Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA draft in hopes of fulfilling "ultimate dream". ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Grading Sotto: How the Philippines' prospect's offense stacks up in the 2022 NBA draft. ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto's defense and experience may put him behind other international prospects. The 32 teams are set: Who's in and who's out for FIBA World Cup 2023? 13 Chattanooga | Friday | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, Jahvon Quinerly | Junior | Alabama | 6'1" | PG | Age: 23.2, Caleb Love | Sophomore | North Carolina | 6'4" | SG | Age: 20.4, 57. Sotto was born May 11, 2002 in Las Pinas, Philippines. LSU was delivered a major blow when Eason's coach, Will Wade, was dismissed Saturday due to recruiting violation allegations, and the Tigers will need their best player to emerge as a leader on and off the court. Former college players ranging from Draymond Green to Grant Williams come to mind when watching Liddell. Cavaliers-Celtics, 7:30 p.m. His skill sets and physical advantages position him to play versatile lineups down the road. On the other hand, Michael Houben -- a scouting expert for the Australian independent basketball publication "The Pick and Roll" -- was not as optimistic and called his defense "a very clear limitation at this point in time for Sotto.". Some of those improvements have reflected in Sotto's frame, one that he has filled out over the past couple of years and enabled him to keep up in a highly-physical NBL. What to watch for: Sochan is the prototypical "initiator" modern big who can defend 4s and 5s while bringing the ball up the floor in transition and creating for himself and others in the half court, looking like Baylor's version of Boris Diaw when he's at his best. What to watch for: Named second-team All-Big Ten, Harper carried Rutgers into the NCAA tournament with several heroic late game shots after a slow start to the season. Listen, What to watch for: A junior college transfer who played a minor role last season, Ellis has emerged as a draftable option as a senior at Alabama, converting 36% of his 3-pointers while guarding everyone from point guards to power forwards. The 18-year-old has as much riding on this NCAA tournament as any of the Duke prospects given the extreme highs and lows he has had this season. Although he is as proven a talent as you'll find in the lottery, Agbaji has no shortage of elite prospects in the Midwest region -- Davis, Murray, Tari Eason, Smith -- whom he could go toe-to-toe with to further improve his draft stock. 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Kai Sotto. details for every deal for the 2022-23 season. 14 Longwood | Thursday | 2:45 p.m. | CBS. "A negative assist-to-turnover ratio indicates further experience is needed to make him an efficient player with ball in hand," Houben added. And he has averaged as many turnovers as assists, making it difficult for him to emerge as a late-game, go-to option, which has hampered Auburn at times with its inconsistent guard play. The U19 FIBA World Cup MVP is more than able to space the . 16 Bryant/Wright State | Friday | 7:27 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: The Pac-12 player of the year, Mathurin made a big jump as a sophomore while leading Arizona in scoring. His progress is ideal for both a foreign kid and a 7-3 unicorn.". Davis' rebounding, defensive versatility and all-around grit stand out in addition to the strides he has made offensively. Jabari Smith | Freshman | Auburn | 6'10" | SF/PF | Age: 18.8, When: No. His decision to make the NBA jump despite having two more years left on his Adelaide contract (with a team option on the final year) did not come as a surprise to the 36ers. He's coachable and receptive to feedback from coaches and teammates," Chan said. Paolo Banchero | Freshman | Duke | 6'10" | PF/C | Age: 19.3, When: No. In Adelaide, Sotto mostly subsisted on cuts and as a roll man in the pick and roll -- two of four play types where he derived most of his offense. He represented the Philippines in the 2018 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship, where he averaged a double-double and was named to the tournament's First Team. What to watch for: Fresh off a record-breaking Big Ten tournament, Murray enters the Big Dance with as much momentum as any NBA prospect. He was part of the initial 33-man list of such prospects, per . -- Schmitz, Kendall Brown | Freshman | Baylor | 6'8" | SF | Age: 18.8, What to watch for: The most explosive leaper in college, Brown is a highlight reel waiting to happen anytime he catches the ball with room to operate. Liddell | Junior | Ohio St. | 6'7" | PF | Age: 21.2, When: No. NFL draft questions for teams in the top 10: Will the Colts trade up? Six-time PBA champ 'Plastic Man' Saldaa remembered fondly following death at 64, Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA draft in hopes of fulfilling "ultimate dream", Kai Sotto claims NBL Fans' Most Valuable Player award. Sotto managed to carve out a niche in the NBL, albeit in a limited role, because of his unusual blend of size and