INDIANKeynoteUSAOLIS — Thirty names came off the NBA Draft board Wednesday night and the Pacers will finally get to choose Thursday with three second-round picks at Nos. 36, 49 and 50 overall. The second round begins at 4 pm Thursday and will be televised on KeynoteUSA. These are the players left on the board that you might consider.
Guards
Tyler Kolek, 6-3, 182, Marquette: Kolek’s presence on the board after Round 1 was a bit surprising after earning first-team All-Big East honors in each of the last two seasons and was a second-team All-American this year. Kolek was one of the best playmakers in college basketball this season, averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game. He also showed defensive prowess with 185 career steals and shot over 38% from 3-point range in each of the last two seasons.
Tristen Newton, 1.96 m, 90 kg, ConnecticutNewton perfectly represents the type of player the Pacers have been eyeing in pre-draft workouts. He is a fifth-year player with immense basketball IQ and the ability to affect wins in multiple ways. He was Connecticut’s nominal point guard, but also finished second on the team in rebounding and was also effective on the defensive end. He was a consensus first-team All-American and earned MVP honors in the Big East Tournament and MOP honors in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists as a force on both ends. He’s a career 32.7% three-point shooter, so it’s an area where he needs to improve at the pro level, but he provides enough value in other areas that could land him in a rotation. He can play any 1-3 position and that particularly works with how the Pacers view this pick as a player who would likely start outside of the rotation and get his opportunities thanks to injuries to the current top 10.
Jamal Shead, 6’2″, 195 lbs, Houston: Like Newton, Shead was a consensus first-team All-American, and if he hadn’t gotten hurt in the Sweet 16 against Duke, he could have led Houston to a Final Four. The Big 12 Player of the Year was the driving force that led the Cougars to a 32-5 record and a league title in his first year in the conference. He was also named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after earning American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. Shead recorded 226 steals in his career and could be immediately trusted as an on-ball defender and distributor on offense.
Ajay Mitchell, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, University of California, Santa Barbara:Mitchell is a crafty lefty who can score at all three levels and defend multiple positions. The Belgian was named Big West Player of the Year in 2022-23 and arguably had a better year this season despite him not repeating, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He also averaged 1.2 steals and made a career-high 33 three-pointers with a shooting percentage of 39.3%. He was named All-Big West in all three of his college seasons.
Antonio Reeves, 6-4, 185, Kentucky:Reeves’ fifth year in college was by far his best year, as he averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game and shot 51.2% from the field (55. 7% from the 2-point line and 44.7% from the 3-point line). He made a career-high 84 three-pointers, but also shot 62.3% from the arc and 49.6% from the 2-point line. He was named to the All-SEC first team after earning Sixth Man of the Year honors the previous season.
Reece Beekman, 6-1, 196, Virginia:Beekman provided pressure on the ball for the Cavaliers’ tough defense, earning him the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons and the ACC All-Defensive Team award in each of the last three years. He struggled as an outside shooter, making just 31.9% of his career 3-pointers, but he improved as a scorer and playmaker each season, posting career highs in scoring (14.3 points per game) and assists (6. 2 per game) as a senior.
Cam Spencer, 1.93 m, 93 kg, Connecticut:After three years at Loyola (Maryland) and one season at Rutgers, Spencer moved to Connecticut for his fifth season and his three-point shooting and scoring provided the necessary components for the Huskies’ championship run. He averaged 14.3 points per game and led the Huskies with 99 three-pointers on a 44% shooting percentage.
Cam Christie, 6’3″, 180 lbs, Minnesota: Christie is unique, so he doesn’t fit the Pacers’ profile, but the younger brother of the Lakers’ Max Christie Jr. showed a high basketball IQ and good feel for the game in one year with the Gophers. He can defend, create and hit 70 three-pointers at a 39.1% clip.
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Kevin McCullar, 6’2″, 200 lbs, Kansas: McCullar was arguably Kansas’ most important player on both ends, averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals. The two-time All-Big 12 pick was also named Big 12 All-Defense twice. He is an inconsistent outside shooter, making just 30.9% of his career three-pointers.
Nikola Djurisic, 2.03 m, 91 kg, KK Mega Basket (Serbia):The Pacers tried out Djurisic last season and other teams showed interest, but he wasn’t selected and played another year in Serbia. He responded by averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game and shooting a career-high 33% from beyond the arc. The 20-year-old still has a lot of room for growth. He has also improved as a defender and playmaker over the past two years.
Johnny Furphy, 6-9, 202, Kansas: The Australian native was a first-round pick in several mock drafts. He has size, the ability to finish at the rim and shoot from distance, hitting 44 3-pointers at a 35.2% clip this year.
Jalen Bridges, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, BaylorBridges’ 6’10’1″ wingspan allows him to defend 1-4, and he’s improved as a shooter throughout his career, making a career-high 73 3-pointers on 41.2 percent shooting this season and scoring a career-high 12.2 points.
Harrison Ingram, 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, North Carolina:Ingram was unable to play for the Pacers due to a cut he suffered in a previous workout that required stitches, but he fits well as a two-way forward. He made 65 three-pointers on 38.5% shooting, and also grabbed 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game this season, earning him third place in All-ACC. He also showed some ability as a passer, averaging around 3.4 assists per game in two seasons at Stanford before transferring to North Carolina.
Enrique Freeman, 6-7, 205, Akron:Freeman averaged a double-double in his final three seasons at Akron, earning All-MAC honors in each of those seasons and leading the Zips to a pair of MAC Tournament titles and NCAA appearances. He was also named MAC All-Defense four times, MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22 and Player of the Year this year, averaging 18.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.
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Adem Bona, 6-foot-10, 235 pounds, UCLA:The Pacers could need depth at center if Jalen Smith declines his player option. Bona, one of the younger players the Pacers tried, could be available and bring a similar skill set to Isaiah Jackson. He has a wingspan of 7 feet 3 inches and a maximum vertical jump of 40 inches, making him an exceptional shot blocker. He averaged 1.8 blocks per game this season to earn Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Kyle Filipowski, 7-foot-0, 230 pounds, Duke:Filipowski is one of the biggest surprises left on the board after the first round, as he was invited to the green room. The two-time All-ACC and consensus second-team All-American lived up to the hype at Duke, averaging 1.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in two seasons. He averaged 1.5 blocks per game this year and also shot 50.5% from the field, including 34.8% from the 3-point line. He made 74 three-pointers in two seasons, showing the range needed with his size.
Jonathan Mogbo, 6-8, 225, San Francisco: Mogbo measured just 6-6 1/4 at the NBA Draft Combine without shoes, but he has a 7-2 wingspan and 37 1/2-inch max vertical that allows him to play much bigger. He spent his first two college seasons in junior college and averaged just 8.0 points per game at Missouri State as a junior, but he blossomed this year. He averaged 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals, shooting 63.6% from the floor to earn first-team All-West Coast Conference honors.
N’Faly Dante, 6’11”, 230, Oregon:Dante was a top recruit out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas and took a while to develop as expected due to injuries, but his 2023-24 season finally fulfilled its promise. He averaged 17.0 points on 69.5% shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, earning him first-team All-Pac 12 and All-Defensive team honors.
P.J. Hall, Clemson, 6-10, 235, Clemson: Hall helped lead Clemson to the Elite Eight as a senior, showing physical ability on the interior but also touch and scoring ability from the outside. He hit a career-high 52 3-pointers this year, along with career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, finishing with 18.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
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