The First Look: Our Top 50 Prospects to Watch for the 2023 NBA Draft
Too early? Potentially. Absolutely insane? Definitely. Here is our watchlist of 50 guys we're looking forward to keeping tabs on
The 2022 NBA Draft is finally in the rearview mirror.
We’re on to next year. Perhaps this is our Happy Gilmore moment, standing in the batting cage and getting softballs pelted at our exhausted body in hopes of toughening up for the next draft cycle. But we are trying to get a jumpstart on next year’s class and piece together all of our thoughts — on the incoming freshmen, the returning upperclassmen and the standout international prospects we’ve noticed.
It’s far too early for a mock draft, or a deep dive on every prospect available. Our master spreadsheet for the 2023 NBA Draft has a list of nearly 500 names we are tracking — we’re insane, but not insane enough to go over each one. Side note: bookmark that page and keep checking back for more names and additions!
Let’s settle for the top 10 percent. Here is a look at 50 prospects we are eager to track moving forward and, if we absolutely had to, would put in our preseason top-50 prospect rankings.
50. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Memphis
49. Matthew Cleveland, Florida State
48. Adam Flagler, Baylor
47. Jalen Warley, Florida State
46. Adem Bona, UCLA
A fun group of prospects here. Warley and Flagler, two guards in the group, have a great deal of shot-making upside off the bounce. That shooting range puts them firmly on our pre-season radar. Cleveland, a really toolsy defender and slasher, needs to add shooting to become draftable, but if he does, he’ll go a lot higher than 49 next year. This is a split the different positioning; he can be in the 20s with a shot or undraftable without it.
The other two here at big guys. KAE, transferring to Memphis from UT-Arlington, is an absolute freak athlete to the highest degree. Playing with more of a spotlight on him in the AAC will show the upside he has as a roll man, and another year of development can really help him. Lastly is Adem Bona, a guy who we think is slightly undersized to be an NBA-caliber big man and is very raw. There’s enough mobility and handling to be intriguing at first glance; we’re curious how it holds up with the Bruins.
45. Marcus Sasser, Houston
44. Trey Alexander, Creighton
43. Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State
42. Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut
41. Rayan Rupert, NZ Breakers
We’ve got a run of guards that we’re really intrigued by for next year’s draft, and we throw a lot of them in this second round range. Some of them are flawed, undersized or questionable in terms of their upside. Sasser, one of our favorite sleepers from last year, opens next year’s draft board for us in roughly the same spot he left it. Alexander is on a loaded Creighton team and has a chance to be a really well-rounded scorer; we love how he came on late in the year.
Tyrese Hunter has to learn how to shoot. He’s a great passer, defender and a jitterbug. But non-shooting undersized guards rarely will crack the top-40 on our boards in today’s game. We’re really high on Jordan Hawkins. Tons of athleticism, the potential to be an elite perimeter defender, and upside to be a shooter in the half-court. Hawkins is still really raw, but we love his prototype. Rupert is intriguing; long-armed, toolsy and very fluid. We want to see him shoot it a little better/ more consistently, and playing against pro competition can make-or-break his draft stock.
40. Daimion Collins, Kentucky
39. Kowacie Reeves, Florida
38. Yohan Traore, Auburn
37. Juan Nunez, Real Madrid
36. Kris Murray, Iowa
A little more size and athleticism here. Daimion Collins was high on our preseason list at Kentucky, then played a little bit less than we’d anticipated. He went back to Kentucky for another year and his pogo-stick athleticism could put him in a great position to climb up boards as an athletic forward. Kowacie Reeves from Florida has a great combination of size, athleticism and shooting (he’s a 6’6” big wing that shot 33% from deep). The tools and defense are there for a breakout campaign.
Traore is a legitimate big man who can be a rim protector. He needs to add some strength, but there’s a little bit of fluidity and movement to his game that makes him modern. He’s a little bit more trustworthy in terms of skill than a guy like Adem Bona.
Real Madrid star Juan Nunez can really score, and the lefty guard is pretty crafty. We just don’t know if he can do what he does against NBA-caliber athletes just yet. Another year of pro competition in Spain is necessary for a strong eval. Kris Murray is next in line to take a major step forward at Iowa. Now out of his twin brother’s shadow, Murray should pop as a really good 3-pointer who demonstrates a bit more off the bounce.
35. Mike Miles Jr., TCU
34. DaRon Holmes, Dayton
33. Caleb Love, North Carolina
32. Harrison Ingram, Stanford
Four returners here, but different paths to getting on our preseason list. Mike Miles Jr., Caleb Love and Harrison Ingram received first-round grades from us for this year’s draft class and would have been in the late-20s on our overall board. Seeing them open the season here in the 30s speaks to the depth of this class that is incoming.
