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

29. Caleb Love (PG) – North Carolina

Love finished last season with a subpar 6-24 shooting performance in UNC’s national championship game loss to Kansas, but he was one of the primary reasons why the Tar Heels made their March run in the first place. Love improved his turnover numbers in his sophomore season while his 3-point percentage jumped nearly 10 percentage points to 36%.

He averaged 15.9 points on the season and 18 points as UNC went 11-1 leading up to the national championship game. That included a 30-point night against UCLA in the Sweet 16 and a 28-point outing against Duke in the Final Four. Love needs to improve his 2-point efficiency, but his path to the NBA is fairly clear as a lightning-fast point guard who can shoot it with range. UNC will also likely be the preseason No. 1 team in the country this season which can’t hurt his stock.

28. Marcus Sasser (PG) – Houston

Sasser’s return gives Houston a strong case to be the preseason No. 1 team, meaning his skillset will be tested in the spotlight for most of this season. He missed most of last season but was one of the most impressive performers at the G League Elite Camp in Chicago this summer. His smooth jump shot and all-around scoring ability are his most valuable skills.

That said, he will be 22 next summer and is a small guard who doesn’t play like a traditional point guard. That shouldn’t work as too much of a deterrent, though. Sasser is an elite offensive player who — as a four-year player under Kelvin Sampson — can more than hold his own defensively as well.