NBA Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Predictions for Top Low-Major Players
Getting drafted as a player coming out of Kentucky or Duke isn’t exactly the most original accomplishment.
Yes, being drafted at all is an incredible accomplishment and puts you into an elite group of athletes in the world, but it feels like every season the top of the draft is populated with players from the same schools.
Whether it be Kentucky, Duke, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA or any number of other schools, players join these programs with the expectation they will be joining the ranks of the NBA at some point.
But for every Karl-Anthony Towns at Kentucky, there are hundreds of players at hundreds of schools who are less visible and don't head to college with the expectations of playing in the NBA. They might not be the flashiest picks, but they have just as good a chance as any at becoming a superstar despite attending lesser-known schools.
These are the guys set to be taken in the NBA draft who didn’t attend the big-time programs but still found their way onto draft boards with the hopes of making their dreams come true.
| Pick | Team | Player |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State |
| 4 | New York Knicks | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja, SG, Croatia |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Myles Turner, C, Texas |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (from BKN) | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (from NO) | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Rondae Hollis Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Robert Upshaw, C, Washington |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (from Hou) | Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (from LAC) | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (from ATL) | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Delon Wright, G, Utah |
R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
If you followed the NCAA tournament at all this season, you might remember Georgia State and R.J. Hunter for one of the most exciting moments of the tournament:
It was the same moment that made his already-injured dad do this:
But even before he became an Internet sensation because of his 16-point performance against Baylor, Hunter had established himself as one of the top prospects in this season’s draft.
His 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game—numbers that are just behind those of likely No. 3 overall pick D’Angelo Russell—showed his versatility as a player and helped carry Georgia State to the Sun Belt title.
Although the numbers aren't the most impressive, Hunter has arguably the second-best pure-shooting touch in the draft behind Devin Booker.
If he can refine his game a little bit before the season starts, he could turn into one of the best bench contributors in the latter stages of the first round. With the Cavs lurking at No. 24 and looking for added depth at guard, Hunter could be the perfect fit with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.
Prediction: R.J. Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 24.
Richaun Holmes, PF, Bowling Green
Richaun Holmes didn’t get a chance to prove his worth at the NCAA tournament like a number of the other small-school prospects. He didn’t even have a chance to play in the NIT and show what he could do in the second tournament.
No, the Bowling Green power forward was stuck showing what he could do in the CIT—that is the CollegeInsider.com tournament for those who didn’t know—when it came to postseason play. Although there is a bit of history with this tournament, as Murray State’s Cameron Payne was the MVP in 2014 and will be drafted in the first round this year, it isn’t the highest profile of stages.
So it was that much more of a surprise when Holmes showed up at the draft combine and impressed with his size (6'8 ¼", 243 lbs) and athleticism.
The senior averaged 14.4 points and eight rebounds per game last year, but his biggest contribution to an NBA roster will be on the defensive end. Averaging 2.7 blocks per game as a senior, Holmes showed what he was capable of at the combine with five blocks in just 17 minutes played.
He likely won’t go in the first round because of a limited offensive skill set, but the Philadelphia 76ers could use one of their second-round selections on Holmes.
With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid not accustomed to huge minute totals in the league yet, depth on the block is a big need for the 76ers and one that Holmes fills well.
Prediction: Richaun Holmes to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 47.
Tyler Harvey, SG, Eastern Washington
If there is one surefire way to get your name out there as a player from a smaller program, it is to lead the country in scoring.
Stephen Curry did it at Davidson. Jimmer Fredette did it at BYU. Adam Morrison did it at Gonzaga. Doug McDermott did it at Creighton. Although he isn’t quite on the level of those players, Tyler Harvey has followed in the footsteps of these former collegiate stars.
In just two years at school Harvey has gone from relative unknown to second-round prospect by scoring more than anybody else did:
As a member of the high-flying Eastern Washington Eagles, Harvey put up 23.1 points per game last season and decided to forgo his last two years for a chance at the NBA.
Although he did only have one game in the NCAA tournament to work with, Harvey impressed with a game-high 27 points and hit six of 12 shots from beyond the arc.
He’s a smaller guard (6'4", 185 lbs) who isn’t going to overwhelm anyone physically and really needs to improve on defense, but he can score from anywhere on the floor with relative ease and could develop into a solid bench contributor in the NBA.
The Jazz have a number of shooting guards who can fit in on the wing but need big-time shooters to help spread the floor in the latter stages of the draft, which is exactly what Harvey can provide.
Prediction: Tyler Harvey to the Utah Jazz at No. 54.
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