Who is the player that could make this a 3-man race? The one player who could truly threaten either Holmgren or Banchero for the top spot is Auburn's Jabari Smith, the No. 6-ranked player in his high school class and the No. 3 prospect on our top-100. The 18-year-old has been excellent for coach Bruce Pearl through his first three collegiate games, averaging 20.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.0 blocks per 40 minutes while knocking down 47% of his 3s. At 6-10, 220 pounds with solid length and some of the quickest feet you'll see from a player his size, Smith is arguably an even more modern player than Holmgren or Banchero. He's an unbelievable switch defender with an outstanding shooting stroke, even pulling up from 3 in transition and creating space with step-backs. Although not always as physical as he could be, he plays with great spirit on both ends and is a full year younger than Holmgren and six months younger than Banchero, not turning 19 until May. The only real questions I have about Smith are his feel and passing. He plays a somewhat sped-up style and doesn't quite have the same level of top-end prep experience as Holmgren or Banchero, coming out of Sandy Creek High School in Georgia. But Smith grew up around basketball as the son and nephew of a former NBA players -- Jabari Smith Sr. and Kwame Brown -- and brings the type of defensive energy, versatility and shooting that will buy him time as the game slows down for him. With a strong showing in the Bahamas at Battle For Atlantis, don't be surprised if you start to hear Smith's name quietly mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick alongside Holmgren and Banchero. Who is your No. 1 right now? I've long considered Holmgren the best prospect in this class, and while I've been blown away by Banchero's NBA-ready game and skill level, I'm a firm believer Holmgren should be the No. 1 pick if the draft were today. Like we said about several of the top picks in last year's draft, both Banchero and Holmgren are special prospects, No. 1-caliber guys and franchise pillars. Some top-end executives see Holmgren as the clear-cut top prospect, while others favor Banchero and his ready-made game. With that said, I'm not sure Holmgren is getting the type of credit he deserves as a truly elite prospect, largely because he doesn't have a prototypical NBA body. To signify just how unique Holmgren's all-around impact is, he's the only player in college basketball history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks per 40 minutes. He's far tougher than a prospect like Porzingis ever was, and you could argue that Holmgren is even more advanced as a shot-blocker and shooter than Mobley was as a freshman. Playing alongside an aggressive All-American like Drew Timme, I'm fairly certain Gonzaga's star freshman won't be as outwardly productive as Banchero in the points and rebounds department, but his impact on the game is more widespread, and it's harder to find players in his mold, especially with his no-nonsense approach to the game. How badly has a team like the Pelicans needed a shot-blocking, floor-spacing big man to pair with Zion? Don't be surprised if Banchero bullies Holmgren some in their one-on-one possessions in T-Mobile Arena, but past evidence suggests he won't back down from the challenge, talking a bit of trash along the way. While it's early and there's still a lot to learn, I'd bet on Holmgren's length, shot-blocking, shooting, passing and all-business attitude if I were on the clock with the first overall pick.
He's still my pick, but he did almost break in half on that one rebound. So all the paranoia he will break is real.
The strength factor is always a concern with bigs especially now when you have to make these huge financial decisions by their 4th year in the league. These one and done bigs aren't coming into the league as polished as Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Shaq and the Duncans of the past. They draft almost strictly on potential now. What was the line one coach said one time potential means you haven't done ****.
Do you remember when we pulled Capela up. He looked like a baby deer on ice skates. Granted his rookie weight was listed at 220, ~30 more important pounds than Chet has now. But my point is he looked lost and like a kid, but today he's 255 lbs and a great center. Chet's already way more polished, and given our timeline he will have a few years to bulk up before it matters. What do I know, I'm not a scout, I just got reminded of watching a young Capela blossom.
