Three under the radar players in college basketball that every NBA team must know

As we head into 2018, the NBA Mock Drafts are picking up steam. One consensus all could agree on is that Luka Doncic (G-Slovenia), Marvin Bagley (F-Duke), and DeAndre Ayton (C-Arizona) are most likely to be the first three taken respectively. From there, however, it’s hard telling who may follow. Every year a handful of prospects go unnoticed, get drafted in the late first or second round, and kill it in the NBA. With that being said, there are currently prospects proving themselves in the non-conference portion of college play that are just simply not getting enough attention.

Maten is currently averaging 20.2 PPG and 9.3 RPG through the Bulldogs’ first eleven games. Ranking in the top 20 in Player Efficiency Rating (31.1) and Offensive Rebound Percentage (15.5%), the senior is projected to be a late second round pick or go undrafted.

Above are graphs comparing Maten to the other top rated F/C prospects in the 2018 NBA Draft. Maten ranked in the top half of each of these essential statistics. Extending the possession is vital to the game, and Maten has proven to be superb in that area. If Maten continues to put up these type of numbers through SEC play, it would simply be obsurd not to consider him as a first round pick. Showing steady growth over his tenure at Georgia, Maten looks to be ready for the big show.

Carter is a Bob Huggins prodigy. Defensivly, the senior is one of the best in the country. Carter currently leads the country in Defensive Win Shares (1.6) and Win Shares (3.4). Additionally, Carter follows only Oklahoma’s Trae Young in Total Points Added (statistic created by NBAMath.com that measures “defensive and offensive effectiveness on a per-possession basis while also incorporating the amount of playing time the contributor in question receives”).

As shown, the gap between Carter and the next player is pretty significant. Projected to go undrafted, Carter has proved game in and game out that he can handle anything thrown his way. If I were in the shoes of a GM in the NBA, I would without a doubt target Carter.

Through his first 13 games, Trier has shown he can be elite. Trier is averaging a team leading 21.2 PPG. Over the past two seasons, Trier has scored in double figures 27 of 31 games. Consistency should be one of the top things to look at when evaluating a player, and Trier passes the test there. Trier is currently projected to go in the second round and I would not be surprised to see the junior keep climbing up big boards as draft day nears.

Above are graphs comparing Trier to other top G/F prospects. Trier is performing just as good as any one of them, while playing the toughest competition.

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