Sports Illustrated Releases NBA Draft Top 100 Big Board, Two UCLA Prospects Featured
The NBA Draft is less than seven weeks away, and a few Bruins remain in the pool of players who could hear their names called on the stage in Brooklyn.
UCLA men's basketball wings Peyton Watson and Johnny Juzang are the highest-rated players coming out of Westwood this year, both having declared in April instead of returning to close out their college careers. Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo released his Top 100 Big Board on Thursday, and both Bruins found themselves in range to possibly go in the second round.
Watson came in at No. 39, while Juzang came in at No. 81.
Guard Jules Bernard – who declared for the draft in April while retaining his collegiate eligibility – did not appear in Woo's top 100, but many believe Bernard is lining up a return to Westwood after testing the waters.
Watson moved up from No. 42 in the previous rankings, coming off a season in which he averaged 3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 0.6 steals in 12.7 minutes per game for the Bruins. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound wing shot just 32.2% from the field and 22.6% from deep as a freshman, but his length, athleticism and supposed high ceiling are what could stand out to NBA teams in June.
Here is what Woo had to say about Watson's outlook:
Watson remains a potential upside pick in wake of a frustrating season in which he was mothballed in UCLA’s rotation despite entering as a five-star recruit. The lack of playing time made it difficult for teams to get a feel for his progress, and there’s factually not much of a production sample for anyone to place stock in. There was little opportunity for him to build confidence, and he had little freedom to make mistakes on a veteran team. Watson is a toolsy two-way forward who did have some flashes of high-level defensive potential, and while he hasn’t done enough to project comfortably as a first-rounder, it wouldn’t be crazy for an interested team to take a chance. This will ultimately come down to how he performs in the predraft process.
Woo only wrote summaries and previews for the top 60 prospects, so Juzang did not receive a scouting report or breakdown.
The third-year guard averaged 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on .436/.356/.854 shooting splits across his two years at UCLA after transferring from Kentucky. Juzang made waves when he led the Bruins to the Final Four in 2021 with 22.8 points per game in the NCAA tournament, and he once again led the team in points per game as a junior.
Juzang made the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2021 before achieving First Team status in 2022, in addition to making the NABC's All-American Third Team to cap off his collegiate career.
Watson, Juzang and Bernard are expected to participate in the NBA Combine, which takes place in Chicago from May 16 to May 22.
The 2022 NBA Draft is set for June 23.
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