NCAA Basketball: Top returning players to watch for 2022 NBA Draft

6. Jaime Jaquez – UCLA – Junior – 6’6, 220 lbs – February 2001

Jaquez starred for the Bruins in a “jack of all trades, glue guy” role. He was one of their more versatile defenders and a tenacious rebounder. It’s hard to quantify, but it felt like he never lost a 50-50 ball.

Johnny Juzang was the star of UCLA’s postseason run, but in my eyes, Jaquez is their best returning prospect. He’s got good size and uses it to guard multiple positions. Jaquez isn’t an elite scorer or creator, but he’s got positive off-ball skills. He’s a willing ball mover, shot a solid 39% from deep, and is a plus finisher with his strength (65% at the rim on 103 attempts). Jaquez is also an underrated athlete.

Jaquez does need to find a more consistent stroke, but there’s plenty of things to be encouraged by on both ends. He has less “upside” than some of the players on this list but feels like a safe bet to be an NBA player at some point. Jaquez will be in the national spotlight on a top-five team. If he takes another leap, he could become a household name and a first-round prospect.