mobility. While Washington isn't the most dynamic player or overly shifty ball handler, scouts will be studying his ball skills and ability to break down his man, as he has been far more efficient and effective against lesser teams, boasting a 50.5 true shooting percentage (TS%) in 21 games against teams with a winning record versus a 61.5 TS% in nine games against teams under .500. In general, catch-and-shoot shots (8.5 percent) and pick and pops (4.5 percent) comprised a small percentage of his shots, and Adelaide was below average in possessions that involved Sotto in those plays, per InStat. Even so, a possible callup in the second round remains within the realm of possibility. Kai Sotto will be hoping to make it in the big time after declaring for the NBA draft on Thursday. "Outside of being a drop-off/lob option, he seems most successful in getting his offense in the pick and roll. Scouts will surely be hoping for a deep run from Duke and Gonzaga, as that would set up a Banchero-Holmgren rematch in the Elite 8. He is the best shot-blocker in college, with intriguing versatility and mobility guarding the pick-and-roll, stepping out the perimeter and recovering to make plays at the rim. Six-time PBA champ 'Plastic Man' Saldaa remembered fondly following death at 64, Justin Brownlee's journey from replacement import to Ginebra icon, Heartbreak is nothing new for Adamson star Jerom Lastimosa. I can recall Sam Froling absolutely dominating him when they played against Australia (in 2019 at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup)," Purnell recalled. But there is belief Sotto can build around those figures in order to raise his ceiling and find a place on offense in the modern NBA. Sotto averaged 11.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting along with 4.2 boards and 1.2 swats while breaching double-digit scoring in three of those contests. 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, F1 season preview: Who's hot and who's not, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, LIVE Transfer Talk: Gvardiol, Bellingham named Real Madrid's top transfer targets, The Chet Holmgren 'problem' is he's a one-of-a-kind NBA prospect. 2019 NBA champion Jeremy Lin believes all is not lost for Kai Sotto after the Philippine prospect missed out on being picked up in the 2022 NBA draft. (2:02). "There's no doubt that Sotto is a skilled big man -- his touch, particularly on short floaters, stood out as a skill he can use to get points around the rim, and he had some fun moments as a lob threat as well. Still, there's a near consensus that he still has a lot of work to do before becoming a no-brainer pick for a spot on an NBA roster. The 21-year-old Murray, who is shooting 63% from 2 and 40% from 3, has turned himself into arguably the best player in college basketball and the most complete prospect in the draft as a 6-foot-9 forward with length and a modern skill set. Croatia's Roko Prkacin tested the waters as an early entry candidate in the 2021 NBA draft but, presumably due to a lack of interest, opted to return for another year of basketball overseas. If he can, that would go a long way in convincing execs the Iowa star isn't just a "high-floor NBA starter" but rather that his production is more than a product of Iowa's system and he belongs in the same conversation as Holmgren and Smith as a member of the draft's elite. Sports Illustrated's mock draft recently had Sotto at number 49 going to the Sacramento Kings. Sotto posted up a lot -- about 19.3 percent of his offense came from the block, per InStat, which was the second-highest figure from his portfolio -- but Adelaide only scored 0.68 PPP during those trips, well below the league average of 0.89. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Nuggets), Azuolas Tubelis | Sophomore | Arizona | 6'9" | PF/C | Age: 19.9, Kofi Cockburn | Junior | Illinois | 7'0" | C | Age: 22.5, When: No. The 20-year-old, 7'3 center played in 23 games for the 36ers this past season. "[But] it is generally only justifiable to play a seven-footer on an NBA floor if they're being heavily utilized on the offensive end, and whilst Sotto has shown utility as a finisher and lob threat at the NBL level, a clear cut offensive skill will go a long way into making him a useful NBA player.". His 7-foot-4 wingspan, outstanding mobility and quickness getting off his feet make him a force both around the rim as well as covering ground on the perimeter, where he's often asked to guard smaller players in Arizona's jumbo lineups. Playing with little help around him offensively, Harper has been forced to carry a heavy load for Rutgers this season, which has led to some inconsistent and especially inefficient performances. Although he is rock solid across the board, Branham doesn't quite have that one elite skill, at least at the level of an NBA starter. 