A full Friday of news, plus an NBA mock draft

SEC-Big 12 matchups announced, NCAA plans portal revisions, Pete Nance nears a decision and much more.

June 17, 2022

Former Davidson star guard Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors won another NBA championship, beating Boston in six games. That officially opens the NBA offseason, starting with NBA Draft on June 23. Speculation is ramping up. Predictions and mocks are in full force. That includes here at the Field of 68, which hosted a mock first-round draft yesterday evening.

Check out the results of those 30 picks, as well as some other notable news and notables in college basketball.

Let’s get to the news.

STARTING FIVE

1. Arkansas vs Baylor highlights 2023 SEC/Big 12 Challenge

In just a few years since the inaugural series, the SEC/Big 12 Challenge has surpassed the ACC vs Big Ten as the best conference series matchups. Maybe it’s because it’s in January — during the heart of college basketball season — instead of November/December.

Next season’s matchups look just as appealing, featuring several projected Top 25 battles. The three that stand out among the 10 matchups include Texas vs Tennessee, Kansas vs Kentucky, and Arkansas vs Baylor. The battle of the blue bloods (Kansas/Kentucky) happens at least once every three years due to the Champions Classic, so there’s some natural fatigue on paper seeing it.

For Orange and defense lovers, the Vols and Longhorns should be a good matchup. The guard showdown of Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr against Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi could decide the overall game. But Tennessee plays a middle-of-the-road pace and Texas ranks towards the very bottom so it may not be the best on the eyes.

Arkansas and Baylor stand out for several reasons. Both programs are fresh off March success, with the Razorbacks coming off back-to-back Elite 8 appearances and the Bears winning the 2021 national championship. Plus, there’s a ton of talent.

Baylor features Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer (part of Field of 68 Top 25 players list), along with incoming 5-star freshman Keyonte George. Arkansas has a trio of 5-star freshmen coming in (Anthony Black, Nick Smith, Jordan Walsh), along with five impact transfers that include Trevon Brazlie (Missouri) and Jalen Graham (Arizona State).

With that assortment of ballers, both are likely preseason Top 10 teams. Will Arkansas vs Baylor end up as the best game of the Challenge? We’ll have to wait until January to find out.

2. Pete Nance or GG Jackson?

Pete Nance, the top player remaining in the transfer portal, is on an official visit to North Carolina and there’s lots of smoke about a potential commitment.

The 6-10 versatile forward would be a natural replacement for Brady Manek and could be what lifts the Tar Heels to a No. 1 preseason ranking.

But is there a chance that UNC has another option? Rumors about 5-star prospect GG Jackson potentially reclassifying to play next season are flying. The 6-9 forward committed to the Tar Heels this offseason and is ranked in the top-5 overall and is a potential future NBA Draft lottery pick.

Travis Branham of 247sports reports that Jackson doesn’t intend of moving up a class. This makes sense, assuming that Nance does indeed commit to North Carolina soon. Whether there was truth to the rumors with Jackson probably depended on the portal. Had Nance ended up at Gonzaga, Illinois, or elsewhere, maybe the 5-star recruit could’ve moved up to become that fifth starter.

After seeing rival Duke get its own 2023 commit Tyrese Proctor to move up a class last week, maybe the Tar Heels and Jackson had similar plans. But Nance is the better option next year and would be a one-year rental, allowing Jackson to still be the clear starting power forward for the 2023-24 season.

Either way, North Carolina should be in good shape at the power forward position no matter what.

3. Is Bobby Pettiford the answer at PG for Kansas?

This week’s set of rankings for the Field of 68’s social media platform concerns “breakout star candidates” for next season. To make the cut, a player has to average fewer than 10 ppg last season. The countdown has made it to 10-6, with five guards making the cut.

The player that stands out in this bunch is Bobby Pettiford, a former top-100 prospect who scored a total of 19 points in 14 games as a freshman. He was in a crowded backcourt on the national champion Kansas Jayhawks that included Remy Martin, Jalen Coleman-Lands, and Dajuan Harris Jr.

