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Updated: June 15, 2023.
- Victor Wembamyama, C, France
You know, I’ve written about Wembamyama so much, it has become difficult finding more to talk about. I’ve said on many occassions that he’s the most talked about prospect since LeBron James, but really Wembamyama is probably a bigger talent. At 7-foot-5 with 8-foot-5 length, he should be a prolific rebounder and shot-blocker as a rookie, but it is the offensive talent that’s so ridiculous. He can shoot very well and basically score where and when be wants. He can legitimately average 24-10 with 2-3 blocks a game as a rookie. The Spurs will have themselves a talent who we simply have not seen in the sport. - Scoot Henderson, G, USA
Henderson is an uber-athletic scorer in the mold of Ja Morant. Henderson needs to work on his jumper and point guard skills, but with his physical attributes amd offensive talent, he looks likely to be a superstar. His athleticism and size also means he can be a plus defender if he wants to. Henderson will be an All-NBA player. - Amen Thompson, PG, USA
A 6-foot-7 point guard with elite athleticism, strong defensive talent and an improving ability at the point, I have Amen Thompson ranked third and over Brandon Miller, which is rare. There are just so many secondary factors with Miller, and although Amen Thompson has probably the largest bust potential in the 2023 NBA Draft, if he reaches his potential, he will be one of the premier guards in the league. Thompson is too physically gifted to fail, but being a star depends on his offensive growth as a pro. - Brandon Miller, F Alabama
Miller is a top scoring talent, possibly the best in the 2023 NBA Draft in that regard. He is a fantastic shooter and scorer with size, but the rumors around him are troubling. I have him with the highest bust odds, simply because of non-basketball issues; he’s a heck of a talent though. - Jarace Walker, PF, Houston
Walker is only 6-foot-8, but is a fantastic defensive big-man prospect and has length that makes him look bigger. He’s 240 pounds as well. His length should also help at rebounding the ball, but really, he is a talented shooter and an efficient offensive player too. He is the No. 2 big-man prospect here and really, there are not many big men today with his set of talents. He could easily become an elite NBA power forward. - Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova
Whitmore has elite size and athleticism for an NBA small forward, which are a recipe for big offensive stats. He was on a very average Villanova team, but showed excellent potential scoring the ball and was efficient, although he needs to improve there. Whitmore also has some defensive ability and physically could become a strong defender. - Ausar Thompson, G/F, USA
I’m a huge fan of the second Thompson twin. Ausar Thompson has 6-foot-7 size, is one of the elite athletes in the 2023 NBA Draft and should be able to guard point guards, two guards and small forwards. He isn’t an on-ball offensive player, but he will be able to score from his athleticism alone, and if he can improve as a shooter, he could be an all-star. - Anthony Black, G, Arkansas
Black was a bit overshadowed by Nick Smith Jr., who was considered one of the premier college prospects to start the season, but because of injury, Black was able to shine. Black has elite size at 6-foot-7, so he can be a one or a two. He also has shown that he is a very pesky defender and that he has playmaking ability. He had far too many turnovers and must improve his shooting, which was barely at 30%, but was an efficient scorer. The Arkansas product could be a stud. - Taylor Hendricks, F, Central Florida
Hendricks is an athletic beast and has elite three-and-d ability, but the talent to be a star. If you want to gamble on a prospect mid-lottery, Hendricks is a smart bet. - Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
Smith Jr. was the most talked about college player to start the season, but was injured a few games into the season, and when he returned, he struggled. Anthony Black taking a bigger role had to also cause him confusion to his role, but Smith Jr.’s efficiency as a shooter and scorer was poor, as was his playmaking ability. He is 6-foot-5, so he should be able to start at the two, but he has a lot to improve on. He is still the all-star talent he was to start the season; he just needs a bit of seasoning. - Gradey Dick, SF, Kansas