We are pretty much all but guaranteed to have access to a top freshman big (Banchero/Chet/Duren/SmithJr) that’s pretty cool I’m ready for us to finally have some size, rebounding and rim protection
My current Top-30: 1. Paolo Banchero | PF | 6'10" 250 | Duke | Fr. 2. Chet Holmgren | C/PF | 7'0" 195 | Gonzaga | Fr. 3. Jabari Smith Jr. | PF | 6'10" 215 | Auburn | Fr. 4. Jalen Duren | C | 6'10" 250 | Memphis | Fr. 5. Jaden Ivey | PG/SG | 6'4" 205 | Purdue | Soph. 6. Kendall Brown | SF/PF | 6'8" 215 | Baylor | Fr. 7. Ousmane Dieng | SF/SG | 6'9" 190 | New Zealand | Intl. 8. Yannick Nzosa | C | 6'11" 205 | Congo | Intl. 9. Jaden Hardy | SG | 6'4" 190 | G-League | Fr.* 10. Patrick Baldwin Jr. | PF | 6'10" 225 | Milwaukee | Fr. 11. AJ Griffin | SF | 6'7" 225 | Duke | Fr. 12. Bennedict Mathurin | SG/SF | 6'7" 210 | Arizona | Soph. 13. Nikola Jovic | PF/SF | 6'10" 210 | Serbia | Intl. 14. Jean Montero | PG | 6'3" 185 | France | Intl. 15. Trevor Keels | SG/PG | 6'5" 225 | Duke | Fr. 16. Wendell Moore | SF/SG | 6'6" 220 | Duke | Jr. 17. Caleb Houstan | SF/SG | 6'8" 185 | Michigan | Fr. 18. Dyson Daniels | SG/PG | 6'5" 195 | G-League | Fr.* 19. Keegan Murray | PF/SF | 6'8" 225 | Iowa | Soph. 20. Roko Prkacin | PF | 6'9" 215 | Croatia | Intl. 21. Ochai Agbaji | SG/SF | 6'5" 210 | Kansas | Jr. 22. Kennedy Chandler | PG | 6'0" 175 | Tennessee | Fr. 23. Harrison Ingram | SF | 6'7" 215 | Stanford | Fr. 24. MarJon Beauchamp | SF | 6'6" 210 | G-League | Fr.* 25. Josh Minott | SF/PF | 6'8' 210 | Memphis | Fr. 26. TyTy Washington | PG/SG | 6'3" 190 | Kentucky | Fr. 27. Terrence Shannon Jr. | SF | 6'6" 220 | Texas Tech | Soph. 28. Julian Champagnie | SF/PF | 6'8" 215 | St. John's | Jr. 29. Bryce McGowans | SG | 6'6" 185 | Nebraska | Fr. 30. Mark Williams | C | 7'0" 260 | Duke | Soph.
Paolo is probably physically more ready to play in the league now but if Chet gets to 220 in 2-3 yrs he could be a monster new age center.
This is a rare opportunity for scouts to watch two elite college prospects square off and conceivably spend large chunks of the game defending each other. The matchup also comes early enough that a consensus hasn’t yet formed as to who the top draft pick should actually be. The last game I can think of with this particular type of draft-relevant gravitas was the Kansas-Duke game that opened the 2013 season, where eventual top two picks Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker faced off in a contest that also included No. 3 pick Joel Embiid. Wiggins outplayed Parker in the game’s second half and ultimately was drafted first. (In hindsight, had Embiid not been injured going into the draft, he may have ultimately gone ahead of both.) One game should never provide anyone’s entire evaluation of a player, but there’s often an indelible impact that comes from seeing two prospects playing against each other. No matter how hard scouts will try not to overreact, there’s no denying Banchero and Holmgren are facing real pressure to perform, and that NBA teams will study the game film to death for months to come. The Race For No. 1 As I see things right now, Banchero has a slight lead as the top prospect going into Friday. He entered the week as the projected No. 1 pick on SI’s first mock draft of the season. Through Duke’s first six games, he’s proven to be a fairly simple eval: he is supremely skilled with the ball, is polished enough to produce in the NBA right away, and has the ability to eventually anchor an NBA offense. His passing ability has begun to emerge as well, with six assists (to go with his 28 points) in Monday’s win against Citadel helping highlight his ability to improvise against pressure and shoulder a heavy possession load. The way he moves and the variety of tricks in his bag are unique, and nobody in college basketball has really had an adequate answer for him yet. Banchero has obvious star potential and is viewed by scouts as having relatively little risk attached, other than his defensive impact being capped by his lack of elite length (6' 