NBA Draft 2019: Ranking the Top 10 prospects from ACC Basketball

Honorable Mentions

The ACC was very, very deep this year, both in terms of college talent and NBA-caliber draft prospects. Outside of the top 10, there were still a few players that jumped out as legitimate guys that could hear their names called on draft night, albeit in the second round, and it would be rude not to throw them in here. Some (most) of these prospects likely won’t get picked in Thursday’s draft, but all of them should earn Summer League invites and serious interest for two-way and Exhibit 10 contacts.

Kyle Guy, Virginia

21 years old | Guard | 6-foot-2.25 | 168 lbs
Stats (JR): 15.4 ppg (.449/.426/.833), 4.5 rpg, 2.1 apg (1.4 tpg)

One of the best three-point shooters that college has seen in the past three years. Elite at the college level shooting off-movement and running off screens. Outside of shooting, he gives nothing else, despite competing on defense. Far too small to play as an NBA shooting guard and doesn’t have the passing chops to play as a point guard (and he’s still small for that, too). Guy stands out as a decent bet to earn a two-way contract, though, since some team may be willing to see if his shooting translates without being a gigantic negative defensively in the G League.

Tyus Battle, Syracuse

21 years old | Wing | 6-foot-7 | 200 lbs 
Stats (JR): 17.2 ppg (.431/.321/.763), 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg (1.8 tpg), 1.2 spg

Battle flashed some signs of self-creation as a scorer, carrying a major offensive load for a mediocre and talent-starved Syracuse team through three years. Remained largely inefficient and didn’t improve much as a shooter, nor did he add much to his game in terms of creating for others. His defense is also a relative unknown after playing within Jim Boeheim’s zone, so teams likely wonder whether he has the defensive chops to stick in the NBA or not. Probably should’ve left last year, considering he didn’t show anything new as a junior and had a better shot at being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Likely goes undrafted on Thursday.

Ky Bowman, 6-1 G, Boston College

22 years old | Guard | 6-foot-2.25 | 181 lbs
Stats (JR): 19.0 ppg (.404/.374/.761), 7.5 rpg, 4.0 apg (2.9 tpg), 1.2 spg, 0.6 bpg

He’s a bit undersized at the point, but above-average athleticism and a good wingspan (6-foot-7) help alleviate some concerns over his size. Proficient high-volume scorer for Boston College who posted OK efficiency splits as a shooter. Bowman could be seen as a backup point guard worth a late-second round selection, but going undrafted is the likeliest scenario for the 22-year-old North Carolina native. If his name isn’t called, he’ll almost surely get a two-way or Exhibit 10 contract offer given his college pedigree in the ACC.

Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest

20 years old | Forward | 6-foot-9 | 213 lbs
Stats (SO): 13.1 ppg (.458/.226/.717), 7.6 rpg, 1.5 apg (2.5 tpg), 0.6 spg, 0.6 bpg

Hoard has prototypical big-wing size (7-foot-0.75 wingspan, 8-foot-9.5 standing reach) with bouncy athleticism to boot, but he’s not exactly a high-feel (or even average-feel) player and struggles to shoot it from deep. A negative assist-to-turnover ratio (0.6) doesn’t help the concerns over his feel, and he doesn’t profile as anything more than an decently-athletic ‘3’ or ‘4’, which doesn’t hold much value if the shooting and defense (and ability to make simple reads) doesn’t come along. Could’ve improved his stock had he returned to school, but now he looks to either go undrafted or sneak into the 2019 NBA Draft’s final few picks.

Terance Mann, Florida State 

22 years old | Wing | 6-foot-6.5 | 205 lbs
Stats (SR): 11.4 ppg (.505/.390/.790), 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg (1.8 tpg) 

A solid all-around player and high-character guy, the 22-year-old Mann deserves to hear his name heard on draft night after impressing at the Portsmouth Invitational, G League Elite Camp, and NBA Draft Combine. He may be a “jack of all trades, master of none” sort of player, but he was an elite finisher (career 70 FG% at the rim) for a collegiate wing and improved his shooting from beyond the arc and from the line, so he’s a decent bet to shoot it in the NBA, and offers a smart, team-friendly skill set. He knows where he needs to be on offense and defense, knowing what he needs to do to help his team. Mann’s worth a mid/late-second round pick, but there’s a decent (50-50) chance that he goes undrafted; if that’s the case, expect him to be one of the first names picked up as an undrafted free agent or two-way signing.

Justin Robinson, Virginia Tech

21 years old | Guard | 6-foot-2 | 195 lbs
Stats (SR): 13.5 ppg (.473/.418/.811), 3.2 rpg, 5.0 apg (2.8 tpg), 1.6 spg

Look in a dictionary for the term “floor general” and you’ll get a photo of Justin Robinson. The senior guard excelled as a leader both on and off the court for the Hokies, manning the point of a high-octane modern-style offense through intelligent playmaking (1.82 A:TO) and efficient three-point shooting (both off the dribble and off the catch) while competing consistently on the defensive end (3.4 STL%). He’s small for a guard, isn’t a dynamic athlete, and is on the older side, but he profiles as a legit backup NBA point guard with scalable team-friendly offense and defense. Teams picking in the 40s and 50s should give him a serious look.