No. 20: Tyler Kolek, Guard, Marquette
Another older prospect in consideration in the first round, it’s hard to balance the historical disappointment of older prospects with the realities of NIL money keeping players in college longer than before. Tyler Kole’s is a good test of this, one of the best players in college basketball last season and a proven scorer and playmaker as a classic point guard who could benefit a lot of teams as their long-term backup, and potentially could develop into a solid starter.
No. 21: Rob Dillingham, Guard, Kentucky
Rob Dillingham is one of the best pure scorers in the draft, a lightning-quick guard who can get to the cup or pull up for a jumper. His passing is good enough that he could develop into a pure point guard and he can thrive on or off-ball as a shooter. The problem is that he is barely six feet tall and is likely to be the kind of defensive liability who just can't start on a good team, relegating him into the range of Bones Hyland at the low end or Lou Williams at the high end.
No. 22: Yves Missi, Big, Baylor
Ordering a big man at IKEA and then assembling him at home could result in something like Yves Missi, a 6’11” high-flying athlete with a 7’2” wingspan and a love for swatting shots away on defense. He is raw, his offensive game is underdeveloped and he fouls a ton, but the potential is there if the right team can mold it.
No. 23: Johnny Furphy, Forward, Kansas
Johnny Furphy is 6’7” with a smooth jump shot and plays hard on defense. On the other hand, he doesn’t know how to do much else on offense, and on defense he was frequently barbecued by opposing players due to a lack of foot speed and strength. He’s a project, and the end result may not be worth the squeeze.