Dick’s a fantastic shooter, arguably the biggest talent there in the 2023 NBA Draft, but can be much more. He is an excellent scorer who has strong size and athleticism, but at the very least, he’s an ace shooter. He has the talent to be a versatile forward who can play the three and four and give you 20 points a game. For Dick, the risk is minimal and the rewards are big. - Jordan Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana
Hood-Schifino had a fantastic second half to his freshman season and is an interesting prospect. He has the size to be a one or a two, and although his efficiency scoring, shooting and playmaking have to improve, the potential is there. He may not be as ready as some guards on this list, but he played so well at points and was the No. 2 scorer on an elite team. Hood-Schifino could become a really talented starter. - Keyonte George, G, Baylor
George is a pure scorer with solid size and has what it takes to be a premier scoring guard. He could be a starting two guard if he were to play with a bigger guard like LaMelo Ball or Luka Doncic, but being an elite sixth man appears like his likeliest career. George’s efficiency was poor in college, really poor, but he’s a talent. - Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky
As for Cason Wallace, I see a can’t-miss prospect with fantastic two-way potenial. He is already an elite defensive prospect, but offensively is also solid, as he is a talented playmaker and an efficient shooter and scorer. He could become a starting point guard, but at 6-foot-4, he has the ability to be a two as well. Wallace should be the next star guard from Kentucky. - Jordan Hawkins, SG, Connecticut
Hawkins starred for the national champions, proving himself to be an excellent shooter and scorer. It was the efficiency though that was fantastic. Hawkins is a volume scorer, and a big-time shooter with 20-point potential. - Leonard Miller, SF, Canada
Miller was with Scoot Henderson in the G-League and was impressive. The Canadien teenager is a 6-foot-10 small forward, whose biggest plus attribute is the fact that he was recently a 6-foot-5 guard, so he has talents a near 7-footer normally should not have. He’s a pure potential-based talent. - Rayan Rupert, G/F, France
Rupert is one of the premier defenders in the 2023 NBA Draft and has ridiculous length that helps him be so talented. He has been playing very well in the NBL, the same league in which Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball played, so obviously he has the ability to be a huge NBA contributor. Rupert really needs to improve as a shooter because if he can he could be a three-and-d star. - Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine
Lewis is a pretty efficient shooter and scorer who also has playmaking talent, but his team was pathetic. He has the talent though to be a strong starter. - Noah Clowney, PF, Alabama
As a teammate of Brandon Miller, Clowney had a lot of scouts watching him,and although he wasn’t special statistically, he has legitimate NBA talents. Clowney’s defensive ability, including his rebounding and length, and his offensive ability should improve. - Kobe Bufkin, SG, Michigan
Josh has been big on Bufkin a lot longer than most, and we like him more than his celebrated teammate Jett Howard, who you will read about shortly. Bufkin currently brings a lot to the table as an efficient scorer who can shoot, although he has to work on his shot. He has decent size and playmaking talent, so he should be able to be a one or a two in the NBA. - Gregory Jackson, C, South Carolina
We have been big on Jackson for awhile, in fact I had him third in my first 2023 NBA Mock Draft. His energy and athleticism are at an A level, but his efficiency was an F. He had big scoring and rebounding numbers, but his scoring efficiency was pathetic for a big man. Regardless, Jackson has starting center talent and at the very least is a plus reserve. - Trayce Jackson-Davis, C, Indiana
Jackson-Davis is an interesting prospect. He has so many talents, like scoring, rebounding, blocking and being a playmaker as a big man, but he’s a five to me, as he isn’t a shooter, although he’s small. If he were two inches taller, he would easily be taken in the 20s, but in my opinion, he should be used as a third big man, where he would be excellent. - Dereck Lively, C, Duke
