There was a reason that most everyone in the NBA Draft sphere was glowing about this upcoming class, and it was on full display over the course of this week. For the first time in NCAA Basketball history, three true freshmen scored 40 or more points on the same day.
It’s a good year to have a good pick in the NBA Draft. Depending on what the Mavericks do at the trade deadline, they might have both a pretty good pick, multiple picks, or both. Here’s to hoping!
Prospect of the week: Keaton Wagler (Guard, Illinois)
Saturday vs Purdue: 46 points (13-of-17 from the floor, 9 made threes, 4 assists)
Wagler is somewhat of a revelation. This is a player who had two high major offers coming out of high school, in Minnesota and Illinois. He chose the Illini, and Wagler has been nothing short of fantastic. In averaging over 17 points per contest, Wagler is shooting nearly 48% from the field and almost 44% from deep. He also contributes five rebounds and four assists per contest.
The best part about Wagler is that he’s only gotten better as he and the Illini have made their way into Big Ten play. In the non-conference slate, Wagler was largely fine, but he had his ups and downs. Since then, Wagler is regularly receiving 30 minutes per game. Clearly, it’s working. His 46 point eruption in their win over Purdue on Saturday was magical.
Wagler has gone from a draft unknown to a potential mid-lottery pick. Given his 6’6” frame, there’s a lot to like. The weight (just 180 pounds) is obviously a concern, but with his height, there is room to grow there. Athletically, he reminds me a lot of Christian Anderson Jr. from Texas Tech. He’s just solid. I suspect that as the season rolls on, Wagler’s draft stock will only get better and better.
Games of the week
Louisville at Duke - 6 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Arizona at BYU - 8 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Mikel Brown Jr. returned to the lineup last week. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Mikel Brown Jr. returned to the lineup last week. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Big Monday makes its triumphant return to our lives with a couple of fantastic games featuring some of the best prospects in the country. Mikel Brown Jr. returned for Louisville on Saturday, meaning we should have a stacked deck for the Cards against Cam Boozer and Duke. Then in the nightcap, we’ll have Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and the Cats on the road to face AJ Dybantsa and BYU. Will be fun!
Nebraska at Michigan - 6 p.m. CT (Peacock)
Arkansas at Oklahoma - 6 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Nebraska will put their undefeated record on the line at Michigan, who will be a big favorite here. The Huskers don’t have anyone who will be a first round talent, but they do a lot well under former NBA coach Fred Hoiberg. Michigan has the NBA talent, but they haven’t played that well as of late. The late game features Darius Acuff on the road in Norman to face OU. Arkansas has been pretty bad on the road, so we’ll see if Acuff and the Hogs can flip the script.
USC at Iowa - 6 p.m. CT (BTN)
Houston at TCU - 8 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
We haven’t talked much about Bennett Stirtz and Iowa (full transparency, simply because I wouldn’t draft him in the lottery). However, if you are the Mavericks and you acquire an extra top 20 pick, Stirtz is an interesting option. He’s an older guard that has played a lot of ball, but he’s not the high level athlete you are looking for. He could be a plug and play guard for a lot of teams, though, and that’s a win in the Draft. Houston then comes to Fort Worth off the loss at Texas Tech. We’ll see how Kingston Flemings follows up his 42-point game.
Michigan at Michigan State - 7 p.m. CT (FOX)
Stand alone marquee games on Friday are fantastic, and this one should be no different.
Texas at Oklahoma - 1 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
BYU at Kansas - 3:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images
Aaron Baker-Imagn Images
Saturday is relatively light compared to our lengthy standards, but we’ve got an absolute banger set for 3:30p at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. AJ Dybantsa and BYU. Darryn Peterson and Kansas. National TV game on ESPN with no other marquee games around. This is what we were looking forward to all season. Seeing potentially the top two picks square off on a January afternoon will be fantastic. Before that, keep an eye on Texas at OU. Dailyn Swain has been playing very well for the Horns as of late.
Alabama at Florida - 12 p.m. CT (ABC)
Illinois at Nebraska - 7 p.m. CT (FS1)
Two guard prospects that Mavs fans should get familiar with will be on display Sunday. First, Alabama’s Labaron Philon Jr. is on the road at Florida, who took a shocking loss at home to Auburn last Saturday. Then at night, Keaton Wagler and the Illini face off with Nebraska, who very may well have a loss on their resume by this point. What a great week of hoops ahead!