NBA Draft 2023: Victor Wembanyama leads way-too-early mock draft

5. Dariq Whitehead (SG/SF) – Duke

Whitehead is actually the third highest-rated recruit headed to Duke this season behind Dereck Lively II and Kyle Filipowski, but he’ll be put in the best position to show his full skillset as the primary perimeter option on a preseason top 10 team.

His ceiling as a player will depend on his ability to continue to develop his jump shot and decision-making, but his two-way impact on the wing is as close to a sure thing as there will be in the 2023 NBA Draft. Whitehead is easily one of the safest picks in the class, and I mean that in the best way possible.

4. Cameron Whitmore (SF) – Villanova

Whitmore showed out at several spring showcase events like the Jordan Brand Classic (16 points, 9 rebounds) or the McDonald’s All-American Game (19 points, 8 rebounds) which significantly boosted his stock. He continued his rise up the rankings as the leading scorer for the U.S. at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in early June, averaging 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in just 17.4 minutes per game.

Whitmore is physically ready for the NBA right now — this is not a guy who needs to either put on or shed a few pounds. With Justin Moore likely missing this season with a torn Achilles suffered in Villanova’s Elite Eight win over Houston, Whitmore will have the spotlight on him from the start for Kyle Neptune’s Wildcats this fall.