Draft Notes From Sunday’s Conference Championships

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Keegan Murray (PF, Iowa)

Draft Range: 5-10

Prospect Notes: Well, I guess Keegan Murray is human. He shot just 6-16 from the field, but still managed to score 19 points and grab 11 rebounds. Iowa defeated Purdue for the Big Ten Championship. Murray set a Big Ten Tournament record for points. He’s solidified himself as likely to be selected closer to 5 than 10 with his scoring prowess. 

 

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Jaden Ivey (PG/SG Purdue)

Draft Range: Top-4

Prospect Notes: It was a mixed game overall for Jaden Ivey. Inside the arc, he made 8-10 shots and exploded to the basket with ease several times. From long range he made just 1 of 8 attempts, finishing with 20 points. Ivey added 6 assists but also had 5 turnovers. Late in the 2nd half, he slipped and was down on the ground for awhile but came back into the game a few minutes later. Hopefully he’s okay for a Purdue NCAA Tournament run.

 

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Zach Edey (C, Purdue)

Draft Range: Mid-Late 2nd Round

Prospect Notes: Zach Edey has 12 points and 14 rebounds in Purdue’s loss to Iowa on Sunday. At 7’4” he might make it to the next level because of his massive frame, but mobility and stamina will continue to be an issue. In a close game down the stretch, Edey watched from the bench because of that. He only averaged 19.2 minutes per game this season. 

 

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Trevion Williams (PF/C, Purdue)

Draft Range: Mid-Late 2nd Round

Prospect Notes: In the first half, Trevion Williams had some sweet passes out of the low post that resulted in baskets for the Boilermakers. He’s a player you can run an offense through down low because of his passing skills and his post moves. For the game, Williams filled up the stat sheet with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Over the season he shot 41.7% from three, but that might be a bit misleading because he only shot 12 of them. With a free throw percentage of 57.8%, he’ll need to improve as a shooter if he wants to stick around in the NBA, but the potential to do so is there.

 

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Jalen Duren (C, Memphis)

Draft Range: Mid-Late Lottery

Prospect Notes: Two games ago, Jalen Duren had a monster 21 point, 20 rebound game against Central Florida. Memphis lost to Houston today but it was another solid showing for Duren. He had 14 points on 6-8 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Where he’s selected in the draft will come down to his measurements, individual team workouts, and where teams that need a big man end up in the final draft order. At just 18 years old, Duren will likely impress teams with his size and athleticism in those workout settings. He doesn’t turn 19 until November 18th. 

 

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Josh Minnot (SF, Memphis)

Draft Range: 2nd Round

Prospect Notes: Josh Minnot only played 5 minutes in Memphis’ loss to Houston in the American Championship game. His stats aren’t overly impressive and he doesn’t shoot threes which is weird for a wing. The reason he’s on draft boards is because he does flash potential while being a long 6’8” with crazy athletic ability.   

 

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Kennedy Chandler (PG, Tennessee)

Draft Range: Late 1st Round/Early 2nd Round

Prospect Notes: Kennedy Chandler had a real nice game as Tennessee defeated Texas A&M for the SEC Tourney Championship. The freshman point guard had 14 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. 7 of his 9 shots were three pointers, making 4 of the 7. Chandler is a bit small, which is why he won’t go sooner in the 1st round. He also needs to be a better free throw shooter. His free throw percentage for the year was 61.7%, which is not good for a point guard.

 

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Hyunjung Lee (SF, Davidson)

Draft Range: Late 2nd Round

Prospect Notes: It was a bad time to have one of his worst games of the season, but Hyunjung Lee struggled mightily as Davidson lost the A-10 Championship to Richmond. Lee went 1-9 from the floor and finished with just 5 points and also had 4 turnovers. Normally he’s a sharpshooter who has a college career 40% three point percentage on over 5 attempts per game. Davidson should still make the NCAA Tournament, giving Lee a chance to erase this one from people’s memory.