Top Pac-12 NBA Draft prospects for Philadelphia 76ers

NCAA basketball season is underway and Pac-12 basketball teams compete hard on the court. Here are top players from each Pac-12 team worth keeping an eye on for the upcoming NBA Draft for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team surrounded by some of the best NCAA basketball in the nation. The city of Philadelphia boasts the play of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Villanova, La Salle’s University and St. Joseph’s University. But they are east coast teams, playing for an east coast city, in the Eastern Time Zone.

But there is some pretty good NCAA basketball being played all over the nation. And since I hail from the west coast (actually Alaska), I have the opportunity to witness some incredible hoops competition first hand.  This vantage point allowed me to project a perfect fit of Washington Husky Markelle Fultz upon the 76ers’ roster.  That projection was recognized by others who tried to will it into existence, or by challenging Karma.  However it came to pass, the only domestic player selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA Draft hailed from the Pac-12.

More Pac-12 players for 2018

And the good news is, there is plenty more where that came from!

So far, only two Pac-12 teams are nationally ranked.  Arizona State University rests at 11, while Arizona sits at 17.  But the Philadelphia 76ers have a host of NBA Draft picks, and should look hard at the Pac-12 for “fit”.

Keep in mind that the nationally scouted players who score will catch the eyes of scouts. But that may or may not be a need of the Sixers come draft day.   To win, the team must be proficient at offense and defense. And so, the team may be wise to spread the wealth of the draft to both aspects of the basketball court.

Arizona – DeAndre Ayton

Arizona center DeAndre Ayton stands 7-foot-0 and boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan. Weighing in at 245 pounds, he is all about physicality and bounding bodies in the paint.  And on the Arizona roster, that is a deadly combination.

Ayton delivers that one-two punch of better than 20 points per game (20.2 PPG) and 10 rebounds per game (11.3 RPG).  He also delivers deadly accuracy of 63 percent from the floor, 72.9 percent from the free throw line, and 33.3 percent from three point range.  While he has more to learn to be effective on defense, that wingspan certainly is the right statistic to project well onto any NBA team.

Projected early round one

Many consider Ayton to be the best center in the 2018 NBA Draft, and that may very well be. As such, he may simply not fall to the Philadelphia 76ers. If he does, they may target a greater fit/need than the center. But stranger things have happened. Michael Porter Jr., once thought to be a lock for the top pick of 2018, is now sliding to fifth or sixth with the most recent projections.

If Ayton slides, it may not be very far. Or he could fall to that 6-10 range of the Los Angeles Lakers first round pick. If he is there, and the 76ers have no other targets on the board, he would be a solid acquisition for the team.

Arizona – Allonzo Trier

The Arizona Wildcats remain in the national spotlight year after year. To do that, they have to attract solid basketball players. This year, one standout is junior guard Allonzo Trier. Trier stands in at 6-foot-5 and is a solid shooting guard prospect. His perimeter shot is a polished 41.1 percent this year, but he brings more to the court than artillery.

He would be a curious fit for the Philadelphia 76ers, as point guard T.J. McConnell is an Arizona Wildcat alum as well. Pair one of the most fearless players on the 76ers team with a young talent to mentor, and you can expect great things to happen. Trier is solid on both offense and defense.

Offensive standout, Defensive capable

Putting up an average 19.9 points per game so far, he has a complete arsenal of shots.  He hits over 51.9 percent of his shots from the floor as of January 15, 2018. But the bigger bonus is that  39.8 percent shooting from three-point range.

Trier is not the most polished defender in the NCAA, but he does recognize it’s value. And he advocates D to his teammates. While he is responsible for getting points on the board, you can bet he has great potential on the defensive end of the court as well.

Arizona State – Tra Holder

The Arizona State Sun Devils are a surprising nationally ranked team so far this season. But if you’ve watched 6-foot-1 point guard Tra Holder, you begin to understand why.  Here is a young man who does it all for the Sun Devils. And yet, there are few NBA accolades heading his way so far.  But for how long? After all, he is an offensive dynamo.

Offense, with solid defense.

Rise to the challenge

Holder is very active on both offense and defense. But the first place NBA scouts check out is the offense.  And the first stop to assess a prospect’s offensive chops is to measure the player against superior competition. Competition like Xavier College, the team who fell victim to Tra Holder’s 40 point outburst.

