NCAA Basketball: D-II star Daulton Hommes becoming legit NBA Draft prospect
Very rarely are non-Division 1 players considered true NBA Draft prospects. But for Daulton Hommes, an exception could be made in the future.
Tucked away in San Diego, California is a small school named Point Loma Nazerene University. A small liberal arts college, the campus is home to 3,150 undergraduate students who one day look to embark on their professional career paths. For 3,149, their careers could land them in front of a classroom of 20 young students, others in a boardroom pitching to clients. For the one loan student, Daulton Hommes, his career path could lead him to something much different.
Hommes, a 6’8″ junior from Lynden, Washington, is the Nation’s most underrated player this season. Well, about as underrated as you can get with 1/3rd of the NBA having already seen him thus far.
Boasting an impressive stat line of 21.3 PPG on .514 FG% and .451 shooting the long ball, along with 5.2 rebounds per night, Hommes is an anomaly of sorts. With long legs that allow him to glide down the court in transition with ease, Hommes is a man among boys at the Division II level with the Sea Lions.
When watching him play, the 215-pound guard instantly stands out. With a layered frame and long limbs, Hommes has the ability to showcase his athletic ability in a multitude of ways. Be it landing on balance and exploding in his jumper or his body control off of the dribble, his physical maturity and ability to leverage his gifts is an uncanny trait to possess.
His jump shot is either spot on, slicing through the unexpecting net, or careens off the front of the rim telling the tail of a jump shot that needed just a little more leg under it. It’s understandable that sometimes his shot falls short, as Daulton averages 30.9 minutes per game.
After his balanced base leaves the ground, his wrist flicking effortlessly, elbow above eyebrow and off hand doing nothing more but offering assistance and stability, it’s no surprise why the Sea Lions star shoots over 50% from the floor.
Yet, that’s not the most impressive aspect of his game.
More from Busting Brackets
- NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 5 teams for top-100 SG Larry Johnson
- Oregon Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2023-24
- Big East Basketball: Ranking all head coaches going into 2023-24 season
- Florida State Basketball: Is Seminoles roster good enough to win in 2023-24?
- SEC Basketball: 10 potential additions for the league if they ever expanded
His offensive IQ is great with the ball in his hand. Clearly understanding how the body functions, Hommes has a great ability to attack off the dribble and utilize his jab-step series. Getting defenders off balance, he can either elevate for that silky jumper or put the ball on the floor, accessing his blink-and-you-miss-it first step and use his long strides to attack off the dribble.
Be it his jumper, High Major D1 build or his incredible start/stop ability off the dribble and in transition, there’s a lot to like about Daulton Hommes. Just ask Boston Celtics star, Gordon Hayward.
Daulton proves talent evaluation is an imperfect science. Sure, we can nit-pick and say he’s doing what he’s doing at a lower level. But everything he can do with a basketball is a translatable skill that carries over to any level of the game.
If it wasn’t for his two ACL injuries in high school, maybe this article isn’t written. Maybe Daulton Hommes is enjoying success somewhere at the Division I level. Maybe he’s a face in the crowd.
Mock 2019 NBA Draft after November. dark. Next
But those injuries happened and kept schools at bay. So he went D2. He developed a chip on his shoulder. He worked harder. He became more skilled. He became an NBA prospect.
He became the most underrated player in America.