NBA Draft 2019: Spotlighting Highest-Rated Upperclassmen on Expert Mock Drafts
The majority of the hype surrounding the 2019 NBA draft has been focused on Duke's Zion Williamson and the other top freshman coming out of men's college basketball.
Most of the top selections in June are expected to be freshmen, but there are a few upperclassmen who could be selected in the lottery.
A year ago, Mikal Bridges and Jerome Robinson were the only upperclassmen selected in the top 20.
In total, seven juniors and seniors were taken in the first round in 2018, and while the number of experienced players chosen with the first 30 picks may not grow in 2019, there are some quality upperclassmen coming out of the college ranks.
2019 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, PF, Duke
2. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: R.J. Barrett, SF, Duke
4. Chicago Bulls: Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
5. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, SF, Duke
6. Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas): Rui Hachimura, SF/PF, Gonzaga
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
8. Washington Wizards: De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia
9. Boston Celtics (from Memphis): Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
10. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
11. Minnesota Timberwolves: Coby White, PG/SG, North Carolina
12. Charlotte Hornets: Keldon Johnson, SG/SF, Kentucky
13. Miami Heat: Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland
14. Boston Celtics (from Sacramento): Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, France
15. Detroit Pistons: P.J. Washington, PF, Kentucky
16. Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
17. Orlando Magic: Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana
18. San Antonio Spurs: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
19. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Virginia Tech
20. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers): Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State
21. Indiana Pacers: KZ Okpala, SF/PF, Stanford
22. Boston Celtics: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
23. Utah Jazz: Tre Jones, PG, Duke
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Ty Jerome, PG/SG, Virginia
25. Portland Trailblazers: Daniel Gafford, PF/C, Arkansas
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Houston): Naz Reid, C, LSU
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver): Jordan Nwora, SF, Louisville
28. Golden State Warriors: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
29. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto): Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, North Carolina
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Dylan Windler, SF, Belmont
Draft order based off records following Friday's games.
Highest-Rated Upperclassmen
Rui Hachimura
The first two upperclassmen off the board could be from Gonzaga.
Rui Hachimura is one of the two Gonzaga players receiving high marks in some mock drafts after the completion of his junior season.
CBSSports.com's Reid Forgrave had Hachimura going with the 11th selection in his most recent mock draft, while ESPN.com ranked the Gonzaga forward as the No. 18 prospect in the draft class.
Hachimura has a strong inside game and is a tough rebounder, but he doesn't have the outside shot that other players his size have developed in the NBA.
The junior forward out of Japan led Gonzaga in scoring at 19.7 points per game, and he added 6.5 rebounds per contest.
One of the reasons why Hachimura wasn't more dominant on the boards was the presence of fellow big man Brandon Clarke, who could also be taken in the lottery.
Hachimura's three-point shooting stats are a bit deceiving, since he shot 41.7 percent from that part of the court but only made more than one triple in one game during his junior campaign.
As long as he develops his three-point shot to become a complete NBA player, Hachimura is worth taking in the lottery.
While most mock drafts have him landing outside the top 10, the Atlanta Hawks could take a risk on him with one of their two first-round picks to find an inside complement to Trae Young.
Brandon Clarke
Clarke took the road less traveled to become a potential lottery pick in June.
The junior forward started his career at San Jose State and then transferred to Gonzaga for his junior season, and he's reaped the rewards of his move to the West Coast Conference.
Clarke averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.9 assists per game during Gonzaga's run to the Elite Eight.
ESPN.com ranked the power forward as its No. 12 prospect, while Forgrave had him landing much deeper in the first round at No. 27 in his latest mock.
Clarke will draw attention from teams in the second half of the lottery because of his shot-blocking ability and defensive presence.
By turning himself into an all-around player at the rim, Clarke should receive plenty of looks from teams in need of help down low. ESPN.com's draft profile compared Clarke to a "potential Jordan Bell-like modern big."
A potential landing spot for Clarke is the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have plenty of holes to fill to build around LeBron James.
Adding a young post player would provide the Lakers with an extra scorer around Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and James.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
