NBA Draft 2019: 10 best prospects from Big Ten Basketball

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 23: Charles Matthews #1 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates a basket against the Florida Gators during the second half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 09: Amir Coffey #5 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers dunks the ball in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on February 9, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

8. Amir Coffey – Minnesota – 6’8, 22 years old

Coffey put together a nice season for the Golden Gophers scoring 16 points per game while leading them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He really excelled as a point-forward, showing the ability to run an offense. With his length, he can also guard multiple positions which will translate to the next level.

The biggest thing holding Coffey back is his lack of a jump shot. He made only 30.4 percent of his threes and doesn’t have the purest mechanics. His size and ability to playmake are intriguing but being 22 years old already hurts his potential.

It’s unlikely that Coffey hears his name called Thursday night, but he is an intriguing two-way player I am excited to watch in Summer League.

7. Charles Matthews – Michigan – 6’5, 22 years old

Matthews draft stock took a fall when it was announced he tore his ACL in a pre draft workout with the Boston Celtics.

Matthews cooled off after a hot start for the Wolverines. He finished the year scoring 12.2 points per game and shooting a poor 29 percent from three but showed upside and promise.

His path to the league will be his on-ball defense. Matthews established himself as one of the best defenders in the country. Standing at 6’6 with a strong frame, Matthews often shut down his opponents in the Big Ten. He was in the 97th percentile for guarding the ball-handler in pick and rolls and in the 92nd percentile for guarding isolations.

He will never be a prolific scorer, but if he can just improve his three-point shooting, then he will be a good “three and D” player. He has a strong work ethic and is a high character guy that will make winning plays to help his team win.

With the injury, Matthews now probably won’t be drafted because he would miss the entire summer and a good chunk of next season. But he is a sneaky candidate to make a roster when healthy because of his defense.

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