28. CASSIUS STANLEY, Wing, Duke
A surprisingly effective freshman season saw Cassius Stanley rocketing up draft boards. Once considered a potential long-hauler at Duke, Stanley ended up going one-and-done, and he has a realistic chance at the first round.
Stanley is easy to root for. He’s a gritty, hard-nosed wing defender who plays for the betterment of his teammates, not personal achievement. He’s truly selfless in context of the team, and he fills the “glue guy” label rather comfortably. He plays his tail off, he passes often, and he does the little things to help win basketball games.
Both versatile and explosive as an athlete, Stanley should have little issue carving out a role at the next level. He’s not the cleanest shooter and his offensive repertoire as a whole needs some major overtures, but on the whole, he’s the type of high-ceiling athlete and hard worker teams should bet on.