Isaiah Evans arrived at the NBA draft expecting to become a first-round pick after a two-year stay at Duke. Instead, he sat through a difficult Tuesday night in the green room without hearing his name called by the league commissioner to join him on the stage in New York.
That means the floor-spacing guard will join Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas and North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar on the list of top talents still available entering Wednesday night’s second round.
Evans had a seat in the green room — an honour designated for likely first-round picks — and was shown on the ESPN broadcast at a table featuring a gold basketball sporting his name. He wore a dark double-breasted suit featuring millions of dollars in diamonds between a broach and a chain, according to the New York Post.
He was considered a first-round prospect before he elevated his game last year, averaging 15 points while shooting 38 per cent on threes in two seasons. He had a highlight moment with a clutch final-minute winner to beat reigning national champion Florida, and the most pressing concern was a need to add strength to a six-foot-six, 186-pound frame to handle physical play.
Unfortunately, Evans was left waiting.
Here’s a look at other top prospects available when the two-day draft resumes with the NBA champion New York Knicks on the clock:
Thomas was the No. 2 scorer (15.6) for the Razorbacks as wingman to eventual No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.
Notably, the six-foot-three, 190-pound freshman guard shook off a slow start from outside to shoot 47.9 per cent from three-point range (56-of-117) after Christmas, a 25-game stretch spanning the Razorbacks’ run to the SEC Tournament title and the Sweet 16.
Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
The fourth-year junior from Estonia had a breakout year (17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds) for the Tar Heels after transferring from Arizona.
Veesaar has a desired skillset by NBA execs: a big man (six-foot-11, 227) with range. He shot 42.6 per cent on threes (40-of-94) at UNC, coming after shooting just 31.6 per cent (19-of-60) from behind the arc in two seasons at Arizona. He earned an “Excellent” rating from Synergy for his catch-and-shoot jumper and runs the floor well.
The six-foot-five, 205-pound senior wing is known for his outside shot after shooting 37.6 per cent on threes last year and 43.2 per cent as a junior. Synergy rates his jumper as “Excellent” (89th percentile), with spot-ups accounting for 35.2 per cent of his possessions last year.
The most pressing concern for Saunders has been his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in February.
The senior forward from Spain has intriguing length with a six-foot-11, 208-pound frame featuring a nearly seven-foot-two wingspan. He was one of eight combine players with a standing reach of nine-foot-three or better.
Miller played at Florida State and Florida Atlantic before averaging 13.0 points and ranking ninth nationally in rebounding (10.3) with the Bearcats.
The six-foot-three, 208-pound redshirt senior thrived in a system built around defence and toughness under veteran coach Kelvin Sampson. The guard averaged a career-best 15.5 points and made the Big 12’s all-defensive team last year.
He also shot 38.1 per cent on threes over the past three seasons as a full-time starter.
Jack Kayil, Alba Berlin (Germany)
The six-foot-five, 185-pound combo guard is an international prospect who originally signed with Gonzaga.
He averaged 12.5 points and 3.4 assists in Germany’s Bundesliga top league last season. He worked as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls on 33.9 per cent of his possessions last season, according to Synergy.
The senior is an elite playmaker who was a second-team AP All-American and broke the Division I career assists record held by former Duke star Bobby Hurley since 1993.
Smith ranked second nationally in assists as a sophomore (7.5), junior (8.7) and senior (8.8). And he’s a career 38.5 per cent three-point shooter. The major concern with Smith is size; he was the shortest (five-foot-10) and lightest (167) player measured at the combine.
— Ryan Conwell: The six-foot-four, 215-pound senior guard averaged 17.3 points over his last three seasons, including a career-best scoring average (18.8) last year as a second-team AP all-ACC pick at Louisville. He has 347 career three-pointers made.
— Bruce Thornton: The six-foot, 223-pound senior guard is Ohio State’s all-time scoring leader. He averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 55.4 per cent last year, and he shot 41.2 per cent on threes over the last two seasons.
— Felix Okpara: The six-foot-10, 237-pound senior from Tennessee projects as a rim-running lob threat and defender. He was named to the SEC’s all-defensive team, has a seven-foot-two wingspan and ranked fourth at the combine for standing reach (nine-foot-four).
— Trevon Brazile: The six-foot-10, 226-pound fifth-year senior from Arkansas also projects as a rim runner and lob threat. He averaged 13.0 points, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals last year. He also ranked third at the combine in standing vertical leap (36.0 inches) and tied for fifth in max vertical (41.5) to go with a nearly seven-foot-four wingspan.
— Ugonna Onyenso: The six-foot-11, 237-pound senior centre from Virginia could be worth a flier as an elite rim protector with a nearly seven-foot-five wingspan. Notably, he hounded top pro prospect Cameron Boozer of Duke to 13 points on 3-for-17 shooting while blocking four of his shots in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title game.
