We have the first major update to our Top 100 NBA draft rankings.
A number of under-the-radar players have made significant leaps in the rankings over the course of the past few weeks, becoming must-know sleeper prospects.
The movement at the top of the draft is pretty small compared to
Tony Bradley, C, Freshman, North Carolina
Top 100 Rank: 18
Bradley was always considered one of the elite big men in this freshman class. But concerns about his conditioning, the lack of a reliable elite skill and his playing time on a team with several seniors on the front line all had scouts thinking it would be at least another year before he showed up on draft boards.
Bradley has been fantastic coming off the bench for the Tar Heels. In 17.6 MPG, he's averaging 10.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG while shooting 68 percent. His huge wingspan and mobility make him a legitimate defensive presence right now.
While scouts would like to see his shot-blocking numbers improve (he has blocked only two shots all season), in a draft that's relatively light with potential NBA big men, Bradley has moved from No. 45 to No. 18 and will continue to rise if his strong play continues in the ACC.
"This draft is loaded with point guards and wings," one NBA scout said. "But the bigs overall are pretty weak. I think he's right in the mix with Jarrett Allen and Marques Bolden for the first center off the board. His length and rebounding should translate. And he looks like he's in the best shape I've ever seen him."
T.J. Leaf, PF, Freshman, UCLA
Top 100 Rank: 25
All the scouting eyes in the NBA have been focused on Lonzo Ball at UCLA, and so far he has lived up to the hype (and jumped four spots from No. 7 to No. 3 in our Top 100). But Leaf has more than held his own in the early going, drawing raves from scouts who love his combination of size, agility and shooting prowess.
He's averaging 17.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 1.3 BPG while shooting 68 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3. On a team loaded with potent scorers, he leads the Bruins in points per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
"He's the perfect modern NBA 4," one GM said. "He can rebound, block shots, stretch the floor and finish at the rim. I think everyone wants to be a bit cautious about him. He needs to get stronger and we all want to see how he fares against more elite talent. But I could see him ending up in the lottery. Most of us had Tyler Lydon ahead of him on our draft boards, but I think T.J. is better."
Jawun Evans, PG, Sophomore, Oklahoma State
Top 100 Rank: 26
Evans is the lone sophomore on this list. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year didn't get much preseason love from NBA scouts despite the fact that he put up impressive numbers in 2015-16. His lack of elite size and explosive athleticism raised concerns about his ceiling in the NBA.
However, Evans is off to one of the hottest starts of anyone in the country, averaging 24.7 PPG, 5.3 APG and 2.8 SPG, plus 56 percent shooting from 3. Despite his high usage rate, he's averaging just 1.8 turnovers per game. He has already dropped 35 points on UConn and 30 points in 27 minutes against UNC.
In a draft absolutely loaded with elite point guard prospects, it can be easy to dismiss Evans. But a number of scouts who watched him at the Maui Invitational told me they think that after the elite freshmen are off the board, Evans could be the next name called.
"Once you get past Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Dennis Smith, De'Aaron Fox and the kid from France [Frank Ntilikina], I think he's the best point guard prospect in the draft," one NBA scout said. "All of those other guys will be gone before the lottery [ends]. But there will still be teams looking for point guards and I think he's going to be a good one."
Robert Williams, PF, Freshman, Texas A&M
Top 100 Rank: 27
Williams was ranked just No. 50 in his high school class, but he appears to have been seriously underrated. Long (with a 7-foot-4 wingspan), bouncy big men who can rebound, block shots and shoot jumpers will always be in fashion.
While Williams hasn't hit a 3 yet this season, he's shooting 43.5 percent on his 2-point jumpers and those jumpers make up about 50 percent of his offensive repertoire. At the rim he's even more devastating, shooting 80 percent.
On top of that he's averaging 2.7 BPG in just 19.3 MPG. The comparisons to Marquese Chriss are starting, and Williams actually looks like a better rebounder and shot-blocker than Chriss did at the same age. If he can continue this sort of production in SEC play, Williams might prove to have lottery-type talent.
"I saw him versus UCLA the other night and I just love him," one scout said. "There's still some rawness on the offensive end. He needs to become a better ball handler and work on getting better at creating his own shot. But I could see him becoming a beast in the NBA."