3 Prospects Blazers Should Keep an Eye On as College Basketball Begins

The Portland Trail Blazers find themselves at 9-3 through the first 12 games of the season, but some members of the team's front office are looking ahead to the 2027 NBA draft.

With college basketball season officially in swing as we get into the second half of November, here's a look at three possible prospects the Blazers could consider for their first-round pick.

Arkansas SG Abdou Toure

Arkansas Razorbacks wing Abdou Toure warms up prior to the game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Arkansas Razorback Abdou Toure seems to fit with the ethos of this roster. He is long for his position. He is an athlete who can run the floor. He rebounds. He defends. Toure is locked into a deep Razorback roster, with the team still looking to figure out the best way to deploy their pieces," No Ceilings wrote.

"In a terrible loss against Virginia, Toure was a lone bright spot, going 4-of-8 from the floor and 1-of-3 from deep. The shooting is going to be a swing skill for Abdou, but he isn’t a prospect who lacks confidence."

Toure is a big guard, so he could operate as a wing for the Blazers, but his profile is reminiscent of what Shaedon Sharpe brings to the group. It's good to have that depth behind the starting backcourt.

As a result of the injury Sharpe suffered during the offseason, he will be out for most of the year. It's hard to see how he will crack the rotation early in his career, but the team could utilize him as a long-term project. He will slowly get more playing time as his career moves forward.

Miami SF Caleb Gaskins

Caleb Gaskins during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Caleb Gaskins should generate NBA interest with the ability to stretch the floor as a 4, operate as a 6'8" face-up wing and defend both forward positions," Bleacher Report draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman wrote.

"The eye test should detect an NBA prospect based on Gaskins' physical tools, shooting stroke and overall flashes of inside-out scoring versatility."

Every NBA team would benefit from a player like Gaskins, who has positional versatility and physicality galore. That's exactly what the current NBA rosters live for and the Blazers are no exception. With Vit Krejci's contract expiring at the end of the year, the team could look to replace him with someone like Gaskins, who would give them another forward to work with.

Gonzaga SG Davis Fogle

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Davis Fogle warms up before a game against the LSU Tigers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Fogle is a 6’7 sophomore wing who can firmly put himself in the first-round conversation with a big season at Gonzaga. He has a lot of enticing connective traits with slippery driving ability, soft touch on awkward angles, and the athleticism to finish above the rim," Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation wrote.

"He was a reluctant shooter last year (35% from three on only 40 attempts), but he’s shooting the ball with more confidence early in the season, and that’s the best possible sign for his draft stock. If shooting comes around, Fogle looks like a wing who can make an impact without the ball and do a little bit of everything."

The Blazers could keep Fogle close to home by selecting him in the first round. The Alaska native was a solid contributor during his freshman season at Gonzaga, but he wasn't quite on NBA radars. Now that he has a full year of experience under his belt and an opportunity to take a big leap in his development, the Blazers could keep him in the Pacific Northwest to start his NBA career if he has a strong sophomore season.

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