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There's small to nary play erstwhile it comes to predicting the No. 1 wide prime for this month's NBA draft. Cooper Flagg was earmarked for that spot earlier ever stepping ft connected Duke's field past fall.
He did thing to disappoint arsenic a one-and-done assemblage standout, guiding the Blue Devils to the Final Four portion becoming lone the 4th freshman to beryllium named The Associated Press men's assemblage hoops nationalist subordinate of the year.
The different three? Texas' Kevin Durant successful 2007, Kentucky's Anthony Davis successful 2012 and Duke's Zion Williamson successful 2019. Of that group, Davis and Williamson were No. 1 picks, portion Durant was picked No. 2.
Flagg, headlining the AP's NBA mock draft, volition acceptable close successful erstwhile the archetypal circular begins June 25.
Fresh disconnected trading distant Luka Doncic, the Mavericks luck into a versatile 6-foot-8, 221-pound guardant who tin thrive arsenic a scorer ( Atlantic Coast Conference freshman-record 42 points against Notre Dame) oregon playmaker (team-best 4.2 assists). His magnitude and competitory borderline tin interaction games defensively (team highs of 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks). And helium has an all-around crippled much precocious than his property with country to make arsenic helium turns 19 successful December.
The lad of erstwhile NBA defender Ron Harper offers size astatine the constituent (6-5, 213 pounds) and averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists arsenic a freshman. He could articulation NBA rookie of the twelvemonth Stephon Castle successful the backcourt for prima Victor Wembanyama. Still, there’s an awkward question of however a squad with Harper and chap one-and-done imaginable Ace Bailey went conscionable 15-17.
The lone payment to injury-riddled seasons for stars Joel Embiid and Paul George was landing a precocious prime for a squad that inactive has designs connected contending successful the Eastern Conference. The 6-4, 193-pound Edgecombe, who turns 20 successful July, could assistance with two-way potential, rim-attacking athleticism and 3-point shooting.
The 6-8 guardant is simply a versatile jock susceptible of stretching defenses (five January games with astatine slightest 4 made 3s) and tools to make defensively. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, though for a losing squad contempt featuring Bailey and Harper arsenic the NBA-bound headliners. The Hornets already person 2023 No. 2 wide prime Brandon Miller arsenic a helping forward, truthful this would stake connected endowment implicit presumption need.
It's a elemental selling constituent for the league's worst team: the 6-5, 190-pound freshman tin score. He averaged 19.9 points to pb the Southeastern Conference portion shooting 39.7% connected 3s. He broke Durant's freshman Longhorns grounds erstwhile helium scored 39 points against Arkansas successful February.
The Wizards request assistance successful aggregate areas aft winning 18 games, and the 6-5 defender has shown an all-around level game. He averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists arsenic a freshman, including 1 tally of six consecutive 20-point games including against then-No. 1 Tennessee.
The 6-3, 180-pound combo defender averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists successful his lone assemblage season. Highlights included a four-point play to bushed a ranked Michigan team, on with scoring 57 points successful 2 SEC Tournament games. But he'll request to amended his extracurricular changeable (28.4% connected 3s) and adhd bulk.
With 4 first-rounders, the Nets could commencement retooling with the 6-7, 217-pound Knueppel arsenic an businesslike scorer who was named ACC Tournament MVP. Knueppel changeable 40.6% connected 3-pointers and ranked sixth successful Division I by shooting 91.4% astatine the foul line. The freshman besides had 10 games with astatine slightest 4 assists to amusement imaginable arsenic a secondary playmaker for a Final Four team.
The 7-1, 253-pound South Sudanese large antheral projects arsenic a rim-protecting lob threat. Maluach had the combine’s biggest wingspan (7-6 3/4) and showed stretches of capably defending guards connected switches successful his lone assemblage season. He changeable 71.2% mostly connected dunks and putbacks, truthful he’ll request clip to refine a earthy violative game.
The lad of erstwhile NBA defender Jason Richardson would connection longer-term benefits for a squad that finished 2nd successful the Western Conference. Richardson is tiny (6-1, 178) for a combo guard, and helium mentioned after a caller workout with Portland that he's moving to beryllium helium tin play the point. Shooting 41.2% connected 3s is enticing regardless.
The sophomore has a beardown framework (6-7, 240) that could let him to enactment immoderate connected the helping and bang wrong with a astir 7-1 wingspan. He contributed arsenic a susceptible scorer (16.8), rebounder (8.3) and defender (1.3 blocks, 1.5 steals).
The 6-9, 248-pounder earned a spot successful March Madness lore by banking successful a buzzer-beating runner to bushed Colorado State and scope the NCAA Sweet 16. The nimble determination illustrated the still-developing upside for a skilled freshman who astir averaged a double-double (16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds).
The 6-9, 224-pound freshman who helped the Bulldogs instrumentality to the NCAAs for the archetypal clip successful a decennary offers versatile upside, though the 19-year-old volition request clip to get stronger and amended his shooting (29.2% connected 3s).
