Greg Brown: I have mixed feelings on Brown because during measurements and athletic testing, he looked amazing. In fact, prior to the 5-on-5 games, I had him as a major riser because he looked like an elite, explosive athlete. While he is those things, he was so bad in 5-on-5, I couldn’t imagine any GM watching him and thinking he’s a first round talent. Based of his size and athleticism, he warrants a pick, but not in the 25 picks. Late first to mid-second rounder.
DJ Steward: Before the combine, Steward appeared to be in the late second-to-UFA range. He had a very forgettable season at Duke, so any draft consideration would be primarily based on his high school exploits. However, he weighed in at only 163 lbs, then proceeded to play terribly in 5-on-5. He had more TOs than assists, and shot just 4/17 FG. Returning to Duke or transferring appear to be his only options at this point. UFA.
Daishen Nix: Admittedly, Nix is one of my favorite players, as I like his size, decision-making, and enjoyed watching him progress in the G-League this year. Word out of his camp was that he had lost about 20 lbs, and his new physique would help his quickness and athleticism shine. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to translate how he hoped, as Nix looked very pedestrian and shot poorly, reinforcing one of the major concerns about his game. Likely projects as a high-upside project, to be selected int he early-to-mid second round.
Matthew Hurt: The Duke stretch 4 progressed as the played out, seeing a significant boost to his game after Jalen Johnson’s departure from the program. In fact, he progressed enough to see his name rise to early second round on most draft boards. But after measuring well (6-10), he was just average in games and actually recorded the highest body fat percentage of the entire combine. What should have been an opportunity to display his sweet shooting, resulted in teams questioning his work ethic. Late second round.
Max Abmas: The darling of the NCAA tournament saw his stock take a hit, as he measured just 5-10 without shoes and weighed in at 162 lbs. He also shot the ball very poorly, likely dashing his hopes of being a first round selection. We all saw what he could do during the tourney, so he still warrants a pick, but returning to school looks like his best option right now. Early-to-mid second round.
Jalen Johnson: The polarizing forward who spent half a season at Duke didn’t help himself by choosing to sit out the combine entirely. There are so many questions surrounding his game, attitude, and work ethic, a solid combine performance would’ve gone a long way in getting him cemented in the lottery. I’ve seen mocks have him as early as going at 7 to the Warriors, and as late as early second round. I would say post-lottery first round, where a lot of “high upside” guys get selected is where he’ll land.
Marcus Bagley: Like Johnson, Bagley hurt his stock by not participating. After a freshman year where he was impressive when he played, but was limited to just 12 games due to injury, he had a lot to prove. His 3-and-D potential will get him selected, but sitting and watching didn’t help his case. He also measured in at an even 6-6 without shoes, putting him much shorter than advertised. Early second round.
Davion Mitchell: The national champion didn’t play poorly like some of the other prospects on this list, nor did he cast doubts about his ability to immediately contribute. What hurt Mitchell’s stock were his measurements. The media had Mitchell listed anywhere from 6-2 to 6-4 throughout the season, but he measured at a flat 6-0 without shoes. Unfortunately, his wingspan was only 6-4, so he didn’t make up much ground there, either. He has a great motor and defensive instincts, but his pedestrian measurements will limit his ability to be a true wing defender, and coupled with his age (22+), his upside seems a bit limited to undersized combo guard. He goes from early lottery to late lottery/mid-first round status.
Hayden Coombs 