The Weekend Slate: Assessing Three of the Weekend’s Most Intriguing NBA Scouting Games
This slate features a matchup between two top shooters and the NCAA’s assist leader, a showcase of top mid-major seniors and a battle between prolific non-Power Five scorers in a must watch weekend.
Drake vs St. Louis (Saturday, 8pm)
Drake Top Prospect(s): Tucker DeVries (Wing, Sophomore)
St. Louis Top Prospect(s): Gibson Jimerson (Small Wing, RS Sophomore), Yuri Collins (Guard, Junior), Francis Okoro (Big, Senior), Javonte Perkins (Wing, Senior)
NBA teams are always on the hunt for shooting, you can NEVER have enough. Two of the best shooters in the potential 2023 draft class, DeVries and Jimerson, lead the way as my top prospects in this game because of it. Although there are defensive concerns for them both, their floor spacing, shooting gravity and off-ball work can immediately help a NBA team.
DeVries is in a mini shooting slump right now that has dropped his 3-point mark to 36% on 6.3 attempts. He’s shooting 1-of-14 from three over his last two games, including a season low nine points last time out against Richmond. Over Drake’s ten games, DeVries has buried at least three or more from beyond the arc in half of the them.
Jimerson isn't in a slump, but wants a bounce back game after finishing with a season low four points and 0-of-5 from deep against Boise St. He’s draining 39% of his threes on 7.1 attempts alongside a career 41% clip.
Collins, Perkins and Okoro all deserve continued monitoring as G-League prospects. Collins remains one of the best facilitators and playmakers in the country, looking to lead the NCAA in assists for the second straight year (10.5 assists).
The long and rangy Perkins is still trying to regain his two-way form after returning from an ACL injury. Those injuries are always difficult to return from both physically and mentally. Okoro deserves interest as a play finisher and shot blocker (1.9 blocks per game).
Others of Note: Javon Pickett (Small Wing, Senior, St. Louis), Mouhamadou Cisse (Big, Freshman, St. Louis), Larry Hughes Jr. (Guard, Freshman, St. Louis)
Belmont vs Chattanooga 2pm
Belmont Top Prospect(s): Ben Sheppard (Wing, Senior)
Chattanooga Top Prospect(s): Jake Stephens (Big, Grad Student)
In Sheppard and Stephens, this game showcases two of the top mid-major players and seniors in the country. Both should be no-brainer choices for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament where NBA scouts and executives can get a closer look at them to kick off the postseason draft events.
Sheppard broke out as a long 3-and-D wing prospect last year and is furthering his case this year with career best averages of 20.6 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals plus a 42% 3-point mark (6.8 attempts). With the graduation of do-it-all guard Grayson Murphy, the OVC’s career assists and steals leaders, Sheppard’s progression is exactly what scout’s want to see from the late blooming wing.
Listed at 7’0, 275-pounds, Stephens is a load for opposing defenders and has overwhelmed the Southern conference over his last couple of years. Stephens gets it done with a mix of power and including an NBA skill in his 3-point shooting. Similar to Sheppard, Stephens is having his best season as a senior: 21.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 45% from three (4.4 attempts). I’ll have more on Stephens in the next edition of A Scout’s Take.
Detroit-Mercy vs Eastern Michigan (Sunday, 3pm)
Detroit-Mercy Top Prospect(s): Antoine Davis (Guard, Grad Student)
Eastern Michigan Top Prospect(s): Emoni Bates (Wing, Sophomore)
Others of Note: Noah Farrakhan (Guard, Sophomore, EMU)
If you’re looking for tough shot-making and bucket getters, this is the game for you. Davis and Bates are two talented scorers who have been on NBA radars for what seems like ages.
Scouts may be suffering from a bit of prospect fatigue with the 6-foot-1 Davis, but he’s off to another prolific scoring start to cap his final year. He’s averaging 24.3 points on a career-high 40% from deep (10.5 attempts per game). Davis is essentially a lock to average 20 points per game for his fifth straight year and win back-to-back Horizon League Player of the Year honors. He’ll be looking to follow up a season best 36 points and 10-of-17 from three.
Despite his lack of vertical pop and need to clean up his shot selection, Davis’ combination of off the dribble scoring, shooting versatility and production should put him in the late second round to two-way contract grade range.
In his first season at EMU, Bates has done an admirable job in stabilizing his once hemorrhaging draft stock. The appeal has always been his mix of size, ball skills, shotmaking and range, and it's something that hasn’t disappeared and never lacked sizzle. The 6-foot-9 shotmaker’s 19.4 points per game ranks second in the MAC.
Bates figuring out ways to get himself easier shots and consistently impact other areas of the game when he isn't scoring will always be something to monitor with him. Growth as a playmaker and/or defender could put him back in the first round mix, but he’s firmly a second rounder for me at the moment.
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