The ACC’s NBA Draft Prospects in the 2019 NCAA Tournament: Zion Williamson, De’Andre Hunter and More

As the 2019 NCAA Tournament gets ready to start up, it’s worth taking a quick second to glance at the ACC’s NBA Draft prospects that will play in this year’s event. Obviously, not all of these guys will enter and remain in the 2019 draft; in fact, some of the players included in this list are much deeper pro prospects. It may be a while before you hear them mentioned a legit draft targets, but I believe they have a skill set that could project into the next level.

Of course, not all of these players will opt to even test the draft waters this year, either. However, I still want to include guy worth keeping an eye on for 2020 and beyond, too.

Now, for the ease of organization, I’ve slotted the players into one of four categories: lottery picks, other first rounders, second round targets and deeper prospects.

 

No. 1 Duke

Likely Lottery Picks

  • Zion Williamson
    • 22.1 points (71.7 eFG%, 76 2p%), 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.8 blocks
    • 13 percent offensive rebound rate, 74.6 FG% on put-backs
    • 1.32 points per possession (76.1 FG%) on post-ups, per Synergy Sports
    • 1.51 points per possession on finishes at the basket, 63 dunks
  • RJ Barrett
    • 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists
    • 46.2 eFG% out of the pick-and-roll, per Synergy
    • 44 eFG% on pull-up off-dribble shots
    • 5.1 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 201 FTA
  • Cam Reddish
    • 3-and-D Potential: 82 3-pointers (32.7 3P%)
    • 43.3 eFG% on spot-up attempts
    • 2.2 steals per 40 minutes, 94.7 defensive rating

 

Future First Rounders

 

Deeper Prospects

  • Marques Bolden
    • 34 dunks, 73.4 FG% at the rim
    • 55 blocks (3.7 per 40 minutes, 8.8 percent block rate)
  • Jack White
    • 27 3-pointers, 85.2 FT%
    • 16.8 percent defensive rebound rate
    • 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per 40 minutes

 

No. 1 Virginia

Likely Lottery Picks

  • De’Andre Hunter
    • 45.7 3P%, 63 percent true shooting
    • 15.1 points per game, 23.6 percent usage rate
    • 11.8 percent turnover rate
    • 68.8 FG% at the rim
    • 2.5 fouls committed per 40 minutes

 

Future First Rounders

  • Ty Jerome
    • 39.7 3P%, 62 3-pointers
    • 1.27 points per possession (66.7 eFG%) on spot-ups
    • 13 points per game, 24 percent usage rate
    • 10.7 assists per 100 possessions (32.7 percent assist rate)

 

Deeper Prospects

  • Kyle Guy
    • 1.33 points per possession (66 eFG%) on catch-and-shoots
    • 106 3-pointers (46.3 3P%)
    • 62 eFG% overall, 12.9 percent turnover rate
    • 58.7 eFG% off of screens
  • Jay Huff
    • 80 FG% at the rim (27 dunks), 12 3-pointers (50 3P%), 69 eFG%
    • 85% of FGA at the rim or 3PA
    • 10.4 percent block rate
    • 1.32 points per possession on pick-and-roll
  • Mamadi Diakite
    • 9.6 percent block rate
    • 1.39 points per possession on pick-and-roll

 

No. 1 North Carolina

Likely Lottery Picks

  • Coby White
    • 16.3 points, 4.2 assists (25.5 percent assist rate, 7.7 assists per 100 possessions)
    • 1.28 points per possession on spot-ups, per Synergy
    • 68.3 eFG% on catch-and-shoot attempts
  • Nassir Little
    • 17.1 percent defensive rebound rate, 8.8 percent offensive rebound rate
    • 64.5 FG% on put-back attempts
    • 58.6 FG% at the rim in the half court, per Synergy
    • 3.3 percent block rate

 

Future First Rounders

  • Cameron Johnson
    • 87 3-pointers, 46.5 3P%, 62.3 eFG%
    • 72.1 eFG% on catch-and-shoot attempts
    • 13.3 percent turnover rate

 

Deeper Prospects

  • Leaky Black
    • 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per 40 minutes
    • 45.5 3P%
  • Sterling Manley (2017-18)
    • 7.1 percent block rate
    • 14.4 percent offensive rebound rate

 

No. 3 Florida State

Deeper Prospects

  • Mfiondu Kabengele
    • 6.8 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 76.6 FT%
    • 20 percent defensive rebound rate
    • 11.6 percent offensive rebound rate, 72.7 FG% on put-back attempts
  • Terance Mann
    • 56.1 eFG%, 60.4 percent true shooting
    • 42.3 3P%, 78.5 FT%
    • 9.4 percent offensive rebound rate
  • Devin Vassell
    • 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per 40 minutes
    • 71.7 eFG% on catch-and-shoot attempts (46)
  • Trent Forrest
    • 5.1 assists per 40 minutes, 23.7 percent assist rate
    • 3.6 percent steal rate, 2.5 steals per 40 minutes

 

No. 4 Virginia Tech

Likely Lottery Picks

  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker
    • 16.6 points per game, 26.7 percent usage rate, 50 eFG% out of the pick-and-roll
    • 40 3P% off the catch, per Synergy
    • 2.2 steal per 40 minutes
    • 24.3 percent assist rate (4.6 assists per 40 minutes)

 

Deeper Prospects

 

No. 7 Louisville

Second Round Potential

  • Jordan Nwora
    • 75 3-pointers, 37 3P%
    • 57 percent true shooting, 26.3 percent usage rate
    • 21.4 percent defensive rebound rate

 

Deeper Prospects

  • Dwayne Sutton
    • 36.4 3P%, 57 percent true shooting
  • Malik Williams
    • 7.4 percent block rate
    • 25.7 percent defensive rebound rate
    • 31.8 3P%
  • Steven Enoch
    • 35.9 3P% (14 3-pointers)
    • 55.5 eFG%, 28 dunks (68 FG% at the rim)
    • 20.7 percent defensive rebound rate

 

No. 8 Syracuse

Second Round Potential

  • Tyus Battle
    • 24.4 percent usage rate, 5 fouls drawn per 40 minutes
    • 11.5 percent turnover rate
    • 66.7 FG% at the rim
  • Osahe Brissett
    • 3.4 percent block rate
    • 7.4 percent offensive rebound rate

 

Read More on the ACC and the NBA Draft

A statistical look at RJ Barrett, Alexander-Walker and Blackshear Jr.