Leading up to the start of the college basketball season, we'll be highlighting a few under-the-radar players who could become major draft prospects over the course of the season.
Next up: a wing out of the Summit League.
Player profile
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Wing
Age: 21.6
Team: Fort Wayne (Summit League)
Background
Konchar arrived on campus at Fort Wayne standing 6-foot-4 and 167 pounds, a completely unheralded freshman from suburban Chicago who had only one other Division I offer (from Elon). He proceeded to redshirt his freshman season to work on his body, then he became one of the best players in the Summit League the past two seasons, including being named first-team all-conference both seasons.
He's now 6-foot-6 in shoes, 213 pounds and a legitimate NBA prospect who is expected to start at point guard. He has made 47 percent of his career 3-pointers, has converted an astounding 64 percent of his 2-pointers and has been tasked with defending anywhere from 1 through 4 for Fort Wayne. His offensive rating was second in the NCAA last season, and Konchar's production has barely dropped against Power 5 opponents, as he put up 17 points, 12 rebounds and four assists against Arkansas, had 18 and nine against Notre Dame and, perhaps most impressively, delivered 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a win over Indiana (in which he got the better of then-projected lottery pick OG Anunoby).
Strengths
Konchar has clearly worked hard on his frame and has become a much better athlete in turn. He is quick off his feet, regularly playing above the rim on both ends of the floor, and has a quick first step that he can utilize to get into the paint on straight-line drives, including long, rangy strides going left or right.
Konchar is an absolute lights-out shooter, converting 71 of his 150 3-point attempts in his career. However, he doesn't shoot very many of them, hitting one 3-pointer every 32 minutes he's on the court. He doesn't have the quickest release, particularly shooting off the dribble, and is somewhat bashful at times with his approach. Considering his sound mechanics, there's no reason to think he can't become a good shooter in time, but this is certainly something NBA teams will want to learn more about.
Konchar saw a decent amount of time at power forward last season, but he will also bring the ball up the court and get his team into the offense, giving him unique versatility. He has a calm demeanor that will serve him well as he makes the step to manning the point guard spot full-time this season. He makes simple, intelligent passes within the flow of the offense but can also whip the ball all over the court creatively, getting teammates easy shots. The key to his offensive efficiency lies in the way he moves off the ball, be it leaking out in transition and attacking in the early offense before the defense gets set or making timely cuts in the half court.
Konchar is also a solid defender, capable of guarding a variety of positions due to his competitiveness and smarts. He isn't the longest player you'll find (6-foot-7 wingspan), but he does a great job moving his feet, staying solid and using his timing to contest shots effectively on the perimeter or interior. He also gets in the passing lanes at a nice rate (2.1 steals per-40 minutes for his career) and crashes the glass prolifically (10.2 career boards per-40). His activity level and toughness are some of his most attractive traits.
Improvement areas
Konchar's efficiency is notable, but it comes with a strong caveat: He ranked only seventh on his own team in usage rate last season. No one will be looking for Konchar to become a go-to guy at the NBA level, but considering Fort Wayne played just the 235th-strongest schedule last season, that's something scouts will be keeping a close eye on.
How good of a shooter is he really, considering his sometime reluctance to fire away from the perimeter? Can he quicken his release, particularly off the dribble? Can he emerge as someone who can be at least capable of creating off the bounce against elite-level athletes? Konchar has a good first step and is opportunistic about taking opponents off the dribble in a straight line, but he isn't a fancy ball-handler and struggles at times when his initial move is cut off. To become a higher volume shot-creator, he'll have to improve his ability to play at different speeds, mix in advanced ball-handling moves and do a better job of improvising on the fly in the half court.
NBA outlook
Konchar is very much an unknown among the majority of NBA decision-makers, and he still has an uphill battle to put himself firmly on the radar and prove he is worthy of a draft pick and/or an NBA roster spot. He has a couple of major opportunities to impress decision-makers, with trips to Rupp Arena and Assembly Hall to play Kentucky and Indiana.
With two high-usage seniors having graduated, Konchar will be asked to shoulder a heavier offensive load for Fort Wayne this season, which will undoubtedly drag his efficiency down a notch. That's to be expected, but NBA scouts will want to see how he's able to handle being a go-to guy and whether he can help head coach Jon Coffman and the Mastrodons make their first NCAA tournament appearance.
In his own words
Can you tell me a little bit about what kind of player you were in high school?
Konchar: "I'd like to think of myself as the same player, but at 165 pounds instead of 215. I played point guard on offense but usually guarded opposing team's big man, so being able to be versatile and play multiple positions effectively has always been important for my team's success."
Do you think schools missed on their evaluation of you as a college prospect?
"Yes, I think what really drove them away was not my talent but my weight. I only had two offers coming out of high school, which was disappointing, but it gave me motivation."
How did you add almost 50 pounds to your frame?
"I had never lifted consistently in high school, so when our weight training coach, Kevin Rudolphi, took the time to show me the fundamentals of weightlifting, I realized it was a passion of mine."
What's the next step in your progression as a player? What do you need to improve to reach your full potential?
"The next step would have to be working on my ballhandling and breaking defenders down off the dribble to create easy baskets for others. I will have the ability to work on these aspects of my game primarily because I will be playing point guard this year. I'd also like to become more aggressive in terms of shot volume, and I think you will see more of that this year."