10 with a 7' 1" wingspan) and vertical explosiveness. Efficient shot-creation is everything in the NBA, and he’s going to supply that. Holmgren enters Friday with much more to prove to scouts, but also comes directly off Tuesday’s dominant performance against UCLA, in which he showcased his strengths without really needing plays called for him. He’s shooting 86% on two-point attempts right now and, at 7' 0" with a 7' 6" wingspan, he’s a true rim protector in a way Banchero will never be. He can handle, pass and shoot, although some aspects of his face-up game may not directly translate to that type of usage against stronger defenders. The fact he weighs only 195 pounds can’t be dismissed, and there’s a valid question about staying healthy with his frame, but Holmgren does his best to make up for it by embracing physicality and using his length. The way I see it, his upside is tied primarily to the fact that he may be able to bring together lineups that can play a true positionless style on offense while having adequate cover at the rim on the other end. The fact that most of the NBA has moved away from post-up play on both sides of the ball naturally enhances Holmgren’s value. […]
https://theathletic.com/2975916/202...-including-jaden-ivey-kendall-brown-and-more/ PICK | Team | PLAYER, TEAM | POSITION | AGE | HEIGHT 1 | Houston Rockets | Paolo Banchero, Duke | F | 19 | 6-10 2 | New Orleans Pelicans | Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga | C | 20 | 7-0 3 | Orlando Magic | Jabari Smith, Auburn | F | 19 | 6-10 4 | Detroit Pistons | Jalen Duren, Memphis | F/C | 18 | 6-10 5 | San Antonio Spurs | Jaden Ivey, Purdue | G | 20 | 6-4 27 | Houston Rockets (via MIA) | Keon Ellis, Alabama | W | 22 | 6-6 • I’ve written a bit more on Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren already, doing deep dives in scouting notebooks during the first week of the season. Both have continued to consolidate their position at the top of the board. Banchero is averaging 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists, 1.5 steals and nearly one block per game while displaying a modern, shot-creating skill set. Holmgren is averaging 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and nearly four blocks while playing some of the best interior defense at the rim of any player in the country. Both players are among the few freshmen who genuinely have not only reached high expectations but also exceeded them. They face off Friday evening in what will almost certainly be the most scouted game of the season. • Finally, let’s close on an upperclassman who worked his way into the first round. Alabama wing Keon Ellis got rave reviews from scouts who went down to Alabama for preseason, and those raves have continued into the regular season. Ellis is an elite defender by college standards who profiles well as a havoc inducer in the NBA at 6-foot-6 with wiry athleticism and strength. He also knocks down catch-and-shoot 3s in the Alabama scheme and is a smart cutter and off-ball player. He is one of those guys who plays an NBA-style game right now. He’s reliable, and he’s a difference-maker Nate Oats and company can count on. NBA teams will likely be able to count on him by the time next season rolls around too.
What channel is Duke vs. Gonzaga on tonight? TV Channel: ESPN Live stream: ESPN+, fuboTV Duke vs. Gonzaga will be shown on ESPN on Friday night. Right now, Duke has eight more ESPN primetime games, while Gonzaga has one more as of now. Additionally, ESPN's streaming service ESPN+ will show the game, along with fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial. MORE: Full Duke basketball schedule for Coach K's final season Duke vs. Gonzaga tipoff Date: Friday, Nov. 26 Time: 10:30 p.m. ET | 7:30 p.m. PT The No. 1 vs. No. 5 matchup will tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET. The local tipoff time for Las Vegas is 7:30 p.m. PT. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nca...nnel-time-schedule/1geep7varvtvz184qskgpwap18
