Every year around this time, I assess the Mountain West’s top NBA draft prospects. Despite the MW not having a for-sure NBA player this season, there are a handful who are potential second-round draft picks this season. The only MW player on ESPN’s top-100 Big Board is Colorado State’s Nique Clifford (No. 69) with former MW-freshmen-of-the-year-turned-Texas-Tech-stars Darrion Williams (No. 44) and JT Toppin (No. 61) also in the top 100. Here is an evaluation of the MW’s draft prospects entering this year’s homestretch.
Tier V (youngsters who need more time in college)
12. SG Tru Washington, soph., New Mexico: Washington isn’t really on the NBA radar right now but he could be there next season if he takes on a bigger role with the Lobos. He’s made a nice jump from his freshman to his sophomore season, averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He’s a smaller wing (6-4, 195) but brings defensive value and is shooting 40.4 percent from three, up from 28.2 percent last year, so he’s worth noting.
11. CG Mason Falslev, soph., Utah State: Falslev might be a tweener at the next level as a shooting guard in a point guard’s body (6-3, 190), but he has shown more playmaking ability this season (3.9 assists per game) while leading the MW in steals (2.4 per game) and upping his 3-point shooting from 30.5 percent to 41.7 percent. That’s all good growth for a player who is averaging 15.1 points efficiently while also grabbing 6.1 boards per game. He’s got NBA athleticism.
10. PF Nick Davidson, jr., Nevada: Davidson has gone from No. 3 scorer to lead dog for the Wolf Pack and still delivered 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, adding some defensive value (21 steals, 24 blocks). He’s shooting 39.6 percent from three, up from last year’s 29.2 percent. That’s key for a stretch four at the next level. Davidson doesn’t have elite athleticism, but he’s crafty around the basket and has Nevada’s best big-man footwork since Nick Fazekas.
9. PG Dedan Thomas Jr., soph., UNLV: Thomas’ numbers are in line with what he posted last season when he was co-MW freshman of the year. It’s likely he ends up a great college point guard who struggles to get into the NBA ala Colorado State’s Isaiah Stevens, who is playing in the G League. There’s nothing wrong with that. Thomas is a traditional point guard who lacks NBA size (6-1, 170), explosiveness and rim finishing (47.8 percent on “close twos”) but has the craftiness to potentially make the league.
Tier IV (Lloyd Christmas “So you’re telling me there’s a chance”)
8. SG Ian Martinez, sr., Utah State: Martinez is a fifth-year senior who has played for Utah, Maryland and now Utah State. He’s averaging a career-best 17.3 points while adding 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists, shooting 45.4/38.1/87.9. I’m not sure he does any one thing at an NBA level, but he does a lot of things well. A 6-3, 181-pound shooting guard, his physical attributes aren’t going to grade out at an NBA level. Neither would his explosiveness. But he’s a good all-around player.
7. CG Kobe Sanders, sr., Nevada: During almost every Nevada broadcast, the announcers mention Sanders as a potential NBA player, but there are questions about his athleticism and defense at that level. On the plus side, Sanders is listed as a 6-9 point guard, a position he wouldn’t play at the next level. But he’s a great mid-range shooter (44.4 percent on “long twos”) who also is shooting a respectable 36.7 percent from three. That size/shooting combo will certainly intrigue NBA teams.
Tier III (could get to the NBA with a break)
6. C Nelly Junior Joseph, sr., New Mexico: Joseph is a meat-and-potatoes big man in an NBA that doesn’t have as much use for those kinds of players as previous generations. He’s a strongly built 6-9, 230-pounder who gets almost all of his points in the paint (only 16 buckets outside “close twos”). He leads the MW at 10.6 boards per game and adds defensive value (34 steals, 41 blocks) despite not being a big-time rim protector due to limited athleticism, which will make it tough to get an NBA roster spot.
5. PF Tyson Degenhart, sr., Boise State: Degenhart is your traditional tweener as a 6-8, 235-pounder who might not have the athleticism to play on the wing or the size to play in the post. But he’s an excellent scorer (career-high 18.3 ppg this season) who is awesome inside the arc and as a cutter. His inconsistent 3-point shot — his percent has fallen each year from 42.5 to 32.8 to 31.6 to 30.9 percent — is the biggest thing holding him back from being a bonafide NBA draft pick.
Tier II (likely NBA players)
4. C Magoon Gwath, fr., San Diego State: Gwath could also fit in the “youngsters who need more time in college” category, but he should already be intriguing to NBA teams as a 7-foot freshman who is averaging 4.2 blocks per 40 minutes while making 37.2 percent of his threes. That’s a rare combination that needs at least one more year of college naturing as he puts more strength on his 205-pound frame. He could top this list next season, as long as he stays at SDSU.
3. SF Miles Byrd, soph., San Diego State: Byrd is on second-round mock drafts for this year’s draft as he caps his third season with the Aztecs. He’s a long wing (6-7, 175) who is a good defensive player but only shooting 39.3 percent from the field (and 39.4 percent in his career). He’s a career 32.2 percent shooter from three and doesn’t bring a lot of playmaking (96 assists to 69 turnovers), so I’m not sure I see the NBA forecast this season. But Byrd has the Nique Clifford starter pack.
2. PG Donovan Dent, jr., New Mexico: Dent leads the MW in scoring with 19.6 points per game on 49/36.7/77.9 percent shooting. His ball-handling is already at an above-average (if not elite) level, as is his ability to finish around the rim and getting to the free throw line. The 6-2, 170-pounder is an NBA athlete who can be a little too loose with his crafty passing (a MW-high 78 turnovers). But Dent is an NBA player. Some guys just got it. And Dent’s got it.
1. SF Nique Clifford, sr., Colorado State: Clifford is a fifth-year senior who could step into an NBA rotation sooner rather than later. He does a lot of things really well, which will allow him to find a role in the NBA. He stuffs the stat line — 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals — and does so efficiently, shooting 49.7/36.9/75.7. He’s a long 6-6, 200-pound hyper athlete who can defend a number of positions and should be able to find an NBA niche ala Nevada alum Cody Martin.
Tier I (slam-dunk NBA players)
None
Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.
