NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from Team USA in 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup
Peyton Watson – Freshman – UCLA – 6’8, 190 lbs – September 2022
Another heralded incoming freshman, Watson struggled to leave his mark with Team USA. Watson gained notoriety for his three-level scoring ability in his senior season of high school but struggled to hit shots at U19, going just 2-12 from deep.
He was placed in a fairly small role and didn’t get a ton of reps. But, Watson impressed me with some of his passing reads and did a good job getting downhill. He flashed his leaping ability with a few dunks.
While I was disappointed in his offensive production, his defensive effort blew me away. Watson racked up 12 stocks (steals + blocks) in seven games, despite playing just 12.4 minutes per game. He’s got good instincts on that end to go with his plus length and athleticism.
Just in case nobody else got it, here's Peyton Watson defending an entire team for 15 seconds and forcing a shot clock violation pic.twitter.com/JgVlATbGAQ
— Brian (@BrianJNBA) July 12, 2021
Watson’s lack of offensive readiness have me pondering what his role may look like at UCLA next season. They return a large chunk of their team that made a Final Four run, including starting wings Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jacquez, and Jules Bernard. I believe Watson is their most gifted player, but he may not get a ton of opportunity right away and may have to learn how to blend in with the others. That being said, the tools are still there for a lottery-level wing prospect.