1 scorer in the country making shots running off screens, per Synergy, giving Murray State a dangerous element to their half-court offense, while also being capable of relocating off closeouts and pulling up off the dribble with deep range. What to watch for: Christie is a 6-foot-6 guard who has the type of footwork to develop into both an on-the-move shooter and sound defender as he continues to grow in the toughness, confidence and experience departments. It's clear that Davison's struggles as a scorer and concerningly high turnover rate make him more of a long-term prospect, which has allowed more productive guards to jump ahead of him as the season has moved on. He's a magnet for fouls attacking the rim, is highly switchable on the perimeter and is always around the ball as a cutter and offensive rebounder. People will realize how special Kai is," Chan said when asked about Sotto's draft stock. Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers via Rockets), Caleb Houstan | Freshman | Michigan | 6'8" | SF | Age: 19.1, Peyton Watson | Freshman | UCLA | 6'8" | SF/PF | Age: 19.5, Josh Minott | Freshman | Memphis | 6'8" | PF | Age: 19.2. You have come to the Philippines Edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. How Oftana and Lastimosa went from Dumaguete dreamers to Gilas, Already a standout walk-on, La Salle's Ben Phillips looks to make his mark on another court, 'It's a fans' game': Tiongson, Ahanmisi move on from All-Star snubs, The seven biggest 2023 PBA All-Star omissions, and the players who took their spots, A night of nostalgia: Toyota Tamaraws celebrate 50th anniversary, Kai Sotto's second season mirrors 36ers' ups and down. He's been somewhat streaky at times from beyond the arc, but has found more success as of late after hitting a midseason slump, while consistently doing all the little things his team needs to win games. 2 Duke vs. No. Kai Sotto hasn't really been in a lot of 2022 NBA mock drafts. "Having this opportunity to develop in the NBL is a great situation for Kai and I'd imagine he spends the next year or two in Australia as he continues to find his footing in the world of professional basketball," Smith explained. "More minutes, along with another year of skill development and physical training, could only help his stock in the eyes of NBA evaluators.". His passing and floor vision has garnered some attention over the years, but the potential has yet to fully materialize, as Sotto tallied more turnovers (32) than assists (14) in his first year with Adelaide. There's been plenty . "I remember I really liked his passing for a big man but his body was a big problem. Will Banchero buy into a more free-flowing style that accentuates his pass-dribble-shoot skill set or will his catch-and-hold tendencies show up again during important games? According to his agent Joel Bell, NBA scouts were "very enthusiastic" about the 7'3" big man and had even secured a guarantee with one team that they will pick Sotto once the draft rolls on. Breaking down the top prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft | NBA Today 229,202 views Feb 3, 2022 2K Dislike Share Save ESPN 8.61M subscribers Mike Schmitz joins NBA Today to discuss the. Over time I think he continues to get stronger, and his muscle growth has been very promising, but he isn't strong enough just yet.". NBA teams also will keep a close eye on his defense, which has been up and down. 13 South Dakota State | Thursday | 12:40 p.m. | truTV. However, he decided to forgo his college eligibility and join the NBA G League Ignite. ESPN talked to some of these scouts and regional experts working and covering the NBL and asked them to weigh in on the prospect of Sotto becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. NBA Draft News Best Available Teams Get the App ESPN talked to some of these scouts and regional experts working and covering the NBL and asked them to weigh in on the prospect of Sotto becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. Fresh off the back of being named the NBL Fans' Most Valuable Player on Wednesday evening, Sotto declared his intentions on an Instagram post which initially began with him expressing gratitude after his season with the 36ers. NBA Draft 2023 Best Remaining Players - ESPN Draftcast Skip to main content Skip to navigation Presented By Full Scoreboard ESPN Search You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. With rival Asian leagues circling, is the five-year college player a thing of the past in the Philippines? -- Schmitz, 10. In the first of our two-part series on 2022 NBA Draft hopeful Kai Sotto, ESPN talked to scouts and experts who cover Australia's National Basketball League about his decision to declare for the draft, . Sotto managed to carve out a niche in the NBL, albeit in a limited role, because of his unusual blend of size and mobility. "The first thing that stands out with Kai is that the size is very real. 05/11/02 (20.8 yrs) Hometown. "Outside of being a drop-off/lob option, he seems most successful in getting his offense in the pick and roll. He's an outstanding rebounder, Kansas' best rim-protector, and is converting 38% of his 3-pointers, making him one of the more versatile wing players in this class. "There's no reason Sotto would not have the potential to be a productive contributor on the offensive end of the floor," Houben said. LIVE NBA MOCK DRAFT! (2:08). 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