Weight: 211
Profile: Royce Wennington de-committed from Kansas last year after a recruiting scandal and picked Wichita State shortly after. Wennington is the best shooter in this freshman class, and he will come in and contribute right away for the Shockers who have themselves a solid trio in sophomore PG Charlie Gray, and senior SF Pereon McCants. Wennington has his shortcomings on the defensive end, and is just an above average athlete, but he is capable of going off on any given night. He once hit 13 3-point shots in a game in high school. To go along with his elite 3 point shooting, he shot 94% from the line throughout his high school career.

#8 Dee Montgomery
Position: Power Forward
School: Arizona
Height: 6’10
Weight: 227
Profile: Dee Montgomery is going to play very well in the uptempo Arizona offense. As an athletic 4, he runs the floor very well, and he is definitely going to be at the receiving end of some fast break alley oops this season. He works very well in the pick and roll game, and is a force when he is protecting the paint. Dee struggles shooting the ball, and he struggles when he has to put the ball on the floor. While he comes up with some highlight reel blocks, he will occasionally be out of place on the defensive end of the floor.

#9 Ben Southerland
Position: Shooting Guard
School: North Carolina
Height: 6’6
Weight: 230
Profile: Ben Southerland is a rock solid 230 pounds and is one of, if not the best athlete in the class. He has an insane vertical leap, measured at 42.5 inches and has a very quick first step he uses to get past defenders. He is a below average dribbler, and he struggles shooting the ball but his high school coach had nothing but praise for him and he knows his jumpshot will progress. While he might be one of the fastest players in the class, he struggles moving laterally. Southerland needs to be more consistent on both end of the floor to emerge as a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

#10 Justin Hackett
Position: Center
School: Florida
Height: 7’0
Weight: 254
Profile: When you look at Justin Hackett, you do not see an 18 year old freshman. He looks like an absolute grown man, and he plays like one too. He has an old school big man game where he does not like to come off the blocks. He pulls in rebounds, and does a very good job of boxing opponents out. He protects the paint very well, but he struggles scoring. He probably won't average more than 10-12 points this year at Florida as his game is limited to put-backs and dunks and he has to share the ball with Terrion Williams Jr. and Daquan Gibbs. He could really improve his stock if he could improve his offensive game to 12-15 feet.

[Jeffruel]

Top 10 Players Returning to College This Season

#1 Arland Hanson
Position: Shooting Guard
School: Kentucky
Class: Senior
Height: 6’4
Weight: 223
Profile: Arland Hanson makes his living by getting to the rim. He is an aggressive dribbler and is constantly attacking the rim, and just when the defense begins to adjust, he will hit you with a solid step back. He has one of the best mid range games in college basketball right now, he just needs to develop a 3 point shot. Last season he only shot 31% from outside. The fact that Coach Calapari is moving the #1 SG recruit, Fitzroy Gardner, to PG speaks volumes about the faith he has in Hanson.

#2 Alec Pettis
Position: Center
School: Oregon
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6’10
Weight: 234
Profile: Alec Pettis and Tray Patteway provided the Ducks with one of the best front-courts in the nation last year. Patteway declared for the draft last season, but Pettis is back for his sophomore year and is ready to step up in a big way. Coming into last season, many thought Pettis was the better of the two, but Patteway ended up being one of the best scorers in the nation. Pettis can be a bully down low, or take slower defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim. He has a developing mid range, but no 3 point shot like Patteway did. With a solid season, Pettis could cement himself as the top center in the draft.

#3 Daymonn Sutton
Position: Point Guard
School: Drake
Class: Junior
Height: 6’3
Weight: 198
Profile: Daymonn Sutton is quite possibly the best scorer in the nation. He has been top 5 in scoring the past 2 years, and he saw his 3 point percentage rise from 35% to 42% as a sophomore. The level of competition in the Missouri Valley is not the best, so scouts are very interested to see how he does in the Maui Invitational and NCAA tournament this year, as well as a non-conference game against Iowa. Sutton can score from all over the floor and does not look like he has a weakness in his offensive game. He could be a better passer, and his defense needs work. At this point, he is showing up just after the lottery, but we have seen players like Steph Curry, Desmond Cooper, and Damien Lillard shoot up draft boards in the past from lesser known schools.