DaRon Holmes had a major ascent at the end of the season for the Dayton Flyers. The 6’10” forward averaged 17 and 7 on 67% shooting over his last nine games to go with 2.1 blocks. Such a strong close to the year makes him a breakout candidate worth monitoring.
31. Terrance Arceneaux, Houston
30. Dillon Mitchell, Texas
29. Gradey Dick, Kansas
28. Judah Mintz, Syracuse
Slightly above that group of first-round returners are four new names we’re fascinated by. Terrance Arceneaux really has every skill you’d look for at Houston. We hope he doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, but a 6’6” scoring wing with strong athleticism is the type of guy who will pop off the page for the Cougars.
Mitchell is a freak athlete and a five-star prospect with legitimate first-round upside. We aren’t ready to buy into Mitchell as a one-and-done prospect just yet. He’s a little thin and needs some more polish in the half-court. Dick is drastically different, more of a shooting specialist and floor-spacer. We can see him being very scalable to the NBA game and having the right team in the late-first fall in love with him.
Judah Mintz has good size for a guard and can drill shots, and we like his athleticism at first glance. Syracuse guys always give us a slight hesitation for the next level, but one thing is certain: Mintz has a great deal of offensive creativity.
27. Henri Veesaar, Arizona
26. Arthur Kaluma, Creighton
25. Cason Wallace, Kentucky
24. Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga
This is a tier of really solid and dependable role players at the next level. Starting with Veesaar, the Finnish prospect with great size and mobility at 6’10”. He’s a stretch big who can play out of the pick-and-pop and run the open floor. Defensively we have some concerns about positional fit and where he is best served guarding, but we’re incredibly intrigued by his size and offensive skill set. He may be more of a long-term prospect than a one-and-done, which is why he’s at the bottom of this group.
Kaluma is a mobile but big 4-man who fits the mold of the modern NBA. His numbers — particularly shooting the ball — weren’t great last year, but he peaked as the season finished, a sign we look for when assessing breakout candidates. Over his final 10 games, Kaluma averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists while playing sturdy defense, including a 24-point, 12-rebound performance against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament.
Every year it feels like there’s a combo guard at Kentucky whose skill set is somewhat dampened by John Calipari’s role delineation. Wallace can play with the ball in his hands a bit, but likely will be moved to an off-ball role as a shooter and a defender. He’s good in both, but we expect him to be able to show more when he gets to the NBA, hence the first round grade.
Our second favorite college basketball returner is Nolan Hickman from Gonzaga. He only played 17 minutes per game on a talented Zags roster, but we’re banking on him carving out a larger role next year. Three-level potential, good on-ball or off-ball moving, and a lightning fast release. Our love of shooting point guards knows no bounds, which is where our optimism on Hickman’s draft positioning comes from.
23. Chris Livingston, Kentucky
22. Kyle Filpowski, Duke
21. Leonard Miller, G-League Ignite
20. Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
Not going to lie, I’m pretty impressed by Chris Livingston. The combination of length, athleticism, some shot-making and strong handling/ playmaking presents as the ideal blueprint for the modern wing. I’m also pretty scared by Livingston; toolsy wings can get lost in Kentucky’s scheme, particularly if they aren’t standout defenders. Livingston has the potential to be a one-and-done guy, as well as need multiple years for his game to mature.
About 14 months ago, we had the pleasure to see Kyle Filpowski play live — and to play against Jalen Duren and Dereck Lively. We were incredibly impressed with his size, shooting and spry athleticism. He needs strength and defensive acumen, but we’re quite high on him entering the season. His game, as currently constructed, just doesn’t translate to the NBA as well as some others.
Speaking of pro translation, Leonard Miller certainly has his fans. The Canadian shows brilliant flashes of handling, shooting, skill and athleticism at his size. It’s all so raw and unharnessed, though. His footwork needs a ton of help, and the setting down with the G-League Ignite is perfect for him. He may get exposed as being really far away, but at the end of the day the pro-level development system will help him more easily translate his rare skills to the NBA.
You could call Jalen Hood-Schifino one of “our guys” heading into this draft cycle. We really like him as a scoring combo and believe he’s got a toughness and swagger about his game that is difficult to match. There’s a real athleticism and creativity about his game, and he’s a very sturdy pull-up scorer. He’s a combo guard who might be able to play 1 thru 3, but the big test will be consistent shooting range. The stroke looks fine to us, so we’re ready to buy into a freshman breakcout campaign.
19. Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
18. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
17. Keyonte George, Baylor
Alright… let’s talk about the Thompson Twins. Freak athletes playing for Overtime Elite. We are excited to get to watch them play against pro competition this summer, the rare opportunity for semi-pro basketball to be a legitimate scouting opportunity. These two are both insane athletes, and at 6’7” have enough size and versatility to go wherever their skill packages allow. Amen appears to be, from our vantage point, slightly behind his older brother Ausar at this moment. Both could be lottery talents if they develop the right way, but with the uncertainty of the Overtime Elite program in terms of outcome development, we remain a bit skeptical of putting either too high.
