BYU Basketball: 2020 NBA Draft profile for forward Yoeli Childs
By Andy Patton
A ridiculous NCAA suspension limited BYU Basketball’s Yoeli Childs to 19 games as a senior, but he remains an appealing, NBA-ready draft prospect in 2020.
It was perhaps one of the most under-the-radar seasons in the NCAA, thanks in part to a suspension and a flukey injury, but BYU Basketball forward Yoeli Childs was an absolute beast last year – averaging 22.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in just under 29 minutes per game.
He also shot a ridiculous 57.4% from the field and 48.9% from beyond the arc, cementing himself as a small-ball four prospect in the upcoming 2020 NBA draft.
Childs did all this in just 19 games, however, thanks to a ridiculous suspension handed out by the NCAA for incorrectly filing paperwork to return to BYU after declaring for the 2019 draft. That, coupled with a finger injury that cost him four games, and of course the pandemic that ended the season prematurely, limited Childs’ exposure to NBA scouts and many casual fans.
However, any uber-athletic 6’8 forward who can put up those kinds of numbers for a high-profile school like BYU – and who can shoot nearly 50% from the three-point line – is worth investigating as a potential NBA player, and Childs is hoping to be the first BYU player since Jimmer Fredette in 2011 to be selected in the NBA draft.
While he has his weaknesses, most notably on the defensive side of the ball, Childs possesses enough intriguing traits to merit selection in the second round. We will take a look at his overall strengths and weaknesses, make a comparison to a current NBA player in his home state, and then discuss his overall draft stock and some ideal team fits for him with a few weeks until the draft is set to commence.