Wakil Atig
Sports Writer
Basketball fans in 2019 have witnessed an exciting season. Freshman forward from Duke University, Zion Williamson has taken the basketball world by storm with his exciting game.
Everything from 360 slam-dunks to his extreme athletic ability, Zion has proven himself this season as one of the most dominant players in NCAA history.
Although Zion has had an outstanding season, he is not the only force to be reckoned with in college basketball. The upcoming 2019 Draft class has some outstanding talent like no other draft class.
Players like R.J. Barret, Ja Morant, Jarret Culver, De’Andre Hunter and many others look to make their impact on the league in the near future. They look to take on the task of representing the next generation of great players who stand out in the NBA.
R.J. Barret is a 6’ 5” point guard from Duke that has tremendous athleticism and quickness. Barret’s quickness along with his long strides in the open court makes him deadly in transition. He causes opponents difficulty because of his ball handling ability and willingness to get to the rim; he can also hit floaters and creative lay-ups with both hands with ease.
Barret has been compared so far to NBA players like John Wall and Kyrie Irving because of his finishing ability. The freshman guard is projected to be drafted in the first round among other Duke players like Zion Williamson.
Probably the most anticipated prospect besides Zion in the upcoming 2019 Draft is Ja Morant. Morant is a crafty guard from Murray State that has NBA scouts excited about what he may bring to the next level.
Morant stands at 6’3 with the ability to create his own offense and find teammates. His court vision is like no other on the collegiate level which explains why he leads the NCAA with 10.2 assists per game. He also averages an impressive 24.4 points per game.
Morant is the first player to average at least 20 points and 10 assists per game since the NCAA started tracking assist in 1983.
What makes Morant’s game unique is his fearlessness on both sides of the court. His quick first step puts opponents in comprising defensive positions as he not only attacks the rim, but kick it out to open teammates on the perimeter. He also harasses opponents on defense and forces them to turn the ball over.
Morant is compared to the likes of NBA greats like Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo because of his size and skill set.
Morant is projected to be chosen at either 2 or 3 in the first round.
The most improved player in college this season with promising hopes to be a star on the next level is Texas Tech’s own, Jarret Culver. Culver is an athletic guard that can do a little bit of everything when he’s on the court.
Culver has a fairly good jump shot. He can score off the dribble, rebound the ball, and play defense.
Culver is an overall solid player, but he can use some slight improvements in his decision making and conditioning. He is projected to be drafted between 4 and 10 in the first round.
De’Andre Hunter is a solid forward out of the University of Virginia with a unique defensive application. He has an old school basketball approach on defense.
Hunter has the size to defend in the post and great versatility to defend on the perimeter.
His slashing ability keeps the defense on their toes along with his ability to shoot. Hunter is not an easy player to guard because of his instincts on the weak side of the rim on offense; on defense he is a skilled shot blocker that rarely commits fouls.
Hunter is expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming draft by the end of the season. He has the defensive intangibles it takes to be more than a role player in the NBA along with scoring ability. He is often compared to Kawhi Leonard.
Paul Williams, a sophomore mass communications major from St. Louis, Missouri said: “Ja Morrant is definitely a solid player with great promise on the next level. He is definitely a once in a lifetime player that will impact the game.”
Isaiah Davis, a sophomore criminal justice major from Jackson, Mississippi said: “R.J. Barret will definitely have to get stronger in order to be effective in the league. That’s for any player coming from college and entering the pros. I feel like his court vision and playmaking ability sets him apart from other players in college and that’s why he will be special in the league.”
