ACC Basketball: Ranking of top 15 prospects for 2020 NBA Draft

9. Trent Forrest, G, Florida State

DOB:

• June 12, 1998 (22)

SIZE:

• 6’4″, 210 lbs

PROS:

• Fantastic on and off-ball defender
• Gritty, physical player who isn’t afraid of contact
• Can score in traffic
• Good playmaker
• Great athlete

CONS:

• No jump shot consistency
• Takes too many gambles on both ends

DRAFT GRADE:

• Late 2nd Rounder – Undrafted

Trent Forrest is a player I’m higher on than most due to his high floor. Forrest defends extremely well and is very unselfish, so worst-case situation he can be a backup guard who comes in to defend either on or off-ball. His inconsistent shooting and lack of overall offensive ability are the major knocks on Forrest, which makes his ceiling quite low.

At the end of the day, I’m not 100% sold Forrest will be drafted due to his lack of potential. However whichever team signs him as an undrafted free agent will be getting a bargain, as he could very well make an NBA roster straight out of camp due to his ability to defend.

8. Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse

DOB:

• March 10, 1998 (22)

SIZE:

• 6’6″, 215 lbs

PROS:

• Versatile scorer
• Above-average athlete
• Decent passer

CONS:

• Weak defender who struggles especially on ball
• Inconsistent shooter

DRAFT GRADE:

• Mid-to-late 2nd Round

The great thing about Elijah Hughes is that he does nothing extremely poorly. The bad thing about Elijah Hughes is that he does nothing extremely well. With that being said I am quite certain a team will take a shot on him somewhere in the second round, as if Hughes can become a more consistent scorer and learn to play in man-to-man defensive schemes he could be a steal in round two.

7. Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville

DOB:

• September 9, 1998 (22)

SIZE:

• 6’7″, 225 lbs

PROS:

• Good shooter from all levels of the court
• Can score off the dribble
• Above-average athlete
• Great motor
• Good rebounder for a wing

CONS:

• Inconsistent offensively
• Plays out of control and recklessly on offense
• Doesn’t utilize his athleticism on the defensive end

DRAFT GRADE:

• 2nd Round

Jordan Nwora is one of the more interesting prospects in this draft, as he is a lock to be drafted – the question is where and when. I’ve seen some scouts projecting him as a late first-round pick, while some have him going somewhere between 50-60th overall. Nwora has the potential to be quite special, as he has a large frame and can score from anywhere on the court. The issue is these flashes of potential are just too inconsistent, which is why his draft stock is a mystery.