Top 10 NBA Prospects in the ACC
Ahead of conference tournament week, let's dive into the players with the most NBA intrigue
Casual college basketball fans (and big NBA fans) really start to pay attention to the college season around the start of the NCAA Tournament. March Madness is always a coveted time for getting eyes on future NBA players in high-pressure situations as they perform on the big stage.
In our world, college tournament week tends to be my favorite week of the year. Conference-level intensity provides for some fascinating matchups, particularly as teams duel for the second or even third time. There are more games on television, lots of even matchups, and the opportunity to see how players handle back-to-back situations. It’s a glorious week of hoops.
So in advance of next week’s multitude of conference tournaments, we’re giving a preview of seven of the most loaded conferences with pro talent. We’ll provide a prospect review for the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Pac-12, SEC, and American Athletic Conference in terms of the best immediate draft prospects that NBA fans should get to know and scouting departments are watching closely.
Today’s installment takes us to the ACC. Typically, the conference has several high-level prospects. Last year’s top overall pick, Paolo Banchero, went to Duke. Other recent top-five picks like Scottie Barnes, DeAndre Hunter, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson have all come out of the conference. This year’s crop of players from the ACC lacks that high-end talent. However, there’s plenty of intrigue in the conference about where these players end up and how they might become 2023 draftable prospects. A ton of players flirt on the line of second round/ undrafted territory, as well as many highly talented players who could be headed back to Duke for an additional year.
Honorable Mentions: Tyree Appleby, Wake Forest; Armando Bacot, North Carolina; Leaky Black, North Carolina; RJ Davis, North Carolina; Jesse Edwards, Syracuse; Jayden Gardner, Virginia; PJ Hall, Clemson; Miles Kelly, Georgia Tech; Nate Laszewski, Notre Dame; Caleb Love, North Carolina; Jordan Miller, Miami; Pete Nance, North Carolina; Norchad Omier, Miami; Nijel Pack, Miami
Long-term guys not ready yet: Ryan Dunn, Virginia; Bobi Klintman, Wake Forest; Baba Miller, Florida State; Mark Mitchell, Duke; JJ Starling, Notre Dame; Jalen Warley, Florida State
10. Isaiah Wong - CG, Miami (FL)
Wong has been an intriguing prospect for a number of years. His scoring acumen is high-caliber and he has springy movement patterns. At only 6’3”, Wong is caught between being a big lead guard and a really undersized 2-guard. Shooting 38% from 3 this year — and a whopping 42% on dribble jumpers — there’s too much self-creation ability with Wong to ignore altogether. If he declares, he’ll be intriguing to many scouts.
9. Justyn Mutts - F, Virginia Tech
A strong-bodied 6’7” forward, Mutts checks so many boxes analytically with his stat-sheet-stuffing game. Despite being a forward, he’s one of the ACC leaders in assists, can stretch the floor, and is an active and physical defender. He’s a low-volume shooter, but we can see him becoming a very impactful two-way role player at the next level. Mutts kind of is who he is and doesn’t have a ton of upside, but he’s shown us he can be a winning player, and that’s valuable when he won’t be a liability on an NBA floor.
8. Matthew Cleveland - ATH, Florida State
The improvements to the jumper are the swing traits for Cleveland. It seemed like he was turning a corner this year, and was above 40% on solid volume at the end of January. He started to fall a bit in February, and that complicates his draft stock. Cleveland is wildly long, supremely quick on his feet, has some passing and finishing chops, and should be an impact defender. Turning his tools into consistent impact is the name of the game if he wants to stick in the league, though.