The lanky 6-9, 194-pound guardant from France has been honing versatile skills successful Germany and turns 19 successful December. He has the quality to tally the tribunal and onslaught disconnected the dribble, averaging 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds successful Germany this season.
The 6-7, 215-pound freshman reserve changeable 37.1% connected 3s and showed antiaircraft imaginable by averaging a artifact per crippled contempt playing conscionable 19 minutes a night. He had 1 of the apical max vertical leaps astatine the harvester (39.5 inches).
The 6-9, 263-pound freshman offers a strudy interior beingness with a 7-6 wingspan, proving susceptible of operating successful the station oregon successful postulation portion besides flashing face-up skills. The 19-year-old could assistance himself by processing his 3-point changeable (6 of 37, 16.2%).
The 6-8, 232-pound Fleming accrued his output successful 3 assemblage seasons and brings a sturdy framework to the NBA. He averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, and has improved his 3-pointing from 31.3% done his archetypal 2 assemblage seasons to 39% past year. He besides had 1 of the combine's biggest wingspans astatine amended than 7-5.
A apical planetary imaginable from Russia, the 19-year-old Demin spent a play astatine BYU arsenic a playmaker with size (6-9, 199). That could let teams to tally discourtesy done him arsenic a beardown passer who had 15 assists against 2 turnovers successful 54 minutes of enactment during his past 2 NCAA Tournament games for a Sweet 16 team.
After grabbing Knueppel astatine eighth, the Nets could further bolster their perimeter with the 6-6, 201-pound lefty from Israel. Saraf has proven adept arsenic a scoring playmaker, averaging 12.8 points and 4.6 assists this play successful Germany.
The 6-7, 215-pound McNeeley jumped close successful arsenic a freshman starter for the two-time reigning NCAA champion Huskies and projects arsenic a floor-stretching wing, including with 22 points successful the NCAAs against eventual champion Florida and a 38-point showing against then-No. 24 Creighton.
The 6-11, 252-pound inferior thrived successful moving from the Ivy League (Yale) to the Big Ten arsenic a low-post presence, averaging 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds portion ranking among Division I leaders with 15 double-doubles. He besides showed the quality to measurement extracurricular (38 made 3s successful 37 games).
The 6-5, 175-pound defender from France is simply a scoring playmaker and has been regarded arsenic a imaginable lottery prospect. The 19-year-old had antecedently drawn recruiting involvement from programs similar Duke, Alabama and Gonzaga earlier opting to remain successful his location state past year.
The freshman from Canada worked arsenic a apical reserve averaging 12.6 points. The 19-year-old Riley has imaginable arsenic a scorer and passer with size (6-8) arsenic helium refines his crippled and develops physically (186 pounds).
The 6-5, 202-pound Clifford took his clip processing arsenic a five-year player, though the 23-year-old is coming disconnected a immense twelvemonth (18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists). He besides improved his extracurricular shot, going from making 33.8% implicit 3 seasons astatine Colorado to 37.7% connected higher measurement successful 2 years with the Rams.
The 6-2, 199-pound combo defender was an AP first-team All-American and Final Four's astir outstanding subordinate successful the Gators' nationalist rubric run. That included monster tourney performances — notably the frantic comeback against Texas Tech successful the Elite Eight and a career-best scoring effort against Auburn successful the Final Four — that bode good for a gamer who repeatedly roseate to the challenge.
The 7-1, 253-pound halfway from China turns 20 the nighttime of the draft's 2nd round. He has intriguing size (9-3 lasting reach, astir 7-3 wingspan) to spell with shooting interaction and coagulated passing successful a processing game.
The 6-3, 202-pound elder was an every-game starter portion missing conscionable 1 crippled during the past 3 assemblage seasons. His scoring and playmaking quality (19.2 points, 5.9 assists) made him a finalist for past year's Cousy Award presented to college's apical constituent guard.
The 6-5, 213-pound Coward has taken an absorbing path. He started his vocation astatine Division III Willamette and spent 2 seasons astatine Eastern Washington, past played six games astatine Washington State owed to wounded and planned to transportation to Duke. But he stayed successful the draft aft investigating good astatine the combine, including the champion wingspan (7-2+) and lasting scope (8-10) among guards, a 38.5-inch max vertical leap, and coagulated shooting-drill showings.
Beringer, who turns 19 successful November, projects arsenic a mobile menace who tin enactment successful the pick-and-roll and arsenic a lob threat. The French large antheral needs clip to fortify a thin 6-11, 230-pound frame.
The 19-year-old with a 6-6, 205-pound framework has flashed shooting scope and the quality to onslaught disconnected the dribble. He earned MVP honors aft helping the Under-18 Real Madrid squad triumph past year's Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) successful Berlin.
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Also considered (in alphabetical order): Ryan Kalkbrenner, center, Creighton; Noah Penda, forward, Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France); Drake Powell, guard/forward, North Carolina; Maxime Raynaud, center, Stanford.
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The AP NBA mock draught analyzes the apical prospects who person declared for the league's yearly event. More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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AP Basketball Writers Tim Reynolds, Aaron Beard, Brian Mahoney and John Marshall contributed to this report.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
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