#4 Kadeem Zeller
Position: Post
School: Kansas
Class: Junior
Height: 6’10
Weight: 228
Profile: With Tyriq Cannon gone, Kadeem Zeller is ready to lead the Jayhawks to another Big-12 title. Kansas has traditionally played through the high post, and Zeller is perfect to do that. When he catches the ball he can turn and hit a mid range shot with ease, beat his man off the dribble, or find a teammate on the wing or cutting backdoor. He has a game very similar to the one Perry Ellis had at Kansas a few years ago. He has a great college game, but it might not translate well to the NBA. Kadeem and Damion Miller are one of the best front-courts in the league this year.

#5 BR Robertson
Position: Point Guard
School: Nebraska
Class: Sophomore
Height: 5’8
Weight: 188
Profile: BR Robertson is the reigning Big 10 freshman of the year, and had he been even just 3 inches taller, he could have been a lottery pick in last year’s draft. His height is often looked at, but it has never held him back before. Despite his height, he loves to take the ball to the rim. He is great at maneuvering through the traffic and finding teammates all over the floor. He has an above average 3 point shot to go with his dribbling skills. Him and Andrius Klimavicius are going to be a very fun inside out combination to watch this season.

#6 K’Vonte Jackson
Position: Power Forward
School: Iowa State
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6’9
Weight: 218
Profile: K’Vonte Jackson was one of the most inconsistent players in the nation this last season. He was capable of going off for 30 points on any given night, but failed to reach double digits in 9 games last season. He is a stretch 4 who has a very smooth shot from the outside, but needs to be more consistent in other parts of his game. He is a below average athlete and can be exposed on the defensive end of the floor, but on offensive end there is no denying his unique skill set. He is a great outlet passer and drew comparisons to Kevin Love last season.

#7 Pereon McCants
Position: Small Forward
School: Wichita State
Class: Senior
Height: 6’7
Weight: 232
Profile: Pereon McCants is a do it all small forward for the Shockers. He could play a small ball 4 for a team, or move over to play shooting guard. If he could work on his ball handling this season, he could really improve his draft stock by being able to play positions 1-4. He is a good passer, but he has his shortcomings as he is an underwhelming athlete. He knows his shortcomings, and has a very fundamental game to help hide those. He knows how to limit his mistakes, and has one of the best basketball IQ’s in the nation. It will be interesting to see how far Pereon, Charlie Gray, and 5 star recruit, Royce Wennington, can take the Shockers this season.

#8 Colton Wooden
Position: Small Forward
School: Iowa
Class: Junior
Height: 6’8
Weight: 211
Profile: To put it simply, Colton Wooden is one of the best shooters in the nation. He can hit some incredibly deep 3 point shots in catch and shoot situations, but he does struggle to create his own shot. He has an incredibly quick release, so his shots rarely get affected. Colton led the Hawkeyes in assists last season, but that might come with an asterisk as it was only 4.7 a game. If Wooden could continue to improve his shot, and learn to create his own, scouts could see him developing into a Kyle Korver type of player in the NBA.

#9 Damion Miller
Position: Center
School: Kansas
Class: Junior
Height: 6’10
Weight: 268
Profile: Damion Miller had to sit out the 2nd half of last season after breaking his ankle, but before he was injured, he was averaging 17 points and 11 rebound a game. He is a bully down-low and takes very smart shots. He knows his limits, and does not force shots outside of the paint, which helped him lead the nation in field goal percentage at 74%. He is not the fastest player, but he could very well be the strongest player in the upcoming draft. Damion could struggle if he gets pushed outside of the paint in the NBA as he does not guard the perimeter well at all.