Although Coleman-Lands and Martin, are gone, there’s still some competition. Former Drake guard Joseph Yesufu didn’t play much last season but figures to be part of the equation going forward. Harris is back, and then there’s Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar, who could take some ball-handling duties at Kansas.

The Jayhawks have a top-10 caliber roster and yet could have an open competition at the point guard position in the preseason. Pettiford could either be the lead guard that leads the team to a deep run in March or be the third ball-handler on the depth chart. It’s definitely a storyline to watch that’ll have a big impact on the team.

4. Transfer portal “windows” coming soon?

According to the release, the NCAA intends “to stabilize the transfer environment,” meaning they want to create windows for player movement. There were limited specifics about enforcement and whether players who enter outside a potential “window” can and/or get a waiver through other means. The only current deadline for players to notify schools (if they want to retain automatic eligibility) is May 1 of the academic year.

The Board of Directors is expected to vote when it meets in August.

While there always can be portal process improvements, there will always be dynamics that complicate things. What if a team adds 4 to 5 transfers after the window closes and a player or two realizes their playing time could be limited — and ultimately enters the portal? Would they have to sit out a year? And what about the grad transfers who should have the right to move freely? What about players who are concurrently evaluating the NBA Draft process?

Let’s see what the NCAA does, but there aren’t any simple solutions.

5. BYU hoping Jaxson Robinson becomes Alex Barcello 2.0

It’s been a somewhat quiet offseason for the soon-to-be Big 12 program, having landed just one transfer (Rudi Williams from Coastal Carolina). They missed a few others, including Detroit’s all-time leading scorer Antoine Davis. That changed Thursday.

Robinson, a former top-50 prospect, played 30 games in two seasons at both Texas A&M and Arkansas, averaging just over 2.0 ppg at around 10 mpg. After Ricky Council joined the Razorbacks, the 6-6 guard/wing entered the portal late to the Cougars’ benefit. They hope his performance rebounds similar to Alex Barcello, who posted similar numbers in limited minutes for two years at Arizona, before transferring to BYU and becoming a 2-time All-WCC player and one of the country’s best shooters.

Still, there’s one important difference. He’ll get one season in the WCC, then BYU moves to the Big 12. Will Robinson struggle against similar competition to the SEC?

TRIVIA TIME

Keegan Murray ending Iowa ignominy

When Keegan Murray is drafted next week, he could surpass Fred Brown (sixth overall, 1971) as the highest-drafted Iowa player in school history. He’s currently projected anywhere from 4th to 7th, making him a first-round lock.

When was the last time a Hawkeye was drafted in the first round?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

THE FIELD OF 68 MOCK DRAFT

How the 2022 NBA Draft could play out

The Field of 68 offered the ideal appetizer to Game 6 of the NBA Finals — six experts drafting the NBA Draft’s first round.

Those experts included Jeremy Woo (SI.com), Sam Vecinie (The Athletic), Ryan McDonough (former NBA exec, now with Audacy), Matt Babcock (BasketballNews), along with Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster. (OK, four certified experts.) There’s a full rundown below, mixed in with analysis and videos. How’d they do? Comment here, @ us on Twitter, or on YouTube, where you can re-watch the entire draft.

1. Jabari Smith, Magic (Jeremy Woo)2. Chet Holmgren, Thunder (Jeff Goodman)3. Paolo Banchero, Rockets (Sam Vecenie) 4. Jaden Ivey, Kings (Ryan McDonough)

The first three picks went as expected. No. 4 is where the fun really begins. And the player taken is Ivey, the star guard from Purdue who likes to have the ball in his hands. Would he be a good fit with De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt?

