3 SOPHOMORES TO ADD TO YOUR WATCHLIST
article by Jaspaire
When prospects are faced with going to the draft or staying in the NCAA, they can opt to stay in to better their case so they can be drafted in the next drafts.
In this article, we'll try to decipher 3 players, who will be sophomores, who have had very different but quite unique seasons. Players who have the potential to be NBA players one day. Let's take a look at 3 sophomores to watch next season.
Jordan Burks
Forward / 6'9 (2m07) / 202 lbs (91kg)
Freshman for Kentucky, he played in 20 Kentucky games, mostly during garbage time. His 13-point game (6-6 FG) was most notable against Vanderbilt.
Jordan Burks is an explosive scorer from the Overtime Elite. He was the leader in points scored during his time in the OTE (27 average points over the 2022/2023 season).
Due to strong competition at his position, the player's playing time was up and down in Lexington.
The player is a tremendous player on the open floor. His long arms and his good wingspan make him an intriguing rim protector, particularly on the help rotations and weakside defense.
His shooting is still in question, but he is above all a pretty effective player on spot-ups and in the dunker spot.
The lack of samples from his NCAA year makes him a rather complicated player to evaluate.
"I want to play for the coach, he just happened to coach at this school."
The player had chosen Kentucky, not for the program but for the coach. Bradshaw decided to transfer, Onyenso went to Kansas State, and Burks chose Georgetown for more playing time.
The big man will be able to form a fiery duo with electric point guard Malik Mack, who joins from Harvard College. Georgetown is coming off a complicated season; 9-23 (2-18), 10th BigEast season, and will be looking to do much better next year.
Burks is a gamble as the player is still very raw and he needs a lot of minutes to polish his defensive game and find himself a real offensive role.
Mouhamed Dioubate
Forward / 6'7 (2m01) / 215lb (97kg)
A 4-star recruit, Dioubate played this season for the Crimson Tide, Alabama.
The player arrives with a rather interesting CV; 309 points scored in the paint, the highest total on the EYBL per Synergy.
He chose Alabama and Nate Oats over Maryland, Ohio State, and Wake Forest. The Queens native is a player who had a rather irregular playing time with Alabama.
Most of his minutes on the court were to instill his biggest qualities: his energy, physical impact and defense.
Dioubate saw his hype increase during Alabama's run in March Madness, when he made himself useful as soon as he took the court.
Dioubate is a real rebounding machine, with a 14% OREB and a real science of placement combined with a big motor that enables him to fight for every rebound even against taller players.
On defense, his size enables him to defend the wings without being caught off guard, and his advanced physique is a disruptive tool on drives.
For the time being, the American forward is an interesting player in terms of cuts and offensive rebounds, but he'll have to show more if he wants to be part of Bama's starting five next year, especially with hard competition on the wings next season.
Jaland Lowe
Guard 6'3 (1m90) / 177 lbs 77kg
A 4-star recruit, the guard from Pittsburgh quickly found his place in the backcourt with Bub Carrington.
He even ended up as the team's main initiator at the end of the season. His partnership with Diaz Graham was one of the a main reasons of Pittsburgh's good season.
The team's 4th-best scorer, Jaland Lowe improved his shooting to become a real 3-point threat (17% from 3-point range over the first 11 games when he was on the bench), then 48% from 3-point range over the last 11 games when he became the starting point guard.
On the other hand, Jaland Lowe showed very interesting signs of shotmaking with his good footwork and electrifying first step. Thanks to his dazzling first step, he's now capable to stop-on-a-dime and releasing a mid-range shot.
It's also linked to his new role, as he's averaging in 5.1 assists per game over the last 9 games, a new-found confidence with his new responsibilities (2 ast per game over the first 11 games).
Jaland Lowe is a player who excels in the two-man game, specifically on PNR. Without being an outstanding passer, he knows how to execute PnR and PnP to find mismatches in the defense. With 41% shooting success on High PNR, the player knows how to attack open spaces to create chaos in the defense.
86% in terms of PPP (Point Per Possession) rank, i.e. 86 percentile in the following situation: Ball Handler on Pick and Roll/Pop when defense commits, per synergy
He was just as effective on spot-ups (41%FG) when Bub Carrington had the ball.
The player still needs to improve his touch, with 34% success rate on runners and 49% on layups. Too often, the player is forced to go with his runner because he can't finish with contact over taller defenders.
With the departure of 3 players from the major starting five 5 (Carrington, Hinson and Federiko), there's no doubt that Lowe will have a lot of responsibility next year. Let's hope he continues on the same path as the one he was on at the end of the season.