While Holder shoots just 43.0 percent from the floor, he nearly equals that at 42.4 percent from three-point range. And his offense is always waiting on standby.  This year, the versatile young man is also stepping up on defense as well. Pulling down 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game, he has enough prowess to disrupt opponents rhythm and timing.  Place those instincts into the hands of Philadelphia 76ers’ coaches, and you’ve got the potential for something special.

California – Justice Sueing

While the California Golden Bears may not land in either the NIT or NCAA tournaments, they are not without players deserving a solid look for the 2018 NBA Draft. One such player is freshman wingman Justice Sueing, a 6-foot-7 freshman wing who is a marksman from the perimeter. In just his first year in Pac-12 play, he is already hitting 39.6 percent of his treys, and he improves with each game.

In fact, he is averaging nearly 20 points per game in his last five contests

Good accuracy, great upside

When he is on the court, he can take over the game at virtually any point.

And he typically does. So far this season he averages 31.2 minutes and 13.7 points per game. But that is on less that 10 shots per game, as the team runs their offense through junior guard Don Coleman. But when Sueing shoots, good things happen.  He hits 48.3 percent of his shots from the floor, and a robust 37.1 percent of his shots from three-point range.  And while streaky, he can unleash an offensive barrage of nearly 30 points on any given night.

Colorado – George King

The Colorado Buffalo are giant killers this year. Well Arizona killers. The Colorado Buffalo defeated both the Arizona State Sun Devils (4) and the Arizona Wildcats (14) over a two game span. That success was due in no small part to the contributions of 6-foot-6 senior shooting guard George King.

King has tremendous versatility

In college, putting a two against a four is suicidal. But Colorado had plenty of faith in King.

Great trey shooting

But the key to the NBA interest is that perimeter shot. So far George has demonstrated plenty of chops at the arc.  Any team selecting George King also gets tremendous maturity.

George has a great back story. He was a four-year junior among five-year seniors last season.  Last year, the team entered conference play with a 0-7 start to that chapter of the season. And losing the first seven games is no way to succeed in the Pac-12.

This year King vows to lead the team, and he will. Already his 26 points knocked off front-runner UCLA, while two earlier contests derailed Arizona and Arizona State. If you want a solid competitor who plays big in big games, then you have to hope for George King’s name to be called. Let’s hope the Philadelphia 76ers give him a look.

Oregon – Payton Pritchard

The Oregon Ducks are no strangers to NCAA basketball success. But so far, the Ducks sit at 12-5, and 2-2 in the very competitive Pac-12 conference. But they have a 6-foot-2 sophomore point guard who is worth keeping on your radar. He is fiery and aggressive, good on defense and willing to dish the ball out to the open shooter. And he is already getting comparisons to Philadelphia 76ers T.J. McConnell

So imagine the intensity of T.J. McConnell in the body of a point guard who nails the three-pointer, and you get Payton Prichard.

Passion plus

Here is some of his production on display. He’s a gamer.

Pritchard is a fiery competitor who plays with passion. That unto itself is a great plus for any player targetted by the Philadelphia 76ers. but he brings a self confidence to the basketball court as well. It’s not cockiness, more of a subtle swagger which exudes calmness and a “we got this!” to his teammates.

Oregon State – Tres Tinkle

The Oregon State Beavers are 10-7 in NCAA competition, and 2-3 in the very competitive Pac-12 basketball conference.  They have been finding ways to win, mainly from the efforts of players like 6-foot-8 forward Tres Tinkle. On a team which needs help in all areas, Tinkle is the swiss army knife of basketball versatility. He can do so much on the court.

18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals is a productive day in the NCAA.

Versatility

Tinkle sees plenty of play at both the power forward and small forward roles for the Beavers. As such, his game must take the shape of both perimeter shooting and power game in the paint.

The use of Tinkle on the Beavers squad is a tad surprising.  In many cases, teams tend to shelter their best offensive players from defending too aggressively to avoid foul trouble. But Tinkle mixes it up on both sides of the basketball court. And the fact that he does so while only averaging less than three personal fouls a game is outstanding.

Stanford – Daejon Davis

When the Washington Huskies made a coaching change, incoming freshman Daejon Davis was one of the early defectors. Unwilling to see it through, Davis reopened his recruiting and signed on to the Stanford Cardinals.  It’s expected that if he has success, he could very likely be a one-and-done NCAA player. And as a 6-foot-3 guard, he has the range and size to play either point or shooting guard in the NBA.

