Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham entered the season as the clear No. 1 pick in next year's NBA Draft, but Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs seems to be focused on crashing that party. The two freshmen are clearly college basketball’s best NBA prospects and buzz is starting to build around which player will be a better pro.
Today, Rivals national basketball analysts Rob Cassidy and Dan McDonald debate which fantastic freshman should go No. 1 overall on draft day.
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MORE CASSIDY: Final thoughts from Prep Showcase
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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Cassidy’s view: Cunningham
Suggs is probably the better player as things stand but Cunningham has a higher upside and should still be the top pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
Cunningham’s well-rounded skillset is a bit more rare, and he’ll be more developed and tested by the time he wraps up a season in the Big 12. Cunningham’s length and position make him more versatile than Suggs, even if the Gonzaga star is a better scorer in the long term, which I’m not conceding will be the case.
Both players have been fantastic and will remain effective in the NBA, but somebody has to go No. 1, and it should be Cunningham.
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McDonald’s View: Suggs
I like Suggs both now and long term. He's obviously off to a terrific start at Gonzaga and playing with a better supporting cast than Cunningham, but it's all the traits he's shown that have intrigued about his NBA potential.
He's a legitimate 6-foot-4 and plays strong. His scoring prowess has long been known as a strength, but he's also shown really good court vision and feel this year. He cares about being a good player on the defensive end.
If the team that ends up with the No. 1 pick needs a guard, I'd be all in favor of taking Suggs.
