2024 NBA Draft Prospect Previews: Under the Radar Names to Know
Every year there are a few players who become NBA Draft picks - the 2023 NBA Draft first round ended up with names like Bilal Coulibaly, Brandin Podziemski and Olivier-Maxence Prosper - that surprise everyone with their meteoric rise.
Identifying those names before the season even starts is a difficult task but the following five names are prospects to monitor for varying reasons on each.
Desmond Claude
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Part of being an under the radar NBA Draft prospect is playing in the shadows one season before getting your opportunity to shine the next.
This will be the case in his sophomore season for Xavier guard, Desmond Claude.
Xavier graduated four of their top five scorers from last season's team - three of which play exclusively on the perimeter - which opens the door for Claude to show his true talent.
As you can imagine, the box score numbers will not wow you but Claude still made an impact in freshman season. The majority of that came on the defensive end where he will pick up the slack left by Colby Jones.
At 6-foot-6 he offers some versatility with his matchups while having great hands, playing with his chest on drives, showing good ball screen navigation and some of the best off the ball screen navigation you will watch.
The defensive acumen is not a question for the 20-year-old.
What he must answer - and many signs point to him doing so - this season is what he brings on the offensive end.
He shot 29% from beyond the 3-point line last year but that number was 38% in his final 13 games when you could see him getting more comfortable.
A major intrigue is that if these shooting numbers are real he can provide value playing off the ball while also possessing plenty of on the ball juice with his wiggle and change of pace when attacking defenses.
He combines all of this with an ability to run the show and consistently throw the perfect on time and on target passes to open teammates.
Payton Sandfort
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Iowa Junior, Payton Sandfort, falls into that similar storyline of an increased role and opportunity.
With the graduation of Kris Murray - and others - Sandfort will be the focal point for the Hawkeyes offense this season.
The 6-foot-8 wing/forward may be the best shooter that you have not heard of and should make an argument for the best 3-point shooter in the 2024 NBA Draft.
His 34% from beyond the arc last season may have you question this but after a cold start the season he shot 43% on on just under six attempts and 86% from the free throw line in the final 18 games.
Sandfort is more than just a stand still catch-and-shoot threat as well.
Turn on an Iowa game this season and you will see him flying off screens, picking-and-popping and showing grab-and-go ability with a pull up off the dribble in transition.
Reports out of Iowa City also have been that he is placing an emphasis on the defensive end and crashing the boards, both of which will help his value to an NBA team and overall Draft stock.
Connor Essegian
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While sophomore Connor Essegian may not be the same beneficiary of a bigger role due to graduation, it may simply come out of the necessity of getting your most talented player the most opportunities possible.
As a freshman he was third on the team in scoring - just a half point less than upperclassmen Chucky Hepburn and Steven Crowl - and did so while being extremely efficient from the 3-point line.
Much like Sandfort, Essegian is not just a stand still 3-point marksman and in an increased role should be able to showcase his abilities off movement and screens.
Two areas that would be great to see grow are more consistent finishing inside the 3-point line and making his passing/creation flashes something that happens more consistently.
One thing the Indiana native does not need to improve and will have NBA teams in love is his overall toughness and competitiveness.
You will be hard pressed to talk to anyone that has watched Essegian practice or play and not have them use the words “effort, intensity, tough, etc.” when describing him.
It is often a good thing to bet on players with these intangibles that also possess a high level of skill.
Silas Demary Jr.
The only freshman on this list is a 6-foot-4 freshman point guard that was a four star recruit and a consensus top 75 2023 college prospect.
Silas Demary Jr. will be playing for the Georgia Bulldogs and even with returning senior, Justin Hill - second on the team in assists last year - there is a path to major minutes with the departure of leading assist man, Terry Roberts.
He will be no stranger to playing high level competition coming from Combine Academy in North Carolina where he had many chances to play the elite teams and players in the country.
Watching many of those games, there was little doubt that he belonged and in some of those games stood out as one of the, if not the, best player on the court.
Demary Jr. is most comfortable with the ball in his hands where he was a walking paint touch in high school and already shows the foundational abilities of operating a ball screen.
He may not be the highest level of athletes - though he has more vertical pop then many give him credit for - but counters that with great craft around the rim. Those paint touches also often end up in him creating open shots for his teammates which he is more than willing, and capable, of delivering on time and on target.
The son of a decorated former AFL defensive lineman, Silas Demary Sr., he offers plenty of upside on the defensive end of the court as well.
Guarding both backcourt positions is definitely in the cards - though he did struggle at times against the smaller, super twitchy matchups - and he provided further value with some playmaking and being a really good communicator.
Miles Kelly
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A breakout season - though last year could constitute that as well - could be on the horizon for Miles Kelly with new head coach Damon Stoudamire and the Georgia Tech program.
It was a rough season for the Yellow Jackets but they return four of their five leading scorers to go along with the coaching change.
While the team struggled, Kelly showed significant improvements across the board with his box score stats from his freshman season to his sophomore.
To go along with a double digit increase in points per game he shot an extremely impressive 38% from the 3-point line on over seven attempts per game.
The floor spacing for Kelly is undeniable but adding additional scoring inside the 3-point line via cutting, offensive rebounding and attacking closeouts - his first step being something he is very productive with - would make him that much more attractive to NBA teams.
Last season, Kelly’s defense was a tough evaluation due to the different schemes used by the previous coaching staff but there were still some things to take away.
The ball screen navigation wasn’t perfect but it had the foundation to be really solid and he showed numerous examples of getting multiple efforts to get back in front of the ball handler.
At 6-foot-6 the highlight of the defensive tape was Kelly’s emphasis on sliding laterally when being attacked off the bounce and trying to avoid opening his hips as much as possible.
Much like rounding out his offensive package with scoring inside the 3-point line, the defensive side of the floor could see a major bump if he could show some more defensive playmaking in terms of deflections, steals and blocks.
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