Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart, Washington Huskies basketball.
Mike Hopkins, Washington Huskies.
The NBA Draft is an important time for the Washington Huskies basketball program. Dawg fans can celebrate former players’ achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to play at the highest level of professional basketball.
The more Huskies that make it to the NBA, the more attractive Mike Hopkins’ program becomes, in the eyes of prospective recruits. Last year two Washington players were selected in the draft Matisse Thybulle (1st round, 20th overall, Washington Wizards) and Jaylen Nowell (2nd round, 43rd overall, Minnesota Timberwolves). That brought the total number of Huskies that played in the NBA during the 2019–20 season to nine.
Due to COVID-19, the draft will be much different than it has ever been. As of now, October 16 is the listed date for the NBA Draft. Various rumors have the league moving it back another month to mid-November. That would give the league enough time to do proper interviews and evaluations.
This year a pair of young UW forwards are predicted to be (for the most part) first-round picks. We audited 23 mock drafts including ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today to get a consensus of where the dynamic duo of Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart will get drafted.
Both of the forwards left school after their freshman seasons. Some think they should have stayed and developed their respective games more. Others believe there are no guarantees about a college basketball season, and now was the time to leave. Let’s see what the mock drafts think.
Jaden McDaniels, Washington Huskies.
The Seattle native was in and out of Hopkins starting lineup last season. Even though he was a starter in two-thirds of the Huskies games, McDaniels still averaged 31.1 minutes per night, contributing 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. There were many times he was the best player on the court. Then there were other times when his inexperience and mistakes cost his team.
McDaniels is a raw talent. Even with a 7-foot wingspan, he projects as a wing player at the next level. That’s due to his rail-thin frame. At 200-pounds, McDaniels won’t be boxing and banging with the big boys on the glass. But because of his size and athletic ability, he might out jump them.
His skills aren’t a problem. Last season, McDaniels showed flashes of brilliance on the court. The issue is his consistency. Somewhere along the line, McDaniels needs to prove to his team that they can count on him to perform at a consistently high level. He’ll also have to improve his long-range shooting because 33.9 percent from three won’t cut it for him at the next level.
“His shot is nearly impossible to block and he’s got a sweet release. His iso game can be lethal and he shows a lot of promise as a mid-range and out jump shooter who can get his own shot. He can shoot over the top of most guards and wings and he can also take the defender to the rim, using his long strides to gain separation.” – NBA Draft Room
Five of the mock drafts had McDaniels going to Denver with the 22nd pick. Right behind the Nuggets was Oklahoma City (25th) with four hits. Interestingly, four other mocks predict McDaniels will head to Boston, but two were with the 26th pick, and two were at number 30.
Denver might not be a good fit. They already have two big men with skinny builds, Michael Porter Jr. (6-10, 218-pounds) and Bol Bol (7-2, 220-pounds). OKC might be a better fit because he would make a nice three-man rotation with Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams.
Other places McDaniels might end up: 23rd – Utah, 31st – Dallas (2), 32nd – Charlotte, and 33rd – Minnesota.
Isaiah Stewart, Washington Huskies.
Judging by the wide difference in opinions, the jury is still out on Stewart. He was a force inside for the Washington Huskies last year. Stewart scored 17.0 points and pulled down 8.8 rebounds per game.
Scouts love Stewart’s high energy, physicality, and especially his 7-4 wingspan. He doesn’t shy away from doing the dirty work on the glass. Stewart is also an outstanding defensive player. Physically imposing in the low post, he treats the paint as if it belonged to him, and trespassers will be punished.
For as good as Stewart is down low, he doesn’t do nearly as well further out. The first team All-Pac-12 center struggles with his shooting range. Additionally, Stewart doesn’t possess great athletic ability. All of which makes him a limited player at this point.
Aside from three mocks that have Stewart headed to Boston at 26, two more predict the Celtics will select him at 30. He would fit in nicely with Boston’s board pounding, defensively strong team.
As a matter of fact, both Stewart and McDaniels could go to Boston.
Other places Stewart might end up: 17th – Minnesota, 19th – Brooklyn, 22nd Denver (2), 23rd – Utah, 24th Milwaukee, 27th – New York Knicks (2), 29th – Toronto, 31st – Dallas, and 35th – Sacramento. One mock draft that went two rounds didn’t have Stewart being drafted, which is unfathomable.
It almost hurts to think how good the Washington Huskies basketball team would do this season if Stewart and McDaniels stuck around for another year.