So far, he is getting enough minutes to make that a possibility.  At 16 of 18 games played and averaging 29.5 minutes per game, Davis has plenty of opportunity.  So far, he is trying to make the most of it. While averaging just 10.3 points per game, his lower scoring is simply not taking many shots. While he averages just 6.9 attempts, he sinks an average of 52.3 percent from the floor. But he is deadly accurate from the perimeter, scoring on nearly 44 percent of his shots from three-point range.

Davis adds to both ends of basketball court

Davis is another Pac-12 player who chips in on virtually all statistics. He can work the boards, hauling in 4.3 rebounds per game. He can pass out 4.4 assists per game, and he chips in with 0.3 blocks and 0.8 steals per game. In the past four games (per January 15,2018) he is averaging 16 points a game and shooting 50 percent from the perimeter.

It was Davis who sank the 50-footer to score three-points at the buzzer to defeat the USC Trojans.  And he carried that momentum with him to seal two more victories for the Cardinals.  The true test will be upcoming. Davis needs to show consistancy and up his offense to intrigue NBA scouts. But if he truly is looking at the 2018 NBA Draft, he’s already aware of that.

UCLA – Thomas Welsh

UCLA is 13-5 so far in the NCAA, and a respectable 4-2 in Pac-12 conference play. No longer the “Big Baller Brand” university, this team is running on the talents of players like 7-foot-0 center Thomas Welsh. Welsh is a remarkable player, following in the footsteps of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in a Pac-12 version of the stretch-five. So far, he has been hitting on 42.9 percent of his perimeter shots, and averages three such attempts per game.

If you are concerned that perimeter shooting is taking him away from the boards, he sustains a 10.7 rebounds per game average, plus 1.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and .9 steals per game.

Big man with big impact

Welsh creates a big impact in every game he plays.  At 7-foot-0 height, he towers over most of the competition. But he doesn’t simply stand in the paint and shoot. He works three-point range shots too, befuddling his opponent.

Welsh is the type of player who adds tremendous versatility to any NBA team’s bench. And given time, could be that special player at the four or five role to bounce bodies in the paint, or finesse a nice perimeter game.

USC – Chimezie Metu

USC has been under siege since becoming a team named in a recent FBI investigation into NCAA Basketball.  That controversy has placed unthinkable pressure upon the organization, particularly as the absence of De’Anthony Melton reverberates among the team. But there is no disputing the talent of 6-foot-11 forward Chimezie Metu.

Late first rounder?

The Trojans know that they have a solid competitor in Metu. So far this season, he leads the team in points, rebounds, is third in field goal percentage and second in three-point percentage.  Many have him projected as a first round talent in the 2018 NBA Draft. But in recent weeks, he has seen his stock falling into the early second round.

He is one of the better big men and if he falls to round two, it’s a serious reason for the Philadelphia 76ers to latch onto him quickly.  However, should he remain late in round one, the Sixer front office will need to ponder which way to go.  Metu has tremendous versatility, but he may not attract the value of a first round for the Sixers’ executives.

Utah – Donnie Tillman

The Utah Utes may not come to mind in terms of hot NBA prospects, but they have some true diamonds in the rough.  One such gem is 6-foot-7 forward Donnie Tillman.  While he is a young newcomer to the Utes, his forte on offense is hard to deny. He is a power forward in Pac-12 play, but he has enough versatility to slide into a solid small forward role in the NBA.

He has an impressive array of shots already and is certainly one to keep a close watch on. But his season has been marred with injury.  As such, his play has been sporadic and his production depressed.

If he can sync into a healthy run, his play should once more capture some NBA interest.  Of course, the key is to get healthy and play well.   Those are two factors which are not guaranteed.

Washington – Part I Guard David Crisp

The Washington Huskies Basketball program just elevated their coaching staff with the hiring of former Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins. And while most of the interest in prospects from the Pac-12 will have some component of offensive skillsets (love the three-point shooters’ fit on the current roster), this team has a trio of players worth selecting in the 2018 NBA Draft: Noah Dickerson, David Crisp and Matisse Thybulle.

The Washington Huskies delivered versatile guard Markelle Fultz to the NBA in the 2017 NBA Draft. Now the team, with an upgrade at the coaching staff, are doing a far better job coaching up his former teammates.

