Analyst: Historic Freshman Class to Dominate NBA Draft
College basketball insider Adam Zagoria stated that the current freshman class is "potentially historic," with as many as eight of the top 10 picks in the upcoming NBA draft potentially coming from this group. Top prospects mentioned include Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Cam Boozer (Duke), and AJ DeBansa (BYU). Zagoria noted that while Peterson is a top prospect, there are "real questions about his durability" due to recent injuries.
- While this year's freshman class is getting attention, the 2017 NBA draft holds the record for the most freshmen selected in the lottery, with eight. That same year, for the first time in draft history, the top five picks were all college freshmen. - Darryn Peterson's durability concerns stem from a sensitive hamstring issue that caused him to miss nine games and an ankle injury that sidelined him for a tenth, meaning he has missed half of Kansas's games this season. He also left a game against BYU with cramping. - Cam Boozer, son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, is considered one of the most polished and safest prospects in the draft. He is praised for his high basketball IQ, versatile scoring, and disciplined defense. - AJ Dybantsa is described as a versatile, three-level scorer with an elite physical profile for a modern NBA wing at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan. While a dynamic offensive player, he is working to improve the consistency of his outside shot. - Other highly-touted freshmen expected to be drafted include North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., and Arizona guard Brayden Burries. - Historically, some of the most acclaimed NBA draft classes include 1984 (Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley), 1996 (Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash), and 2003 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony). - One analysis of NBA player efficiency found that only 22% of the top 100 most efficient players in the league were drafted as freshmen, while 55% were college players with more than one year of experience. - Since 2004, the University of Kentucky has produced the most NBA lottery picks with 22, followed by Duke with 19, and Kansas with 13.