Lively is a hot candidate right now. There was a clip released of him shooting threes, which was not part of his game at Duke, and I think that’s played a factor. What you already have is a 7-foot-1 center who is defensively gifted, and after Wembamyama, Lively could be the premier shot-blocker in the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s raw, but he has franchise center potential. - Brice Sensabaugh, G/F, Ohio State
Sensabaugh was on a very poor Ohio State team, so he wasn’t talked about nationally, but he personally had a really nice season. As a freshman scorer, his offensive efficiency was fantastic and he was an elite shooter too. Sensabaugh was quietly one of the premier freshmen in the country. - Jett Howard, SG, Michigan
Howard is a strong scorer, but he has the ability to be excellent. He needs to be far, far more efficient, but the ability is there, and his ridiculously low turnover numbers are incredibly impressive as a featured scorer. With his size, talent and plus athleticism, he could be a big-time NBA scorer. - Jalen Willson, SF, Kansas
A lot of people see Wilson as a really solid role player, but I see him as an NBA starter. As a sophomore, he was a key part of Kansas’ title team, and as a junior, he became “the man” on a title contender and averaged 20-8. His mediocre shooting ability hurts his draft stock, as in today’s game, you have to be able to shoot, but he raised his efficiency by six percent a season ago while doubling his scoring, which means he’s capable. I get why Gradey Dick is considered the stronger of the two Kansas forwards when it comes to pure talent, but Wilson is a legitimate NBA starter as well. - Sidy Cissoka, SG, France
Cissoka is yet one more big-time talent from France, plus he has been in the States this season. Cissoka is a skilled player and a capable scorer and playmaker. He may not be a star, but he has a set of talents that could make him a fantastic role player. - James Nnaji, C, Spain
Nnaji has been playing in Europe, and he has been incredibly impressive and could be stashed in Europe or he could head to the U.S. He is a huge 6-foot-11 big who has shown fantastic efficiency and talent offensively, and he’s a big-time athlete. Nnaji’s a gem. - Terquavion Smith, G, N.C. State
Smith came into his second college season as a potential lottery selection if he could improve his scoring and shooting efficiency. Those numbers slipped some more and frankly were poor. He probably should have gone into the draft after his first season. - Brandin Podziemsky, G, Santa Clara
The small-school prospect had some incredible stats, some of the biggest numbers in the 2023 NBA Draft. An elite scorer, shooter and rebounder who is an excellent playmaker and grabs a lot of steals, he’s an impressive prospect. - Colby Jones, G, Xavier
Jones appears to be a safe prospect. He’s a shooting guard with ideal size, and is a strong shooter, a playmaker and a pesky defender who kept improving season by season at Xavier. He’s no star, but he will be an excellent role player. - Kris Murray, F, Iowa
Murray may not be the talent of his twin, who is on the Kings, but he is a talented and efficient scorer. With his brother in Sacramento, Murray became “the man” for Iowa, and although he had a big slip in shooting percentage, he had an excellent season. - Andre Jackson Jr., SF, Connecticut
Jackson was a huge part of his national title team, showing so much versatility. He’s not much of a scorer, but he is a fantastic playmaker and rebounder for his position. He may not be a star, but he has the ability to be an elite NBA role player. - Jaime Jacquez, SG, UCLA
The star of a very talented UCLA team, Jacquez is the standard college star. He has the fancy stats, and he can score the ball well, but he has to become an efficient shooter if he wants to be more than a role player. - Bilal Coulibaly, G, France
People are currently really high on Coulibaly, who keeps climbing draft boards. He has played a lot of big-time basketball, although not in the States, but he can start right away. Coulibaly is a fantastic defensive prospect who needs to develop offensively, hence the lower ranking. - Jaylen Clark, F, UCLA
On a team with a lot of NBA talent, Clark was impressive on his own. A big-time defender who just averaged a ridiculous 2.6 steals a game, he’s an elite role player. Clark is no all-star, but he will be a huge part of a team. - Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas
