5 Undrafted Players You’ll See in the NBA in 2014-15

Apr 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Florida Gators center Patric Young (middle) controls a rebound against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during the semifinals of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Draft has come and gone, and like every year, I sat there watching unpronounceable name after unpronounceable name announced in the second round while quality NCAA athletes found themselves undrafted.

With the NBA Summer League(s) and the more popular than ever D-League serving as an audition for undrafted talent, there are five guys who didn’t hear their name called last night who I think we’ll definitely be seeing in the NBA in the 2014-15 season.

Or at the very least, make sure you’re watching when they take the stage this summer in Orlando and Las Vegas.

Khem Birch, PF/C, UNLV
As a two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, I didn’t think there was a chance that Khem Birch would go undrafted on Thursday night. One of the few second round targeted talents who I thought would be able to defend at a high level from the get-go, Birch’s limited offensive abilities and ultimately his body type – he’s only 6-foot-9 and a tad over 200 pounds – may have led to him being left out of the selection party, but his athleticism, physicality, and nose for the ball have me convinced he’s an NBA player.

Deonte Burton, PG, Nevada
Besides Elfrid Payton, Deonte Burton was my favorite to win the Damian Lillard/Stephen Curry award, which is handed out to the rookie NBA point guard from a lower-profile school who scouts weren’t exactly drooling over prior to the NBA Draft who turns out to be a stud. Despite being a relatively inefficient perimeter shooter and below average facilitator in his four years at Nevada, Burton’s a typical bull dog point guard, who does a great job creating offense and thrives in slashing to the basket. I think he might have the quickest first step of any player who entered their name in the draft, and I think he’s going to be one of the top scorers for whatever team is smart enough to sign him to their Summer League squad.

Bryce Cotton, PG, Providence
I didn’t put Bryce Cotton in our 60-pick Mock Draft – which we only fell sliiightly short of the guaranteed 55 correct picks that I threw out there – but there isn’t anything about his game that I don’t like. Posting 19.7 and 21.8 points per game in his final two seasons at Providence, Cotton can score from anywhere on the court, efficiently, and is unmistakably a floor general. His size was definitely a major deterrent for scouts, as he reportedly looked overmatched against other prospects in pre-draft workouts, but he’s a ball player with a refined skill set, and should at the very least have an impressive couple of weeks this Summer in NBA scrimmages/try-outs.

Sean Kilpatrick, SG, Cincinnati 
How does a First Team All-American go undrafted? Nevermind that he’s 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, or that he improved every year while at Cincinnati, or that he was one of the nation’s most efficient scorer’s despite being the only legitimate offensive option on his team last season. Is it that Sean Kilpatrick lacks explosive athleticism? I just don’t get it. Either way, he already tweeted and deleted “TRUST ME…Everyone and I mean EVERYONE will pay for this!” and I think he’s right. GM’s are going to be scratching their heads when he’s one of the top scorer’s this Summer.

Patric Young, C, Florida
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think Patric Young was a tremendous prospect heading into this draft. He’s undersized, offers very little on the offensive end, and didn’t show much growth in his four years at Florida. GM’s are clearly obsessed with upside, and Young has very little, but he does already have an NBA body, has proven he can bang and grab boards with some of the most NBA ready big men in college basketball, and can defend/provide six productive fouls. I don’t know that those attributes will help him stick out in the Summer League, but he’s a hustle player with loads of toughness, and I think he can be a serviceable limited role-playing big man in the NBA.