NBA Draft 2018: Spotlighting Highest-Rated Upperclassmen on Expert Mock Drafts
The list of available prospects for the 2018 NBA draft on June 21 is dominated by underclassmen, most of whom are one-and-done players.
While the wide range of mock drafts aren't devoid of upperclassmen, there are few to be found in most projections.
A year ago, the first upperclassman selected was North Carolina's Justin Jackson, who went 15th overall.
After Jackson was taken, four other college juniors and seniors were chosen in the first round, including Michigan's D.J. Wilson and Villanova's Josh Hart.
Sixteen additional upperclassmen were picked in the second round, and we should see a similar trend in 2018, as teams look for veteran experience to fill out their rosters late in the first round and early in the second round.
With most of the premier talent entering the NBA draft being freshmen and sophomores, the upperclassmen who are preparing for the selection process do not receive the attention they deserve.
Highest-Rated Upperclassmen in 2018 NBA Draft
Mikal Bridges, SG/SF, Villanova
By all accounts, Villanova's Mikal Bridges is going to be the first upperclassman selected in the NBA draft.
In fact, the junior guard is likely going to be the first non-freshman from the collegiate ranks selected unless Michigan State sophomore Miles Bridges is chosen in front of him.
Bridges is a top-10 pick in most mock drafts, with the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers being the most likely destinations.
Yahoo's Jordan Schultz mentioned in his mock, wherein he has the Sixers taking Bridges at No. 10, that one general manager has "raved" to him about the Villanova junior since the start of the season.
Bridges developed into a key contributor for Jay Wright's title-winning team during his three years with the program, as he learned from experienced players like Hart and Kris Jenkins.
The 21-year-old Pennsylvania native improved his points-, assists- and blocks-per-game totals and three-point percentage from his sophomore year, helping the Wildcats storm to their second championship in three seasons.
As a versatile shooter with length, Bridges is going to draw plenty of interest from teams in the lottery, and once most of the coveted freshman are swooped, he is going to be a hot commodity.
Khyri Thomas, PG/SG, Creighton
Khyri Thomas is a prospect fans are going to learn much more about as June approaches since no one outside Omaha, Nebraska, watched every Creighton game this season.
Thomas, who will be 22 at the time of the draft, molded his game under Bluejays head coach Greg McDermott, who produced a pair of top-16 picks in Doug McDermott and Justin Patton in the past five years.
While his age will be used against him by some teams, especially those who compare him to freshmen prospects, Thomas is expected to go in the middle of the first round.
NBADraft.net believes the junior guard is going to land with the Los Angeles Clippers at the No. 14 selection.
Much like other guards to come out of the Big East in recent years, Thomas is a solid shooter and performs well on defense thanks to a good fundamental backbone.
Thomas did a little bit of everything for the Bluejays during his junior season, as he contributed 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range.
While he isn't a top-level prospect, Thomas is going to be an intriguing option for the teams in the middle of the first round that get eliminated from the playoffs early, as he would add a consistent scoring threat to whichever roster he lands on.
Chandler Hutchison, SF, Boise State
Boise State's Chandler Hutchison could be the late first-round steal we rave about when June rolls around.
The senior small forward is intriguing to teams in the final 10 picks of the first round because he is 6'7" and performs well inside the three-point line.
However, Hutchison's one flaw in his game is his three-point shooting, as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman pointed out in his latest mock, which had the Boise State senior going to the Utah Jazz at No. 20.
Hutchison increased his points, assists and steals per game from a year ago, but his three-point percentage dropped because he took more shots from beyond the arc.
The scorer of 20 points per game attempted 4.1 three-pointers per contest compared to the 2.2 he took a year ago.
Although he showed the willingness to shoot more from the perimeter, he only hit 35.9 percent of his three-pointers.
What can't be denied is Hutchison's scoring ability, even if he played in the Mountain West, as he produced 25 consecutive double-digit point performances, with 39 points coming in his final collegiate game, a first-round NIT defeat to Washington.
As long as he continues to work on his outside shot, Hutchison could be a first-round lock and have an impact similar to the one Kyle Kuzma had during his rookie season.
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