NBA Draft: Potential Sleepers Selected in the Second Round

#42 Olivier Hanlan (Boston College), PG/SG – Utah Jazz

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Every year, there seems to be a prospect who is a relative unknown to most casual basketball fans who has his name written in red ink with a circle around it and a large star next to it on every scouting report he has ever appeared on.

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This year that player is Olivier Hanlan, the high-scoring guard who toiled in obscurity for the last three seasons while playing for a woeful Boston College squad. Hanlan may not have spent much time in the spotlight, but he spent plenty of evenings torching the competition in the ACC.

It’s not clear whether Hanlan is a point guard or a shooting guard, but what is clear is that he can dole out buckets from either position. He’s a knockdown three-point shooter who was able to produce gaudy numbers while frequently facing double teams and defenses tailored to stop him from scoring.

When good players leave bad college teams, they are often boosted by the new-found opportunity to no longer be the focal point of an offense (Klay Thompson post Washington State immediately comes to mind). Hanlan has the ability to score at the pro level, but he’ll finally have room to breathe once playing alongside players like Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors.

The Jazz have young players entrenched at both of their guard spots, but no one in their current backcourt rotation has shown themselves to be the pure scorer that Hanlan is. Hanlan will have the opportunity to be an instant offense reserve, which could put him in line for a bright professional future if he proves worthy of the role.