#10 Jared Byrd
Position: Shooting Guard
School: Indiana
Class: Junior
Height: 6’5
Weight: 201
Profile: Jared Byrd is a very solid shooter and can create his own shot very well. He was the leading scorer on the Indiana team last year, and they have high hopes for this upcoming season as well. Byrd is an average defender at best, but he needs to improve to if he wants to be able to contribute at the next level. The Hoosiers are the preseason #1 and Byrd is the best player on that team. He is one of 5 upperclassmen starting for Indiana this season. That experience will come in handy in March.

Honorable Mention

Jordan Henry/6’3/197/Junior/Arkansas
Henry led the SEC in scoring last season. He is a volume shooter and can score all over, but is pretty inefficient and struggles taking good shots. He might thrive this year without Keon Black, as the 2 did not get along.

Nathan Plumlee/6’8/237/Senior/Northern Iowa
Plumlee might have found himself inside the top 10 of this list if he played for another team. A stretch 4 who mops up less than stellar competition.

Marvin Drake/5’11/224/Senior/Tennessee
Marvin Drake is a bulldog who overpowers defenders on his way to the basket. He is a good passer and solid 3 point shooter, but might not have a game built for the NBA.

[Jeffruel]

Storylines to follow this season.

Can Kentucky freshman Fitzroy Gardner convert to PG?
When Fitzroy committed to Kentucky, he was well aware that he would be making the switch to PG to accommodate senior SG Arland Hanson. Early whispers out of Kentucky practices are that he is struggling to run the point for the Wildcats. He still looks like a natural scorer, but is not running the offense well. He should get better in time, but if the Wildcats stumble to start the season, what will Calapari do?

Daymonn Sutton the scoring machine
After finishing in the top 5 of scoring as a freshman and sophomore at Drake, Daymonn Sutton looks to rise up draft boards this season. He can score from all over the floor and creates for his teammates as well. As a 15 seed last year, Daymonn and Drake almost knocked off Duke when he scored 41 points. This was enough to earn the Bulldogs an invite to the Maui Invitational. This will be a great early season test to see if the Daymonn hype is for real.

The Florida Freshmen
Florida had the #1 recruiting class this past year when they secured commitments from three top 10 recruits, and 4-star who might be one of the best scorers in the nation. SF Terrion Williams Jr. might end up being the best player in the nation, while wing Daquan Gibbs will move to SG for the season to allow Williams Jr. to play his more natural position. C Justin Hackett will man the paint and clean up misses, while PF Duce Pittman could be a go to scorer in the low post. Will all 4 freshman mesh? On paper, they all seem like they would be able to play very well together with Williams Jr. and Duce being the go to scorers, and Gibbs being the spot up shooter.

Nebraska adds a top 5 recruit to reigning Big 10 freshman of the year B.R. Robertson
When Nebraska got their commitment from 3 star B.R. Roberston last year, they never thought they would have an NBA caliber player on their hands. Roberston, standing at only 5’8, is an incredibly quick player who runs an offense very well. He has a very high basketball IQ and can score in bunches while creating for his teammates. He won Big 10 freshman of the year over Michigan State’s Kelyn Ross. Nebraska added 7’1 big man Andrius Klimavicius to their team this year. Klimavicius offers a unique skillset to the Huskers and he and Roberston should form a great duo this season at Nebraska. The 2 of them will be very tough to guard in the pick and roll game.

Preseason #1 Indiana led by upperclassmen
This season, preseason #1 Indiana will start 2 juniors, and 3 seniors. The seniors are PG Derek Cole, SF Ryan Portis, and C Joseph Henderson, along with junior SG Jared Byrd and PF Dondrick Collins. Among those 5, Byrd, Collins, and Henderson should be drafted next year, with Portis and Cole potentially going late in the 2nd round. Byrd is a very solid shooter and the undisputed leader of this team with Collins providing solid low post offense as well. Cole is a great facilitator while Portis provides very quality defense. Finally Henderson cleans up all the missed shots. All 5 know their role and really thrive in it. They are a very selfless squad and should be tough to take down all season.