Stock UP: Jaxson Hayes 6’11” Freshman Texas
Hayes is your prototypical rim running center that NBA teams are looking for. He is foul prone and has struggled to stay on the court at times, but when he has been on the court he has dominated the paint for Texas. His ability to cover ground with his 7’3″ wingspan is exactly what NBA scouts are looking for from a modern day center. Prior to the season he wasn’t on a single NBA draft board, now he’s looking like a lottery pick lock with Top 7 Potential.
Stock DOWN: Quentin Grimes 6’5″ Freshman Kansas
Grimes came into Kansas as the 10th ranked player in the class with preseason Big 12 POTY votes. He’s currently averaging 7.7 PPG on .379% shooting from the field. Could Grimes come back to school and realize his top 10 pick potential? Definitely. But up to this point, he has been the the most disappointing player in the class.
Stock UP: Markus Howard 5’11” Junior Marquette
Howard has went from a very good college basketball player to dropping 35 on a seemingly nightly basis. Not only is he putting up numbers, but he’s doing at a .446/.438/.910 clip on a 21-4 team. Unreal. His size may keep him out of the Top 20, but Howard is a walking bucket and the NBA is taking notice.
Stock DOWN: Jaylen Hoard 6’8″ Freshman Wake Forrest
Hoard was seen as a potential lottery pick prior to the season, but has fallen off most draft boards. Sitting at 2-10 in the ACC, Wake Forrest is just not good at basketball. Hoard has been putting up numbers, but has failed to consistently elevate the team like an NBA prospect should. He could still sneak into the second round with a good end to the season, but returning to school will likely be his best option draft wise.
Stock UP: Coby White 6’5″ Freshman UNC
White was a big time prospect (25th in the class) but nobody really saw him as a potential lottery pick after one season. After a pretty solid start to the year, he has taken off in ACC play as a scorer and facilitator averaging 17.7 PPG and 4.5 APG. He’s shown a lot of potential as a shooter and has ideal combo guard size at 6’5″. He could sneak his way into the lottery with a good tournament.
Stock DOWN: Nassir Little 6’6″ Freshman UNC
As the No. 3 Recruit in the nation you are expected to play major minutes and be among the best few players in the nation. Little was a dark horse No. 1 pick. Now he’s averaging only 18.4 minutes and has looked lost at times. Little probably won’t fall too far due to his insane potential, but a once Top 5 lock could now be drafted towards the end of the lottery if he continues to struggle.
Stock UP: PJ Washington 6’8″ Sophomore Kentucky
PJ Washington has scored 20+ points in 7 of the past 8 games. He is absolutely dominating the SEC and has looked like a legit All American. Combine that scoring with a 7’4″ wingspan on a 21-4 team that is getting hot at the right time? The sky is the limit for Washington who I’ve seen as high as 13 on some Big Boards.
