NBA Scouts Have 'Growing Interest' in Javon Small, per College Hoops Insider

Jevon Small was expected to be a key piece to West Virginia's success in year one of the Darian DeVries era, but I'm not sure anyone had in mind that he would be this good, being firmly in the mix for the Big 12 Player of the Year award.

Through the first 25 games of the season, Small is averaging 18.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game and is shooting an efficient ball, connecting on 42% of shots from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc. Considering the attention he gets on a nightly basis, producing those types of numbers makes what he's done all the more impressive.

Since Tucker DeVries went down with a shoulder injury back in December, much of the offensive workload has been on Small. If he has an off night or is completely taken out of the game offensively due to smothering coverage, WVU doesn't stand much of a chance.

Feb 5, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) speaks with West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Darian DeVries during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The upsets over Kansas and Iowa State don't happen without Small, and you can probably make the assumption that the Mountaineers wouldn't even be in position to make the NCAA Tournament if it weren't for him.

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla had some conversations with some important people at the NBA level last night regarding Small and shared what he learned in a post on X.

"I talked to some of the 35 NBA scouts last night at the Baylor & Arizona game, and there’s growing interest in WVU's Javon Small. He’s almost single-handedly keeping the Mountaineers in NCAA contention & in my Top 3 for Big 12 Conference POY."

According to most mock drafts out there, Small is not projected to be selected in the two-round NBA draft later this summer. If he continues at this pace and balls out in private workouts, it's difficult to see how he wouldn't hear his name called.

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