Wake Forest
John Collins
6-10 PF, Sophomore
26 points, 9 rebounds, 9-13 FG, 8-8 FT
Collins has been a late riser on a lot of consensus draft boards. He is very bouncy, even from a two foot stand still, and has a very nice frame that should fill out over time. He is a young sophomore, still only 19 years old, making him a very enticing project for someone. There were flashes of things that make it seem like Collins could be a highly ranked prospect. He thrives in the face up game and is automatic from the 15-18 feet area. He made all his free throws and has shot well (74.5%) from the line for the year. He stroke is decent, making it seem like he might be able to stretch it out later on his career, even though he's only attempted one three in his two seasons at Wake Forest.
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| John Collins 16-17 Shot Chart |
Defensively is where Collins really struggles. His rebounding numbers look good and he attacks the offensive glass, but he got pushed around on the defensive end quite a bit. He falls asleep and gets caught watching the ball a lot, with his man sneaking behind him for layups several times throughout the game. He didn't seem to fight hard or turn and find a body when the ball goes up in the air. He has high hips and it showed in his bad angles guarding ball screens and getting back to his man. He has the athleticism and straight line mobility to hedge and recover, but changing directions, he struggled.
His NBA role seems unclear. He has center skills but lacks center size, and doesn't show the playmaking or the shooting capability yet needed to play power forward at the NBA level. Need to see more of him to get a better gauge of what that role in the NBA might be.
Bryant Crawford
6-3, SG, Sophomore
20 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, 9-9 FT
I was impressed with Crawford in the preseason tournament last year when as a freshman, he led Wake Forest to an upset victory over Indiana, making big shots down the stretch. This year, Crawford has carried that scoring prowess over, making shots at all three levels and going both ways with his dribble. What really stood out that I had no clue what Crawford could do was his passing and vision out of the pick and roll. He still needs to cut down on the turnovers a bit, but he made tons of crisp, clean, and crafty passes to guys all over the floor. He's very underrated as a combo guard.
Defensively, Crawford is not afraid to get up into guys and embrace being a stopper. He only weighs 185 pounds, but if you want him to guard point guards, he's your guy. His 6-7 wingspan is great for containing the ball handler or sneaking into passing lanes and getting steals (averages 1.5 per game). He seems like the perfect combo guard to go next to a high usage point guard. In order to maximize that, he needs to improve his three point shot (just under 35% both seasons), but the tools are there for a draft sleeper.
I was impressed with Crawford in the preseason tournament last year when as a freshman, he led Wake Forest to an upset victory over Indiana, making big shots down the stretch. This year, Crawford has carried that scoring prowess over, making shots at all three levels and going both ways with his dribble. What really stood out that I had no clue what Crawford could do was his passing and vision out of the pick and roll. He still needs to cut down on the turnovers a bit, but he made tons of crisp, clean, and crafty passes to guys all over the floor. He's very underrated as a combo guard.
Defensively, Crawford is not afraid to get up into guys and embrace being a stopper. He only weighs 185 pounds, but if you want him to guard point guards, he's your guy. His 6-7 wingspan is great for containing the ball handler or sneaking into passing lanes and getting steals (averages 1.5 per game). He seems like the perfect combo guard to go next to a high usage point guard. In order to maximize that, he needs to improve his three point shot (just under 35% both seasons), but the tools are there for a draft sleeper.
Kansas State
Wesley Iwundu
6-7, SF, Senior
24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 11-13 FT, 6-9 FG
Its hard not to fall in love with Iwundu, especially after a game like this. He plays hard and is a great teammate, looking to get guys involved, constantly communicating on the court. He has all the intangibles of a winner with his savvy in the pick and roll and floor vision on the wing. He has great tools defensively and maximizes everything he can out of his 6-7, 205 pound frame with a 7-0 wingspan. He can fall asleep and take bad angles on his closeouts at times, but there are also moments where he shines. One possession, he poked the ball away from Crawford and then locked him to end the possession in one on one isolation. He has the capability to be a lock down guy.
His offense has improved a ton throughout his career, but there are still valid questions about his fit in a modern NBA offense. He really knows how to read the floor and move the ball, but his shooting form (while improved) still needs some work. His athleticism is solid, not elite, needing space to load up off one foot. He needs to be in a system where sharing the ball is emphasized and where he will be able to knock down spot up threes. He has two way potential, and these guys are definitely worth taking a chance on anywhere in the second round, maybe even late first.
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