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

9. Terrence Shannon Jr. – Texas Tech – Junior – 6’6, 210 lbs – July 2000

Shannon made a somewhat surprising decision to return to school after a good, but not great, sophomore year. Possessing an NBA frame and leaping ability, Shannon took a desired 10% leap as a three-point shooter, but his shot still looks kind of clunky. Defenses still treat him as a non-shooter.

Defense is where Shannon should continue to make his calling. He’s a multi-positional defender, who uses his strength to bump drivers off their line of attack. He’s aggressive at the point of attack and is terrific at navigating screens.

To become a more serious prospect, Shannon has to improve offensively. He’s too left-hand dominant as a handler and finisher. He was below the 50th percentile in spot-ups, which is concerning considering that’s where most of his possessions at the next level will come from. An improved jumper will open up lanes, but he’ll need to improve his ancillary skills as well.

There’s some floor with Shannon given his frame and defense, but his offense lags behind NBA level and after two years, it remains to be seen how much more he can grow on that end.