[Jeffruel]

Beginning of the Fictional 2020-2021 Season

Top Incoming Freshmen

For the last 4 years, Zyheir Moss and Braylon Tate have been jockeying for the title of #1 recruit in this class, both of which are worthy of going #1 in the upcoming draft. Moss officially gets the nod due to his height at the PG position. Small Forward and Oklahoma State commit, Ladreyous Jones, reclassified from the next draft class to this one, and he will make an instant impact for the Cowboys. The talent in the top 10 is very spread out, with only Kentucky having multiple top 10 recruits. Kansas State however, landed the #10 recruit in Tyler McCaskill, and the #11 recruit in SG Kenny Maynor. Both committed shortly after the Kansas State championship run and honored their commitments even after a down season from the Wildcats.

Overall this is a very top heavy recruiting class. Zyheir Moss, Braylon Tate, and LaDreyous Jones all look to have All-NBA written all over them. Chandler Walton looks like a project who could develop into an allstar, while the rest of the class seems to be filled with a lot of athleticism.

#1 Zyheir Moss
Position: Point Guard
School: Washington
Height: 6’6
Weight: 205
Profile: Zyheir Moss is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. He committed to Washington over Oregon and UCLA, and he looks to build on a surprising Final 4 run for the Huskies this year. He and Paxton Smith will be a solid 1-2 punch in the backcourt. Moss has incredible vision while he is out on the floor and that is his best weapon. He creates for his teammates very well, but is also a capable scorer. He drives very well and uses his height to finish over defenders. He is athletic, but is not the fastest or strongest player in the draft by any means. He is solid in the mid range, but still needs to develop a 3 point shot. Moss has all the tools to average 20 points, lead the league in assists, while pulling in a decent amount of rebounds from the guard position.
NBA Comparison: Better shooting Lonzo Ball

#2 Braylon Tate
Position: Shooting Guard
School: Duke
Height: 6’6
Weight: 217
Profile: Braylon Tate could very well come in and lead the NCAA in scoring this season at Duke. He is a plus athlete who uses a quick first step to get to the rim whenever he wants, and he knows how to finish when he gets there as well. He loves to size up his defender and play iso ball, which he is very good at. Braylon has a very solid floater when he gets into the lane, and will even take smaller defenders down in the low post where he has a solid fade away. His 3 point shot needs to develop before he can be a consistent threat from downtown, but he has a very good mid range. Tate has been described by his coaches as a gym rat, so it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he is consistent from range. Not only is he an elite offensive player, but he has shown the ability to play solid on ball defense, and he has a knack for coming up with steals. He could become a 2-way threat in the NBA.
NBA Comparison: Less polished Kobe Bryant

#3 LaDreyous Jones
Position: Small Forward
School: Oklahoma State
Height: 6’8
Weight: 225
Profile: LaDreyous Jones was the #1 player in the next recruiting class before he made the decision to reclassify. On any given year, he would have shot to the #1 spot of that class as well, but Zyheir Moss and Braylon Tate have the top 2 spots locked up. While there is talk that Oklahoma State booster Boon Pickens needed to open his pockets up to bring Jones to Oklahoma State, he is a great kid who does not seem like he will get mixed up in that. He committed to OSU over Oklahoma, LSU, and Kansas. Jones is listed at 6’8, but he has not looked much shorter than OSU Center, Temple Brown, who stands at 7’1. LaDreyous has a very smooth jump shot and can hit from anywhere on the floor. He has a nasty eurostep when he drives, and he does a great job of finishing at the rim. He is super lanky, so he is able to block a decent amount of shots. He does need to work on his passing and finding teammates. He is a solid athlete, especially for his size. He could add a little bit of muscle so he does not get pushed around down low as easily.
NBA Comparison: Poor mans Kevin Durant

#4 Chandler Walton
Position: Center
School: Kansas
Height: 7’3
Weight: 240
Profile: Chandler Walton is a monster presence down low with his size alone. It is not everyday you have an 18 year old, 7’3 center who can shoot from range. Walton is an average athlete, but at 7’3 you don’t expect much from him in the athleticism department. He is a solid defender and is always positioned well, and he has shown he can score at all 3 levels. He works very well in the pick and pop game. He can hit the 3 point shot, but not consistent enough for it to be a real threat. Currently, he converted 31% of his 3 point shot attempts. He runs the floor very well for a guy of his size. He is not the best passer, and despite his height, he does not do a very good job of rebounding. While he might not be the best player in this class, his ceiling is higher than anyone’s due to his unique build and skillset.
NBA Comparison: Kristaps Porzingis lite