5. Keegan Murray, Pistons (Rob Dauster)6. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers (Matt Babcock)7. Dyson Daniels, Blazers (Woo)8. Jeremy Sochan, Pelicans (Woo)9. Shaedon Sharpe, Spurs (Dauster)

The player with the most draft intrigue is Sharpe, a former No. 1 recruit out of high school who didn’t play a minute for Kentucky. If development is what he needs, there are few better places he’ll it at than Gregg Popovich and San Antoino.

10. Ochai Agbaji, Wizards (McDonough)

Maybe the NBA has softened its stance on college seniors and them going in the lottery. Agbaji gradually improved his offense at Kansas and always was a quality defender. But do the Wizards need another potential role player with not much of a ceiling or should they take a swing at a Johnny Davis, who was still available? There’s always a surprise in the lottery and in this exercise, Agbaji was it at 10.

11. Johnny Davis, Knicks (Babcock)12. A.J. Griffin, Thunder (Goodman)13. Ousmane Dieng, Hornets (Woo)14. Malaki Branham, Cavaliers (Babcock)

On a team with a crowded backcourt and another first-round pick (E.J. Liddell), Branham emerged as a star for Ohio State. The shooting guard has star potential and if the Cavaliers do decide to move on from Colin Sexton this offseason, the former Buckeye could develop into a 20 ppg and be a key part of the young core.

15. Mark Williams, Hornets (Woo)16. Jalen Duren, Hawks (McDonough)

It’s a testament to where the modern-day NBA game is that no true center was drafted in the lottery. But both Williams and Duren were taken by a pair of teams that made Eastern Conference play-in games. Which big has the better chance of succeeding with their respective teams?

17. TyTy Washington, Rockets (Vecenie)18. Tari Eason, Bulls (Babcock)19. E.J. Liddell, Timberwolves (Goodman)20. Jalen Williams, Spurs (Dauster)

It’s not just Gonzaga that has NBA talent in the WCC. The Santa Clara guard has all the tools and measurables scouts love. He’s someone casual fans may not know about but could be the next mid-major to NBA star.

21. Dalen Terry, Nuggets (Vecenie)22. Kennedy Chandler, Grizzlies (McDonough)

As McDonough points out, the Grizzlies may be in need of a backup point guard to Ja Morant, and landing someone in their backyard makes real sense. Chandler was effective in his lone year at Tennessee. While size may be an issue, he has proven he can score and create his own offense. It fits a need and has low risk.

23. Blake Wesley, 76ers (Goodman)24. Walker Kessler, Bucks (Goodman)

Turns out the former UNC Tar Heel did make the right decision in transferring to Auburn, where he led the country in blocks. As Brook Lopez gets longer in the tooth, finding a defensive big man like Kessler is good value for the Bucks.

25. Christian Koloko, Spurs (Dauster)26. Jaden Hardy, Rockets (Vecenie)

Remember the former 5-star prospect who picked the NBA G-League over Kentucky and Memphis a year ago? If No. 26 is the range Hardy ends up in, do you think he’d take a do-over between college and the early pro-route?

27. Marjon Beauchamp, Heat (Babcock)28. Wendell Moore, Warriors (Dauster)

The fourth Duke player to get drafted, Moore was a McDonald’s All-American who got benched as a sophomore, then became an all-around playmaker and was pivotal during the Final Four run. Jeremy Woo called Moore “underrated,” which makes sense considering the previous picks.

29. Nikola Jovic, Grizzlies (McDonough)30. Jake LaRavia Thunder (Vecinie)

MORE ON THE NBA DRAFT

What’s Keegan Murray’s ceiling?

More on Keegan! The All-American Iowa forward shot well from the outside (37% in two seasons, but 40% last season from beyond the arc), and at 6-8 and 225 pounds, he can rebound and do some interior work in the more wide-open NBA.

But, as Terrence Oglesby and Jeff Goodman discuss in the video below, there are concerns about his overall athleticism and ability to create his own shot. Where does he play in the pros? Here’s a deep dive into Murray.

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Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily. Have a great weekend.

Trivia answer: Ricky Davis, 1998