NBA Draft Scouting Report: Villanova's Mark Armstrong
In this story:
Mark Armstrong
Guard | Villanova
Height: 6'2” | Weight: 180 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 20.34
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Armstrong is an extremely quick combo guard that was a solid piece off the bench for Villanova as a freshman. While he does lack height, he’s a great athlete and is strong relative to his weight.
What’s evident about Armstrong is that he’s tough and plays with an edge. He’s got New Jersey flare and his energy on the floor is contagious. Most players of Armstrong’s size play below the rim, but he’s quite the opposite. The Villanova guard is very bouncy and leverages his vertical and powerful pop to play above the rim often.
When he’s not dunking the ball, he has impressive body control and finishes well in traffic for an undersized guard. Armstrong has a great series of dribble moves he uses, with the crossover being his most frequent and effective option.
The midrange is where Armstrong is tough to defend. He’s dangerous just inside of the arc, manipulating his defenders with his ability to pull-up with a jumper or take them to the rim. A legitimate self-creator, he has no problem getting to his spots and scoring.
Armstrong also has a promising 3-point stroke, but struggled in his first college season from that range. While his shot does have some dip in it, he’s fundamentally sound and has good mechanics. That along with the fantastic free throw shooting give us optimism that he will end up being a quality perimeter shooter.
An improving facilitator, Armstong’s ability to pass the ball and orchestrate the offense will be something he will need to really flash this year. Any player of his size has to do more than score to get drafted.
On the defensive end, he is quick and pesky but struggles in quite a few situations. He generates steals at a solid rate but is also easily bullied by bigger offensive players. The former four-star recruit had the opportunity to play in front of NBA scouts almost every game last season with Cam Whitmore as a teammate.
Following a successful career at St. Peter’s Prep, Armstrong helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship last summer. This was actually an event in which he got to play alongside Whitmore.
Armstrong has a lot to prove, but he should get consideration in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
2024 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2024 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.