Scouting the SEC’s best NBA prospects – 247Sports

Trevon Brazile , 6-10, SO , C/F, Arkansas – On a team loaded with draft prospects, specifically three potential one-and-done candidates, Brazile is maybe too far under-the-radar. The late-bloomer has grown three inches in the last few years and is still not a finished product physically. The Missouri transfer is an athlete at the rim who blocked shots at a very high rate as a freshman and showed some shooting possible during Arkansas’s foreign tour this summer. He’s a bit of a tweener right now though, until he’s able to make notable strides with his body or ball-skills. If he does both, he could be a major riser this season.

Johni Broome , 6-10, JR, C/F, Auburn – He isn’t generating a ton of pre-season buzz in the write community, but behind the scenes NBA teams are much more intrigued. He put up huge numbers last year at Morehead State (16. 8pts, 10. 5rebs, 3. 9blks, 55. 5% FG) before going through the draft process, yet opted to transfer into Auburn where he’ll step into the frontcourt alongside Traore. Broome got off to a good start in the team’s foreign trip this summer and could play his way in to first-round consideration with a solid junior season.  

Colin Castleton , 6-11, GR, C, Florida – A constant double-double threat that protects the rim and is versatile defensively for a near-seven-footer, there’s plenty to like about Castleton’s game. Offensively, he handles the ball well, has good footwork, and a good feel for spacing. He is not a floor-spacer yet but there’s potential there, as his 73% career free-throw shooting figures indicate, and that could be the key to a projectable offensive role at the next level.

Ricky Council IV , 6-6, JR, W, Arkansas – Council was the AAC’s Sixth Man of the Year last time of year at Wichita State and will now play that part at Illinois. He’s strong with good positional size, can get downhill attacking each sides, is a good vertical athlete at the rim, and a very good perimeter rebounder. The shooting is the swing skill that and it’s critical for a role player. He made just 30. 6% from behind the particular arc last year, but was in 44% a year earlier with a more limited sample size and is also a 78% career free-throw shooter.

Isiaih Mosley , 6-5, SR, G/W, Missouri – After three years from Missouri Condition, the last two of which were characterized by huge offensive output, Mosley will now get an opportunity to prove that his game translates to a higher level of competition. He’s not an elite sportsman and has a bit of a herky-jerky style, but their combination of efficiency and volume last year was exceptional as he scored over 20 points per sport while hitting the 50-40-90 mark (50. 4% FG, 42. 7% 3pt, and 90. 2% FT).

Matthew Murrell , 6-4, JUNIOR, G, Ole Miss – Murrell didn’t make quite the immediate splash like a freshman that many expected, yet he took a notable jump in his sophomore period. If he can take another step forward this year he has a combination of size, strength, shooting, plus athleticism that should make him very intriguing. Based on what we saw in high school, there may even be some on-ball creation possible. In short, we haven’t seen the best of him just yet.

Kowacie Reeves , 6-6, SO , W, Florida – He fits an NBA prototype at first glance because he’s the shot-maker with good dimension and athleticism at the edge. He also comes into the season with a lot of momentum after playing his best basketball of their freshman year in the post-season. He has a few untapped upside as a straight-line driver, finisher, and defender but needs to be consistent and reliable with all of those areas and simultaneously work to be more efficient with some of the more subtle nuances on both ends.

Will Richard , 6-4, THEREFORE , W/G, Fl – Right after exceeding all expectations in the freshman season at Belmont, and even generating some NBA draft hype in the process, Rich transferred to California for the bigger stage. His pre-season has been delayed by a knee injury, but he is expected to be ready for the opener. A heady two-way gamer with long-arms and developing floor-spacing ability, Richard looks like the type of projectable role participant who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.

Jacob Toppin , 6-8, SR, F, Kentucky – The younger brother of New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin , Jacob was a similar late-bloomer who else needed a post-graduate 12 months after high school before being recruited up to the Atlantic 10 level. This individual made a huge physical jump as a freshman at Rhode Island plus Kentucky required him on upside following the year. Two years later, he may be ready to assert himself. He’s a big-time athlete having a 45-inch vertical and a plus-three wingspan to match. We’re starting him in the second round right now, but if scouts come away from the growing season believing in his shooting and defense, he could rise.