Raptors draft: 4 quality Big 12 prospects not named Cade Cunningham

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 12: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys controls the ball as Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 12: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys controls the ball as Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Davion Mitchell, Baylor, Toronto Raptors
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 05: Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Jared Butler may be a better prospect than McBride or Shannon, but to keep our Baylor PG quota at one, we’ll focus on Mitchell, who will almost assuredly be picked in the lottery after making 56% of his shots and 45% of his 3-point attempts for a Bears team that ended the season as the kings of college basketball.

Butler might’ve scored more, and MaCio Teague might be a bit more experienced, but Mitchell’s lethal 3-point shot in addition to some lockdown perimeter defense and incisive passing has seen him leap up draft boards, and a strong month of March help crystallize the notion he will be an instant impact player on offense

Could the Toronto Raptors pick Davion Mitchell in the first round?

There will be some concerns about how much of his improved 2020 production represents a tangible upward trend and how much was a flash in the pan, but that shouldn’t be enough to deter a point-guard needy team from

Raptors fans may be a bit nervous about a Mitchell selection, as taking him would mean both saying goodbye to Lowry and adding a third undersized two-way guard next to VanVleet and Flynn, but Mitchell looks like one of the safer prospects in this draft. If the front office wants instant contributions, he might be the best option available.