Crisp is an extremely versatile guard, adept at both on-ball or off-ball at any point in time during a game. While he continues to work on his perimeter shooting, he is a very passionate player who is capable of getting hot in any given game.  Crisp may be a stretch for a second round pick, but his rapid improvement under the tuteledge of Coach Mike Hopkins should put him on the radar screen for a late second.

Washington- Part II Noah Dickerson

While Washington Husky David Crisp is a great backcourt addition, the Washington Huskies have benefited from the resurgeance of forward Noah Dickerson. A tremendous athlete in his own right, Dickerson offers enough versatility to slot in at virtually any front court position on a basketball court. His play is developing rapidly, as he is learning how to draw fouls and win games by smart play.

Noah Dickerson is extremely versatile. With the absence of big men at the Washington Huskies, Dickerson is getting plenty of looks at center, power forward, and the occasional small forward roles. And he flourishes in each.  Putting up 14.6 points and pulling down 7.6 rebounds per game, Dickerson is making the most of his 25.0 minutes per game average.

There is something special about Noah Dickerson. He has been one of Coach Hopkins best projects at Washington. More than pure strength, Dickerson knows how to draw fouls and use the basketball court to his advantage.  He improves each season, but this year his defensive awareness makes him an ideal second round addition to the team.

Washington – Part III Matisse Thybulle

The NBA values offense and defense, but perhaps the most difficult role to uncover in any NBA Draft is that elusive “3-and-D” role which teams covet, but so few find. Thankfully, the Washington Basketball team is building those skillsets in 6-foot-5 195 pound wingman Matisse Thybulle. While Thybulle’s perimeter shot has been inaccurate in his third NCAA season, his overall production has been tremendous.

He completely disrupts the opponent, harrassing them with blocked shots, steals, and solid rebounding.  All the while, he contributes offensively when the Huskies need points on the board.

The team-driven concept of the Washington Huskies promotes scoring from others. But that does not eliminate Thybulle from pinning his ears back and shooting. He led the team with 19 points against then undefeated Kansas. In fact, when he shoots often, he scores.  Oftentimes, he creates his own offense by stealing the ball and taking it to the hoop.  Here he has a pair of steals which turn into easy baskets.

You see, his calling is the defensive side of the court, and he has embraced that role well. He makes ample use of his 7-foot-0 wingspan on just a 6-foot-5 height to wreck havoc upon his opponents.

Washington State – Robert Franks

The Washington State Cougars are a small town school compared to some of the other Pac-12 universities. But each season, this team seems to find a way to reload the roster with competitive talent.  This year, it falls upon Robert Franks to shine under the spotlight. And so far, that is just what he is doing.

Just a year ago, his production fell at 6.2 points a game. This season, he’s a new player. At 32.3 minutes, he averages 18.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. All the while, he shoots 49.3 percent from the floor and 44.6 percent from three point range.

Impressive shooting

That’s impressive for a 6-foot-7 forward who weighs in at 240 pounds.  In fact, those are the type of numbers which warrant closer scrutiny by NBA scouts.  He once hit 10 of 13 three point shots, setting a school record.

Ultimately, the Philadelphia 76ers need perimeter shooters. Here is a young man who is practically setting off flares into the nighttime sky begging for some NBA interest.

Washington State – Carter Skaggs

In any basketball team, there is always the chance that one or two players do not get the lions’ share of minutes, but make the most of the time they earn on the basketball court. Streaky 6-foot-5 shooting guard Carter Skaggs can be deadly at the perimeter. But he is famous in Pac-12 circles as the recipient of one of the most egregious flagrant fouls I have ever witnessed in an NCAA basketbacll game.

For the record, the USC perpetrator was suspended for one-half game as a result.

So it is no wonder that Skaggs has been somewhat streaky in the aftermath of that event.  While it has only been three games, it’s played a noticeable negative impact on his production

Next: Philadelphia 76ers release McAdoo, sign Demetrius Jackson to two-way

Still, Skaggs has some games to turn this around and likely will do just that.  If the Philadelphia 76ers see improvement in his game, they could toss a late second at him to land a high upside prospect.

The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2018 NBA Draft with five – six draft picks. While some players on this list may escape the Sixers, and others may fade out of interest, you can bet that there are several players worth serious consideration.  And the Pac-12, playing late at night, may not be getting as much attention as it deserves.  Set your recorder and watch players named in this list perform. You may find there are some very good players who miss the mocks.  But we’ll keep you very aware of potential gems to be found.