#5 Bakari Jackson
Position: Shooting Guard
School: Florida State
Height: 6’6
Weight: 221
Profile: Bakari Jackson chose Florida State over rival Florida, North Carolina, and Memphis. Florida State is getting the best athlete in this recruiting class. Bakari has in incredible vertical leap that he uses to finish over defenders, as well as a quick first step to get past defenders. He struggles shooting the 3 ball, hitting only 28% of his 3’s his senior year of high school, but he has a very advanced mid range game. His athleticism will help him be a solid defender at the next level. We would not be surprised to see him win a dunk contest or two. Jackson is solid at creating his own shot off the dribble, and he has a killer step back jumper that he hits on at a high rate.
NBA Comparison: DeMar DeRozan

#6 KJ Sampson
Position: Point Guard
School: Kentucky
Height: 6’3
Weight: 199
Profile: KJ Sampson has a smooth left handed stroke. He is one of the most well rounded PGs in this recruiting class, and should be one of the first PGs in the draft class as well. He has an all around game and does not have any characteristic that really wows scouts, but he does not seem to have any glaring weaknesses either. He is at his best when he is driving and kicking to an open man on the wing. He is a very crafty PG who seems to maneuver his way through the paint despite not being an elite athlete. While he will be one of the better players in the NCAA this season, scouts are split on his career outlook. Some feel like he will be limited to a 6th man role, while others seem to believe he could be a solid starter for an NBA team.
NBA Comparison: Post ACL surgery Derrick Rose

#7 Darius Van Gundy
Position: Power Forward
School: Arizona State
Height: 6’10
Weight: 233
Profile: Van Gundy is a solid scorer in the post and he seems like a player you can play through. He has a wide variety of post moves at his disposal, and he has an above average mid range so he can work the high post as well. He is a solid athlete, and he runs the floor well, but does not wow you with any feats of athleticism. His size helps him on the defensive end, but he could use work pulling down rebounds. In a class without many solid power forwards, Van Gundy should be the first power forward drafted in the upcoming NBA draft if he decides to go pro.
NBA Comparison: Marcus Morris without the 3 point shot

#8 Nadab Joseph
Position: Center
School: Baylor
Height: 7’1
Weight: 232
Profile: Just when you thought that the Baylor defense couldn’t get any better, they had elite defender, Nadab Joseph. Baylor was already the #4 defensive team in the nation last year, but they should be even better this year after returning all 5 starters with the addition of Joseph. Nadab Joseph is a long athletic center who is a shot blocking machine. His senior year of high school he averaged 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks a game. While he might not ever be a prominent scorer at the next level, he could very easily lead the league in blocks and be a perennial candidate for defensive POY. If he can develop any sort of an offensive game, he could be one of the better players to come out of this draft class.
NBA Comparison: Hasaan Whiteside

#9 Shaun Murphy
Position: Small Forward
School: Kentucky
Height: 6’6
Weight: 212
Profile: Shaun Murphy committed to Kentucky over Louisville and UCLA, and will instantly energize the Wildcats with his athleticism. He has a lot of bounce and has constantly been compared to Andrew Wiggins. While he is not quite the athlete Wiggins is, he certainly has a better work ethic. Murphy has a very solid mid range game, but his 3 point shot needs work to become a threat at the next level. He is a very good dunker and won the McDonald's All-American dunk contest. He plays solid defense thanks to his quickness and is a very capable on ball defender. His ball handling could use some work, but can take people off the drive pretty well. He will be a fun one to watch this year at Kentucky.
NBA Comparison: Less athletic Andrew Wiggins

#10 Tyler McCaskill
Position: Small Forward
School: Kansas State
Height: 6’8
Weight: 208
Profile: McCaskill is a versatile player who could play shooting guard, small forward, or a small ball 4 for an NBA team. He has a very lanky frame and does not have much strength or quickness to his game, but he has a very smooth 3 point shot which will be coveted in the NBA. He does not create his own shot well and is more of a spot up shooter. He has a solid post game when he has smaller defenders matched up on him. He can be a solid defender at the next level with his length, and could potentially defend multiple positions. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in good defensive positioning. He will be a solid defender in Bruce Weber’s scheme this year.
NBA Comparison: Otto Porter