NBA draft scouting is an inexact science, and between now and June teams will exhaust all options in hopes of finding the next sleeper. One somewhat off-the-radar prospect worth highlighting: 19-year-old guard De'Anthony Melton.
He's not a man of mystery, but most scouts haven't seen the 6-3 combo guard and potential first-round pick since August. Melton was unable to take the floor this season for USC, as the Trojans opted to hold him out and eventually deem him ineligible while investigating his involvement in the ongoing FBI probe. Melton, who was penalized because a close family friend reportedly received $5,000 from Christian Dawkins -- a key figure in the FBI's investigation -- eventually withdrew from USC in February to begin preparing for the draft.
"I cooperated with everything they needed," Melton told ESPN after an exclusive workout and interview in Atlanta. "I was really transparent. I had nothing to hide. Whatever they needed I gave it to them. I can only respect the decision. The decision is for the school, and I understand that, but it hurt not to play. Any kid's dream is to play in college."
Melton has yet to officially sign with an agent, but he's been working with former college assistant coach Tim Fuller and his management team -- All Management Group -- in Cleveland. While most teams haven't seen Melton in close to eight months, we got a look at the North Hollywood native during a private solo workout.
Spent the afternoon watching De'Anthony Melton workout here in Atlanta. Interview, workout footage, and article coming soon on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/DaLWI7SNCd
- Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 26, 2018
With the help of Fuller and former No. 6 overall draft pick (2000) DerMarr Johnson, Melton went through a 75-minute workout that featured 200 mid-range jumpers, 70 3-pointers, 48 free throws and extensive ball screen work. He mixed in step-backs in both directions and deep hang-dribble pull-ups, hoping to answer questions about his shooting and overall shot creation.
Melton ended the workout with one-on-ones against the long-armed, 37-year-old Johnson, with each player getting only two dribbles per possession from the left wing, the top of the key and the right wing. With a new emphasis on footwork and a balanced landing on his jumper, Melton shot the ball much better than anticipated, especially considering his career 28.0 3-point percentage in 55 games (100 attempts), according to our database. Based on charting from Melton's camp, he connected on 68 percent of his mid-range jumpers, 62.9 percent of his 3-pointers and 81.3 percent of his free throws.
Melton is a bit of an enigma for NBA scouts. Some view him as an instinctual utility guard who can fit seamlessly next to stars, and others see him as an offensively limited prospect. The truth likely lies somewhere in between.
As a freshman, Melton was the only player in the NCAA to average at least 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per 40 minutes. Only seven players in NCAA history have posted such stats, with Dwyane Wade and Doug Christie headlining the group. Despite some limitations as a shooter and ball handler, it's Melton's instincts, defensive versatility and unselfishness at 6-3, 195 pounds with a 6-8 wingspan that make him intriguing to teams that are already full of talented shot-makers and ball handlers.
"Hustle, my work ethic, my defense, my shooting, my decision-making -- I can bring it all for a team," Melton said. "The NBA is really position-less now. You can put me wherever you need me."
A former RSCI No. 223 recruit, Melton played mostly power forward at Crespi Carmelite High School and for Cal Supreme on the AAU circuit.
"I was doing a lot of screening and popping," said Melton, who eventually took over as more of a point forward during his senior season.
The majority of Melton's offers came from mid-major schools such as San Diego State, Nevada and Loyola Marymount. Michigan wanted him to come in and redshirt, but aside from USC, he wasn't viewed as a sure high-major player across the board.
After scouting a USC preseason practice in 2016, it quickly became clear that Melton was one of the Trojans' most intriguing long-term prospects. He rebounded at a high level, defended 1 through 3 and came alive as a passer. NBA playoff teams drafting in the 20s started doing their homework.
Melton is easy to nitpick. He's not dynamic with the ball and plays very right-hand dominant. He's an average athlete by NBA standards, and he's never been the most natural shooter. Some of those shortcomings showed down the stretch of his freshman season, when he averaged only 9.6 points per 40 minutes with a 47.9 true shooting percentage over his last 10 games. Shooting has long been Melton's biggest bugaboo -- he ranked in the 27th percentile in jump shot efficiency as a freshman, according to Synergy Sports, scoring only 0.552 points per possession on pull-ups. During the summer he was cut from the under-19 World Championship team, which took a handful of guards who aren't considered first-round prospects in the 2018 draft.
"I just realized I wasn't as confident going into it. When you go into those places, your confidence has to be through the roof," Melton said. "After I got cut for the first time, it just made me even more mad. I wanted to work on my game a lot more."
Melton did impress in preseason practices heading into his sophomore year. He figured to play a key role as a starter on a good team with the chance to play his way into first-round guarantee. But as we've seen from Thon Maker in 2016 and potentially Anfernee Simons this year, going unseen -- voluntarily or not -- can certainly help a player's draft stock, even if teams have previously watched Melton play 36 college games.
"I've got my core group that I trust and that's going to give me the right advice," Melton said. "They think it's not the worst thing in the world that I didn't play ... it adds the mystery factor to it. It gives me more time to work on my game."
With pre-draft workouts around the corner and the combine six weeks away, it's important for Melton to show teams his improvement. His competitiveness, strong approach to the game and sharp instincts should show up in 5-on-5 settings, especially on the defensive end, but teams who aren't quite sold on his NBA potential will focus on his ball skills and shooting. Although it was only one workout, Melton is moving in the right direction as he attempts to recapture the momentum he generated as a freshman.
"My shooting ability has gotten a lot better," Melton said. "My decision-making and my defense, all that's going to never leave me. I'm going to have all that for the rest of my life. Just show teams that I'm ready and I play older than what I look like."