Pro Futures Await Huskies’ Top Players
The Story: With the season over and the NBA Draft process set to ramp up, several players who led the UConn men to their fifth NCAA title on Monday will need to consider whether it’s best for them to stay in college or begin their professional careers.
MORE TO BE HAD: Three players in particular — Jordan Hawkins, Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson — are generating plenty of draft buzz so far.
• What remains to be seen is whether Donovan Clingan or Alex Karaban, who are also considered to have professional futures, could also test the draft waters.
THE CASE FOR HAWKINS: The Huskies have a first-round prospect in Hawkins, whose quick release and considerable range make him an appealing target for teams that are in desperate need of a shooter.
• Most post-NCAA Tournament mock drafts, including The Ringer, Yahoo! Sports and NBADraft.net have Hawkins slotted in the middle of the round.
• What scouts like is that Hawkins is good in transition and is a solid on-ball defender, but the big question is around his frame. At 6-foot-5 but just 195 pounds, he’s never going to be expected to drive the lane to score. He’s also not a great ballhandler and can be a streaky shooter.
• Still, we widely expect him to be the first UConn player selected in the opening round since James Bouknight two years ago and only the second since Shabazz Napier was drafted in 2014.
HOW ABOUT SANOGO? The Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player has a bit more uncertain of a path to the NBA given the evolving demands of the game and what it wants from its big men.
• We covered this a little bit yesterday, but Sanogo seems like he’ll be fighting for a roster spot or a two-way contract, or staring down time in the G League, once he leaves UConn.
• Sanogo is considered a second-round pick by Yahoo! Sports and NBADraft.net. (The Ringer’s mock draft doesn’t include the second round.) Even then, he’s listed in the back half of the round, making his selection tenuous.
• Why is such an important player who impacted every game for the Huskies considered a borderline draft prospect? It’s because, at 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, he’s considered undersized for his position. He’s a good rebounder but not a natural rim protector and hasn’t yet reliably developed the outside shot teams increasingly expect of their big men.
JACKSON’S DECISION: Although Jackson said earlier in the week that he’ll return to UConn as long as Dan Hurley will have him, it’s not that simple.
• Jackson’s draftability varies wildly. NBADraft.net has him as a late first-round pick, Yahoo! Sports has him as a second-round pick, and The Ringer doesn’t have him in the first round. If he were to actually receive a first-round grade from scouts, he’s not staying at UConn.
• He’s an athletic player who has exceptional court vision, can rebound well for his position and emphatically plays defense. He also struggles wildly with his shot (there’s a reason Big East teams didn’t guard him at midseason), he has virtually no touch from 3-point range and he can’t move the ball particularly well.
AND THE FRESHMEN? Karaban was a surprise in his first season, but he’s no threat to head to the NBA. The bigger question is what Clingan will do.
• Being 7-foot-2 has its advantages, and one of them is that it puts any player that size immediately in draft conversations. And because he’s still so raw, teams would love to get their hands on him and teach him how to play basketball their way.
• Clingan is a natural rebounder and shot blocker — obviously — even though he still needs to add muscle and play more assertively. He’s light on his feet and understands his role.
• What Clingan still needs to show is his ability to make shots away from the basket (even though those who saw him at Bristol Central insist he has range), how he’ll handle playing more than 15 minutes a game, and any type of post moves beyond catching the ball and putting it in the basket. That will come with exposure to better competition.
• The Ringer has Clingan as a first-round pick, but it’s the only one of the major post-NCAA Tournament mock drafts that includes him.
OUR TAKE: Hawkins will head off to the NBA, Sanogo probably will try (after all, what does he have left to prove?), and Jackson and Clingan will stay — though Clingan will have a bona fide choice to make.
• But who knows? The NBA Draft combine doesn’t begin for another six weeks and the draft itself won’t be held for two and a half months. A lot can change between then and now. We’re eager to see what happens.
LOW VIEWERSHIP: Meanwhile, Monday’s win was the least-watched men’s title game “on record,” though we don’t know how long that is. We blame two things: The 9:20 p.m. start time, which is ridiculous, and San Diego State, which has no fans (and still no titles).
BIG GAME COMING: Matchups have reportedly been set for the annual Big East-Big 12 Battle and two behemoths will collide as UConn will play Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. How does a UConn grad living in Lawrence get tickets? Asking for a friend, of course.
— Zac Boyer
Morning Reads
• Andre Drummond addressed a mental health break he took that included deleting his social media apps, changing his phone number and sitting out a game for the Bulls. (Chicago Tribune)
• The No. 25 women’s lacrosse team won its first Big East game of the season with a 19-12 scrubbing of Villanova yesterday afternoon. (UConnHuskies.com)
Top photo: UConn’s Adama Sanogo takes a shot during the game against Georgetown. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