George is certainly skilled and can shoot the basketball. He’s an off-ball guy who is only about 6’4” and not an elite athlete, and that lowers his draft stock a tad as a wing. Still, there’s legitimate three-level scoring potential and a ton of skill in his game. How he holds up athletically in the Big Twelve will go a long way in determining whether he’s more of a lottery talent or a late first-rounder.
16. Terquavion Smith, NC State
15. Arterio Morris, Texas
14. Jarace Walker, Houston
Terquavion enters this draft cycle as the highest-ranked returner on our board. A year ago, that distinction went to Bennedict Mathurin and Jaden Ivey, both guys we thought would be lottery-level prospects. Smith, a creative and skinny scorer with deep range and unlimited confidence, is just outside the lottery. We love what he brings to the table offensively, but the lack of bulk/ defensive aptitude and the specialist nature of his scoring may cap him outside the lottery. He’s got some work to do to move up boards, but his placement here also speaks to the depth of high-level talent in the high school class of 2022.
One guard who we’ve really liked the flashes we’ve seen is Arterio Morris. There’s something about his personality as a ball-dominant guard that gets us buying into wanting to play with him. He’s strong-bodied at 6’3” and has elite burst and changing of speeds. There’s plenty to clean up in terms of decision-making, which is why he sits just outside the lottery on our board, but the raw skills for a point guard are quite notable.
Jarace Walker is another one of those tight ends who decides to play basketball. Super strong at 6’8”, Walker can be an elite glue guy at the next level while he plays great defense and hits shots. He does a little bit of everything, and stretching his range to 3 consistently greatly matters. But he’s physical and a winner, and that stands out to us.
13. Baba Miller, Florida State
12. James Nnaji, Barcelona
11. Tyrese Proctor, Duke
It’s time for a run of international prospects, two of whom are playing in the NCAA ranks next year and two are staying in Europe.
Size, shooting and athleticism: the typical Florida State build. We’ve seen these guys blow up before, like Patrick Williams and Scottie Barnes. Baba Miller, standing 6’10”, could be next in line. The Real Madrid developmental system, combined with the switching scheme at FSU, provides ample opportunities for him to prepare for the pro game in unique ways. Miller already has had a taste of pro competition, getting the call up at Real Madrid this year. His combination of shooting and skill at his size makes him a legitimate lottery talent.
Remember the name James Nnaji. He’s one of the best big men prospects in this class, and is very quick off the floor. He moves a tad boxy despite his burst, but we see Nnaji having real defensive potential. There’s offensive skill in his bag that is rare for a teenage big, but it’s the defense that’s appealing — he’s the youngest player ever in ACB competition to have 5 blocks in a game, and Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jaskievicius called him “their most solid player”. Really high floor, combined with a high defensive ceiling, puts him knocking on the door of the top ten.
Lastly, Australian guard Tyrese Proctor made the decision this Spring to re-class and join the Duke Blue Devils a year early. We could tell you a bit about his game, but the best way to get a feel for it is to watch this fantastic film breakdown with ESPN’s Mike Schmitz:
Proctor is an elite handler with great vision and the craftiness to take space that’s created for him. We’re curious to see if he’s ready for a jump to the NBA next year, but by all accounts, his skill level is special and he’ll be one of the best guards in this class.
10. Nikola Djurisic, Mega
As we kick off the top ten, we go with the best international prospect on our board: Nikola Djurisic of Mega Mozzart. Tuning in last year to watch Nikola Jovic, it was Djurisic who caught our eye on every occasion. MVP of the Euroleague finals for the champions this year, Djurisic was outstanding in the finals. This season, he averaged 11.1 points, 3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 32% from deep. If he improves his shooting and his athleticism just a bit, he could move up our rankings. Just a really skilled 6’8” swing forward who competes on the defensive end.
9. Kel’el Ware, Oregon
Sometimes you have to reward unique size. This is a watchlist, not a firm ranking of prospects, so upside has a much greater impact on who ends up where on these rankings, especially at the top. Oregon big man Kel’el Ware has such a unique combination of skills, and according to one of our trusted scouting friends CJ Marchesani, is reminiscent of a current young NBA star.
Oregon’s got a bit of a big man problem, with he, Nate Bittle and N’Faly Dante all jockeying for position. What we could see, as a result, is Ware getting some minutes at the 4. He’s legitimately 6’11” but moves fluidly, and has some shooting touch. The Mobley comparison needs to hold up defensively; we aren’t sold on Ware mastering angles and moving with guards in the way Mobley has. But if the league is trending towards playing two bigs at a time again, with one of them being skilled offensively on the perimeter, Ware instantly raises eyebrows as a guy to watch.