Walsh is a monster athlete, an excellent defender and far more than his meager stats. He takes his role-player job seriously and will likely be a big-time piece off some team’s bench. He may not be a star and is somewhat small, but he will have a long career in the NBA. - Julian Phillips, F, Tennessee
Phillips had a lot of fanfare to start the season, but he simply wasn’t too impressive for Tennessee. He is still a first-round talent, and the team that selects him in the 2023 NBA Draft will be picking for potential. - Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette
A late climber, Prosper has the two-way talent teams covet. He’s an efficient scorer who has learned to shoot. Prosper has a lot he needs to work on to be worthy of a potential firstrounder, but he has the potential ability. - Marcus Sasser, G, Houston
Sasser was a star for one of the elite teams in the nation for a few seasons, and although his lack of assists to go along with his size hurts his stock, he is a born scorer. Sasser is also an excellent shooter and a pesky defender, who to me has at least strong sixth-man talent and could be a starter. - Ben Sheppard, F, Belmont
Seemingly coming from nowhere, Sheppard is a legitimate first-round prospect. Personally, I had no idea Belmont was a college, but Sheppard is a big-time shooter amd scorer. - Keyonte Johnson, SF, Kansas State
Johnson is a big-time defender, which is probably his biggest skill for now. He has shown an ability to shoot, but in fewer attempts than you would want from a first or second college option. His scoring efficiency is also impressive. Johnson should be a strong NBA role player, and I can see him being picked in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. - Tristan Vukcevic, PF, Serbia
A skilled shooting big and a 7-footer, he is raw, but he has the ability to be another excellent shooting big from Europe. - Dariq Whitehead, F, Duke
The Duke freshman was fifth in my first mock, as he was a highly touted prisoect, but he simply had a very poor season. If he is properly developed, he could become a starter. - Tosan Evbuomwan, F, Princeton
After a fantastic tourney, the Princeton big was seen on the national stage as a star, but he was fantastic for two seasons. As a junior, he developed a jumper to go with efficient scoring, strong rebounding and elite play-making ability. - Oscar Tshiebwe, PF/C, Kentucky
Tshiebwe is a college superstar, but he’s a small center, which really hurts his stock. Regardless, he is probably the No. 1 rebounder in this class and is an efficient and excellent scorer. He will be a massive help off some team’s bench. - Seth Lundy, G, Penn State
The senior guard is one of the elite shooters in the 2023 NBA Draft, and the way he has developed, he can still improve. He also has the size to play multiple positions and is a fantastic rebounder for a guard. - Adam Sanogo, C, Connecticut
Sanogo was a star, helping Connecticut win the title, and he is an excellent scorer and rebounder who added a jumper. If Sanogo were a few inches taller, he would probably be a first-rounder in the 2023 NBA Draft. - Ricky Counsil IV, SG, Arkansas
Although he’s the fourth Arkansas player likely to be taken, he had the biggest numbers among the four. Counsil is a big-time athlete, and if he could shoot, he would likely be a first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The scoring talent is there, and he just has to improve his efficiency. - Emoni Bates, G, Eastern Michigan
When it comes to talent, Bates may be among the first 30, but he has had personal troubles. As a scorer, he is prolific, but he has to improve his efficiency. He also has fantastic size, but he needs to add muscle. - Toumani Camara, PF, Dayton
The Dayton big has an intriguing set of talents. His rebounding is excellent, and he is an efficient scorer who can shoot and has strong defensive numbers. Camara could be a really solid role guy. - Adam Flager, G, Baylor
Flager should be an NBA combo guard who is a strong reserve. He is a shooter and scorer, although his field goal percentage is somewhat poor. He also has solid distributing talent, and at 6-foot-3 has the size you want from a third or fourth guard. - Jordan Miller, F, Miami
Miller was special for Miami as a senior. He’s a really solid player who can shoot, is efficient, can be a playmaker. Additionally, he gets a lot of steals. Miller should be an excellent NBA role player.
By Mike Elworth.
Follow Mike @MikeElworth24. For site updates follow @walterfootball.
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