I've spoken to Coach Coffman, and he clearly wants you to be more aggressive for your team to reach its potential this season. It's almost inevitable that your offensive efficiency will drop. How will you find the balance between being aggressive and taking good shots?
"Over the past two years, I feel like I have passed up open shots to others. I think it's more about taking these shots when they come to me more than anything else. Getting to the free throw line more is also a big focus of mine. Throughout the year, I know there will be games where I struggle with shooting, but getting to the free throw line can help those nights. Also, with playing point guard, I will be able to create more for my teammates, and that's always been my goal the past two seasons. This year I will definitely be more aggressive, but I hope to continue to be as smart as I have been during my career at Fort Wayne."
How important are the games against Indiana and Kentucky for you?
"I think they are special to me because I can showcase all my skills that I have been working and improving on during these past three years here. It also gives me a chance to prove to everyone that I can compete at the next level and fulfill my dreams. These are the games that really get me pumped up because these are the players that I could be competing against in the next five years."
Konchar sounds like an ex-Yugoslavian last name. Can you tell me anything about your family background?
"Konchar is Serbian. My dad is 50 percent Serbian, and we've been trying to find some information about the family generations ago but haven't been able to pin anything down."
Coach's perspective
Jon Coffman | Fort Wayne head coach
When did you first watch John play in high school?
Coffman: "Unfortunately, I didn't see John play live until after his season was over, as I was just named the head coach. I was blessed to have a selfless friend out there, Rob Balanis at Notre Dame. He went no-logo to sneak a peek at him during his senior year and pass on the tip. I watched a video his dad or brother sent out and really liked him. John was 6-foot-4, 167 pounds then. I thought he was going to develop into a good player but was a couple of years away. We jumped on it. Saw him at an open gym. Unfortunately there were too many guys on the floor that looked like me to make an evaluation. So it was tough. A lot of it was faith. Watching video, skill sets, going off what Rod saw in a live setting. I thought he would be a good development guy for us.
John was an elite scorer in high school. He led the state of Illinois in scoring. But his body held him back. I didn't know if he could put on the weight. He dominated that. Figured out the diet. Added around 40 pounds in his freshman year. Now he's sitting at 213, put on over the last three years. That's his mentality. Once given the resources to dig in, he's going to do it. His best friends are our trainer and strength coach. He lives in their office. He's just a pro when it comes to his body. He executes how we are supposed to eat to perfection. He's constantly putting quality calories in his body. He goes above and beyond in our lifts.
The first time he showed at a high level that he could be a star in our league was when he had 28 and 12 against Austin Peay. It was a quiet 28. He just made all the right basketball decisions. We got back at 4 a.m. The next morning at 7 a.m. I popped through the weight room and found him there, working out on three hours of sleep, pumping out pull-ups, doing his routine. He lifts on the road even. The first thing he does is scout out the gym when we get somewhere."
Part of the reason for John's efficiency is that he does an amazing job finding easy baskets. But part of that is the fact that he never takes a bad shot. Are there times you wished Jon were a little less unselfish with his approach?
"It's ironic you say that. I told him all offseason, you will be the only player where the coach is saying, 'You will have a better year if you decrease your efficiency.' I am OK with that. I need him to attack his footwork. He needs to be more aggressive on his catches and be ready to shoot, ready to score. He shot 51 percent from 3. I need three to four more attempts per game. I am OK with 45 percent from 3 and him being more aggressive. I know he will be who he is. He will move the ball and share the ball. I realize that expecting him to take over games will be a two-year progression for him. But I'm hoping to see more and more of it. We won't be as successful as we need to be without him increasing his volume. I'd like to see him mismanage things at times. I need the ball coming off his fingertips towards the rims more. John is so good at making others better, skipping the basketball, getting hockey assists. We play the perfect style for how he plays. He loves to make his teammates better."
How aware are NBA people of John at this stage?
"The NBA is very numbers-based. I think they are very aware. It doesn't hurt that we beat Indiana. He played point guard down the stretch of the game. He had a lefty dunk that ended up on SportsCenter as the top play of the game. NBA people are watching to see what he does this year with not as many talented volume guards around him. John needs to step up. He moved up the line on our roster of guys that have to make a play in crunch time. He could defer and set guys up in the past. We will need him to put the team on his back and make a basketball play. People will be watching.
As far as NBA people, they don't know what to make of his numbers. They say they can't really compare him to anyone. He doesn't fit into any box of player ahead of him. His efficiency fits into what you normally see from a post player rather than a guard. But he has that versatility that you have to love as a passer. He started as our fourth guard, guarded 4-men against Notre Dame and Indiana. Yet everything he does is on the perimeter. Led our league in rebounding every year, and now he will be starting at point guard."
What is going to be the biggest thing John needs to improve to carve out a role at the NBA level?
"He needs to work on his first step to get by guys. He's got to lengthen his first step and be more efficient with it. Use the strength he's gained to physically turn a corner, instead of accepting the fact that a man is there, and look to make the extra pass. He will stretch defenses and move the basketball. But sometimes he should be able to push the envelope and turn the corner. He needs to get to the free throw line more. He didn't get there enough last year. When you look at his efficiency, his free throw shooting was average. He should be making 95 percent of his free throws. I think he gets bored there. He needs to be more aggressive with his footwork. Catch it, and be ready to score. Sometimes just out of default, he swings the ball. He needs to catch it and be ready to shoot the basketball. You can't afford to pass up an open shot with a 24-second clock. You have to make that shot."