Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyle Guy and Malachi Richardson, three names that made for surprising college exits to the NBA. It happens every season and this year is nothing outside of the norm.
In this week’s The Evans Seven, we assess a slew of intriguing draft prospects that have forced their respective coaching staffs to proactively fill a hole on their roster that they didn’t believe would need to be filled earlier in the fall.
MORE: Latest on Omuruyi, Smith
Jared Butler - Baylor
Situation: Scott Drew struck late in the recruiting process two years ago with Jared Butler. After signing with Alabama, Butler got out of his letter of intent and quickly committed to the Bears. At the time, chances are Drew thought that Butler would be with him for just two years would have been minimal. However, Baylor currently sits as the best team in America thanks to Butler, who has continually upped his per-game averages of close to 17 points, three rebounds and three assists.
The Fix: Going the ultimate small ball route this year, Drew could revert back to more traditional lineups. However, seeing that things have worked out so swimmingly this winter, maybe he doesn’t and plugs Presbyterian transfer Adam Flagler into his guard-heavy lineup. In his lone college season last year, though the competition level was a step down, Flagler produced similar stat lines at the Big South program as Butler currently maintains for the Bears. Flagler, alongside incoming three-star guard LJ Cryer who has been on a tear scoring the ball this high school season, are the two immediate fixes for the likely loss of Butler to the professional ranks.
Mason Jones - Arkansas
Situation: Maybe the two-and-out campaign was easier to see from Isaiah Joe, but Mason Jones’ breakout this winter was something that not many even in Fayetteville could have predicted. Jones, a product of the junior college ranks, could ride the hot wave into an NBA Draft selection in June thanks to solid averages of 18 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Fix: Maybe Eric Musselman knew he would have to replace Joe after the season but Jones’ spot was not on his mind. Now it is.
Thankfully for the first year Hawgs’ head coach, he signed Davonte Davis in the fall, and also holds the commitment from Moses Moody. The four-star duo should be able to pitch in immediately and it would not be a shocker if Musselman went the grad-transfer route in adding greater experience to his underclassmen backcourt that will also be backed by Rivals150 senior KK Robinson.
Aaron Nesmith - Vanderbilt
Situation: Nesmith was on some draft boards entering the season but his hand may have been forced with how productive he has been up until this point. While his sophomore year may be complete due to a stress fracture in his right foot, Nesmith has been one of the most efficient perimeter scorers in the game. A giant 6-foot-6 wing that can slide up or down a position, the Vanderbilt star connected on over four 3-pointers per game, while making them at a 52-percent clip. His versatility and defensive rebounding only enhance his standing as a first-round draft selection.
The Fix: A few weeks into SEC play and without a win, Jerry Stackhouse is looking at a long rebuild in Nashville, but there is some talent on the way. It is never easy to be a middling squad and lose your best player, but Stackhouse did a good job earlier in the summer and fall thanks to the enrollment of Notre Dame transfer DJ Harvey and signing Rivals150 forward Myles Stute in November. The two will be leaned on heavily next year and even more so now with the likely departure of Nesmith to the NBA.
Zeke Nnaji - Arizona
Situation: In the fall, if Sean Miller was told that he was going to lose two freshmen to the NBA, the names of Nico Mannion and Josh Green would have come to mind first. While both are slated to be picked within the early portions of June’s draft, Zeke Nnaji is all but gone for the league, too, thanks to a tremendous run of production and efficiency seen during his freshman year.
The Fix: Averaging over 16 points and eight rebounds, while making close to 66 percent of his shots from the field, Nnaji was expected to be the multi-year answer for the Wildcats in the frontcourt. Think again. Now, little used Christian Koloko will be asked to come along a bit sooner and Jordan Brown, a former McDonald’s All-American sitting out this year due to transfer restrictions, must hit the ground running. Asking for someone that averaged just three points and two rebounds at a MWC program to be the go-to guy next year may be a bit too much, but that may now be reality with Nnaji’s unexpected leap.
Isaac Okoro - Auburn
Situation: The No. 31 prospect in the 2019 class, Isaac Okoro was a giant score for Bruce Pearl on the recruiting front and while he had come to love his toughness and the consistency that he went about competing, I am not sure the Auburn coach foresaw a one-and-done year. Not only does Okoro impact the game on the offensive end to the tune of 13 points and close to five rebounds, but also as a defender. He is someone that can and wants to guard the opposing team’s best scorer, which is why he is now a potential lottery pick.
The Fix: Finding a replacement for Okoro has not been a seamless approach. Freshmen wings Allen Flannigan and uber-athlete Devan Cambridge have showed they are capable in spurts, but together are averaging just under seven points combined. Maybe that is why the Tigers have placed a heavy priority on Greg Brown. The five-star would be the answer to Auburn’s needs at the 3-4 position and would likely steady the ship after Okoro’s rather surprising one-and-done year on The Plains.
Onyeka Okungwu - USC
Situation: He was a five-star prospect for a reason, so Andy Enfield had to have an inkling that there was some chance that Onyeka Okungwu would burst onto the scene and potentially make for a one-and-done campaign. However, he was the lowest rated of the two big men that enrolled in the fall, the other being Isaiah Mobley, whose brother, Evan Mobley, is the nation’s top prospect in the 2020 class and the immediate plug-in for Okungwu next year
The Fix: Luckily for Enfield, having the blue-chip Mobley signed could not have come at a better time. Mobley and Okungwu might make for similar stat lines, but will also do it in different ways. If there is a program in America that can lose someone in the mold of Okungwu, it is USC because of the talents of Mobley who should bring a dynamic, transcendent skill set and abilities next season.
Daniel Oturu - Minnesota
Situation: Daniel Oturu was a solid presence for Minnesota last year, but what he has done during his sophomore season is one of the more impressive developments within the college game.
Arguably a top-five frontline player in the sport, Oturu was been nothing short of dominant of late. In his last five Big Ten games, he has averaged 25.2 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Better yet, he is no longer just a throwback post but someone that has extended the range on his jumper and after attempting just two perimeter attempts last year, has made 10 this season; his NBA Draft stock is inching towards the first round.
The Fix: Replacing Oturu and his numbers with just one man will not be easy and is rather inconceivable. Instead, Richard Pitino is hoping that a finally healthy Eric Curry can pitch in where needed, and that Sam Freeman, a lightly used big man that has played in just four games this season, can also be a factor. The Gophers signed Rivals150 center Martice Mitchell in the fall and while he doesn’t possess the muscle of Oturu, he also displays a more versatile skill set and defensive potential.