8. Amari Bailey, UCLA
Explosive and shifty, Amari Bailey’s athleticism is tailor made for scoring in the NBA game. How his skill package holds up remains to be seen, but we feel pretty confident that he’ll be a one-and-done prospect. He’s a long-armed 6’5”, loves physical contact and can operate out of a ball screen. When the game is on the line for Sierra Canyon, he doesn’t get tunnel vision and just go for his, which we greatly respect at his age. He’s best in the open floor and will be one of the best, if not the best, 2-guards in this year’s class.
7. Anthony Black, Arkansas
A big 6’7” point guard, Black is an incredibly high-IQ and pass-first type of prospect. Big guards with feel always are eye-catching, and Black is no exception. He’s incredibly cerebral and can buy into any role that a coaching staff asks of him. While those skills automatically give a guy lottery buzz, we want to see a little more scoring from Black with the Razorbacks. They have an embarrassment of riches, so it’s easy for a pleaser like him to get lost in the shuffle and rarely put the ball in the hoop.
Regardless, his IQ and processing speed are legitimately special. We think he’ll be a solid defender and has an unorthodox game that pops in the NBA. If he works on the jumper and looks solid playing off-ball, he could go closer to the top-five.
6. Nick Smith, Arkansas
The hometown kid staying at Arkansas, Smith will thrive playing next to a passing talent like Black. He’s a 6’4” scoring combo who draws comparisons to Jamal Murray for the on-ball and off-ball creation. There’s three-level potential here and the craftiness to play at multiple speeds. The underrated part of his game is his passing ability, and we hope he gets enough on-ball reps with the Razorbacks to let that pop.
Similarly to Murray, Smith’s usage with the Razorbacks could lead to him not showcasing those lead guard skills enough. We’ve seen them in his tape from high school enough to believe there’s investment-worthy traits, and one of the reasons he is the higher-ranked Arkansas prospect on this board.
5. Cam Whitmore, Villanova
After coaching two games against Cam Whitmore this past season, I feel uniquely qualified to speak on him as a prospect. Dude is a monster. The best athlete in this draft, he’s powerful and fast. He gets to his spots and is incredibly strong. Lob threats, driving to the hoop, and getting out in transition all suit him.
What’s most impressive is the progression he’s made as a jump shooter. If that continues — and the skill development system at Villanova gets him more polished as a decision-maker and passer — then he’s a lock to go top-five. The athleticism is that notable.
4. Dariq Whitehead, Duke
As we get into the top-five, natural tools and traits are what cause these players to stand out. Whitehead is a 6’8” athlete with speed and athleticism. There’s a great deal of defensive potential that exists here to go with flashes of pull-up scoring. Duke’s system, with two other big men on the roster, will test Whitehead early on his creation on a shrunk floor.
Whitehead is a fantastic shooter as well. Not quite elite, but really good at spacing the floor and drilling pull-ups from deep. He has the enitre package and could be in the running for the top pick in any other class.
3. Dereck Lively, Duke
As we get into our top-three, we have one player in Lively that we are higher on than most outlets. We’ve been watching him play since he was a sophomore at Westtown, and he’s always stood out as being the perfect big for the modern NBA. Super long and athletic, he can protect the rim while also being switchable on the perimeter. His mobility and movements are rare: he glides like a deer but is violent like a moose.
At 7’1”, I don’t think people realize just how massive Lively is — and how rare it is to move the way he does at his size. We have a really difficult time envisioning him being played off the floor in crunch time. Small motor concerns can be corrected, and if his perimeter skill improves even marginally, he’ll be a special kind of big man.
2. Scoot Henderson, G-League Ignite
There was a point in time when Scoot Henderson was discussed as being a threat to go #1 overall in this class. To be clear, Scoot does seem to have “it”. He’s a special playmaker with the ball in his hands, wildly athletic for his size and plays with as much dynamic mobility as any guard out there.
There’s a clear area of development needed for Henderson if he’s going to be a superstar: shooting. He struggled playing off-ball last year and doesn’t have pull-up range to 3 that is consistent right now. This year’s Ignite team will be more expertly built around him, allowing Scoot to show how special he can be in a system that’s tailored to his strengths. He’s a favorite for the #2 pick entering the summer.
1. Victor Wembanyama, ASVEL
As our good friend Ray LeBov says, “vie for Victor.” There’s never been a prospect like him before. Immense size, shot-making to the highest degree, craftiness and handling, defensive impact across multiple positions, pro-level impact as a teenager… Victor only falls from the top spot if people overthink it.
Vie for Victor, people!
Great rundown, thanks Coach!
Looks like you linked the happy gilmore video twice instead of the spreadshseet