Draft legacy

Could the 2023 NBA draft be an all-timer? Plus, West Virginia tries to retain its roster, and UCLA

Author

Mike Miller
June 20, 2023

Just a few more days until the 2023 NBA Draft, which means there’s still time to do your draft homework. I’ll even help you out with today’s first headline.

1. How good is this 2023 NBA Draft?

The Victor Wembanyama hype for the 2023 NBA Draft has been the black hole for more than a year, sucking in every possible angle and opinion about how good he’ll be as a pro.

What about beyond Wembanyama?

Scoot Henderson is seen by many analysts as a generational talent in his own right. His mix of size, athleticism and body control has earned him Derrick Rose comparisons. Without Wembanyama, he’d be a no-brainer top pick.

Beyond those two, you’ll find plenty of love for Brandon Miller, Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson as elite prospects capable of being future All-Stars.

Is that a grouping that sounds like 2003? 1984? Somewhere close?

As noted in our NBA mock draft show above, the top of the 2023 draft is elite and should be viewed that way. Whether it stacks up against the two greatest draft classes in the last 40 years is another story.

For that, the rest of the draft might have to measure up.

The guys like Anthony Black and Jarace Walker need to blossom. Guys like Nick Smith need to stay healthy. And guys like Andre Jackson and Dereck Lively II need to find the right fits.

There are questions about every player. Always are. The only thing I know for sure is that I wish we’d have gotten to see more of these guys play a year of college hoops.

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2. West Virginia works to retain its roster

While West Virginia starts its coaching search to replace Bob Huggins, there’s quite a bit of intrigue around what happens to its transfer-laden 2023-24 roster.

The players have 30 days to decide if they’ll enter the transfer portal. For the five incoming transfers — Kerr Kriisa, Jesse Edwards, Raequan Battle, Jose Perez and Omar Silverio — not to mention returning starters, Tre Mitchell and Joe Toussaint, it’s a tough decision for their future without knowing who’s going to be on the sidelines next season.

That’s where a couple of former West Virginia players came in.

It reportedly was a productive meeting, though who knows how impactful it’ll be.

The most significant move would be making a coaching hire ASAP so the players can evaluate where they want to be. Whether that’s elevating coach Ron Everhart (a safe move, especially given the timing) or grabbing a former assistant, it’s a tricky game to play if you’re deciding based on what players will do.

As John Fanta noted, this isn’t only about next season. It’s about the future of the program.

3. UCLA keeps pace in Pac-12 International

This international arms race between Arizona and UCLA is quite the show.

Just days after Arizona added the seventh foreign-born player to its roster, the Bruins officially announced the addition of Jan Vide, a 6-6 wing from Slovenia. Vide committed last month.

He’s the third international player in their 2023 class, which also includes incoming freshman Ilane Fibleuil and transfer Lazar Stefanovic.

Vide was the MVP of the 2023 Adidas Next Generation Tournament last month in Lithuania, averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists in eight games.

"He's been very well-known and highly regarded on the international basketball scene, having won multiple awards in European competition,” coach Mick Cronin said in a release. “He's going to be able to play multiple positions for us. Certainly, he can help us score the ball and can create for others."

Vide will be the sixth foreign-born player on the UCLA roster. Adem Bona and Kenneth Nwuba are both from Nigeria, while wing Abramo Canka is from Italy. Cronin’s program has been the beneficiary of recruiting by assistant coach Ivo Simović, who was hired last June.

Maybe the schools should take a page from the Big 12’s playbook and schedule a Europe-based series when UCLA bolts for the Big Ten. I mean, the coaches are already hitting those recruiting stops. Why not get everyone some airline miles?

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