The college basketball season is off to a rollicking start. The first marquee matchup of the season, No. 12 Arizona at No. 2 Duke, ended in a delicious five-point upset. It's clear the Blue Devils have much work left to do, but on the other hand, it's nice to have the dank, unpolished feel of college basketball back in our lives.
It's far too early to prognosticate about the NBA Draft with any real certainty, but NBA scouting departments are firing on all cylinders now. Over the next few months, prospects will break out or fall apart. It's a wonderful time of year.
Here's how the NBA Draft landscape is shaping up in Week 2 of the college basketball season.
NBA Draft stock up: Isaiah Collier, USC
The real standout of the college season to date — at least from the NBA Draft point of view — is USC freshman Isaiah Collier. The Trojans are 2-0, including an impressive opening night win over Kansas State. With Bronny James sidelined due to a preseason cardiac arrest, all eyeballs are on Collier. He's answering the call.
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Collier plays with a unique blend of speed and strength for the point guard position. He darts inside with a quick first step and uses his broad shoulders to carve out space on finishes around the rim.
Collier is averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 assists on .650/.400/.900 splits in 29.5 minutes. Obviously, those shooting numbers will eventually decline, but Collier's early success from 3-point range — on a reasonably healthy 2.5 attempts per game — is a positive sign. He's finishing effectively in the paint, pressuring the rim, and making swift passing reads on the move. If the jumper comes around, he is going to have a strong case for the No. 1 pick next June.
NBA Draft stock up: Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Ja'Kobe Walter's first collegiate game was a shot of pure adrenaline. He put up 28 points and five rebouds in Baylor's 88-82 opening night victory over Auburn. It was a loud announcement — a strong "I'm here" proclaimation for a player with a very real chance to sneak into the No. 1 conversation as the season progresses.
Baylor is clearly willing to play Walter with various personnel groups. He's already on the shortlist of the most electric shot-makers in college basketball. He operates with an impressive sense of pace, stop-starting to keep defenders off balance and unleashing a wide array of side-steps, step-backs, and pull-ups.
The defense pops too, and he's even flashing as a passer despite the low assist numbers. Keep your eyes on Baylor basketball.
NBA Draft stock up: Kyle Filipowski, Duke
Kyle Filipowski was billed as a one-and-done player last season, but he decided to return to Duke with "unfinished business." The Blue Devils are expected to rank near the top of the CBB standings all season, even after their minor stumble against Arizona last week.
As expected, Filipowski is the star of the show for the Blue Devils. Tyrese Proctor has been a surging name in the preseason and Duke has its usual collection of freshmen phenoms, but Filipowski is the mega-talented returner, and his season is off to the best imaginable start. Across two games, he is averaging 25.0 points and 7.5 rebounds on .625/.571/.857 splits.
Filipowski looks more comfortable and dynamic as a scorer, beating defenders with 3s, drives, post-ups, and a fair amount in between. He will have to prove to NBA teams that he can defend at a high enough level despite his lackluster physical tools, but a 7-footer who can space the floor and fill various roles on offense is bound to catch the attention of NBA scouts (again).
NBA Draft stock down: Aday Mara, UCLA
After a lengthy eligibility battle with the NCAA, Spaniard Aday Mara was cleared to play in UCLA's season opener against Saint Francis. He only played five minutes, however, before making an 11-minute cameo in the Bruins' follow-up game against Lafayette.
It's early, and Mara should see his role expand as the season progresses and he gets more familiar with his teammates. Mara was a highly successful teenager overseas and his physical profile — 7-foot-3, 240 pounds — is well suited to college basketball's more interior style of play.
Mara projects as an elite rim protector and lob threat with top-10 upside, but that's contingent on UCLA actually playing him. NBA teams are already gun-shy when it comes to selecting drop coverage bigs in the lottery, and it would be fair to liken Mara to Connecticut's Donovan Clingan — a sophomore returnee with a pronounced role for the reigning champs. If lottery teams are in the market for a towering shot-blocker, Clingan has the early jump.
NBA Draft stock down: Tyrese Proctor, Duke
It's too early to panic about Tyrese Proctor, but after a summer of hype surrounding his impending sophomore breakout, it's hard not to be slightly underwhelmed by the immediate results. He struggled in Duke's loss to Arizona, shooting 1-for-6 from beyond the arc and managing eight points on 33.3 percent shooting overall.
For Proctor, the next step will have to involve improvement as a scorer. He's a brilliant playmaker who is starting to keep defenders more off balance with his creativity as a ball-handler, but until the scoring comes around in full, his NBA ceiling will appear limited.
NBA Draft: College basketball games to watch this week
- No. 9 Duke at No. 18 Michigan State — Nov. 14 at 7:00 PM E.T.
The Blue Devils get a chance to bounce back from the Arizona upset in another high-profile showdown. The Spartans aren't loaded with future NBA talent, but Xavier Booker merits monitoring on top of Duke's typical spate of prospects. Tyrese Proctor and Jared McCain in the backcourt warrant special attention.
- No. 4 Marquette at No. 23 Illinois — Nov. 14 at 8:00 PM E.T.
Marquette has a few potential NBA dudes, highlighted by senior forward Oso Ighodaro. He's a smart and savvy 'vet' by college standards, and his unique flourishes as a scorer and passer at 6-foot-9 could make him a first round sleeper. Illinois has a couple highly interesting returners, Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon Jr., who would have been drafted last season.
- No. 1 Kansas at No. 17 Kentucky — Nov. 14 at 9:30 PM E.T.
The Tuesday slate in positively loaded, folks. Elmarko Jackson came on stronger in his second game with the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks. It can be difficult for freshmen to carve out consistent roles on more experienced contenders, but Jackson has lottery upside and a boatload of talent. He could get a crack at defending Kentucky's D.J. Wagner. Jackson is a strong, bullish defender. Wagner loves to attack the middle of the defense. Also, keep your eyes peeled for potential No. 1 sleeper Justin Edwards on the wing for the Wildcats.
- Georgia at No. 12 Miami — Nov. 17 at 3:30 PM E.T.
Miami is home to a couple interesting second-round prospects. Wooga Poplar is must-watch TV due to his explosive forays to the rim and Matthew Cleveland is looking to break back onto NBA radars after transferring from Florida State. UGA presents the Hurricanes with SEC athletes and a decent early-season test.
- No. 5 Connecticut at Indiana — Nov. 19 at 1:00 PM E.T.
What a treat. Connecticut no longer has Jordan Hawkins scorching the nets, but the reigning champs are a legitimate contender with a couple bonafide top-10 draft talents in freshman Stephon Castle and sophomore Donovan Clingan. The frontcourt matchup in this game is particularly interesting, with Indiana's Kel'el Ware looking to reassert his lottery-level talent after a difficult freshman season at Oregon. Ware has already popped in a bigger role, but his ability to challenge Clingan as a floor-spacer with light feet sets the stage for a potential statement game. Also, look to see if Mackenzie Mgbako gets a chance to guard any of UConn's high-octane perimeter weapons.
