After Wallace goes off the board, there will probably be a bit of a wait before, and if, teammates Chris Livingston and Oscar Tshiebwe are selected, while Jacob Toppin is not projected to be a draft pick.
Last year’s final pick came in just after 12:30 a.m. ET, so have some coffee at the ready and maybe get a nap in ahead of time.
Tshiebwe, who has been making the predraft workout rounds, is banking on his elite rebounding ability to earn him an NBA roster spot, whether it be as a draft pick or as an undrafted free agent.
“I believe there will be a team that is going to really need me (to) help them,” Tshiebwe told Indiana Pacers team writer Wheat Hotchkiss in a report posted June 12. “…
I fight for rebounds, I outrun everybody, I fight for position to help my team win.”
He’s also hoping that having Coach John Calipari in his corner in the predraft process pays off.
“It was one of my dream schools,”Tshiebwe told Hotchkiss. “I wanted to play for Coach Calipari because Coach Calipari is an NBA producer who is producing a lot of kids going to the NBA. I’m very honored and I’m very grateful to be able to play for Coach Calipari at Kentucky. Kentucky has helped me a lot. People don’t even know how much Kentucky has helped me in this journey.
“Coach Calipari is talking to all these teams, ‘Y’all got to get Oscar, y’all got to get Oscar, y’all got to get Oscar. That kid works harder than anybody else. That kid will do (more) extra things than anybody else.’”
Age, height, weight, position: 23, 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, center.
2022-23 statistics: 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks.
ESPN rankings: 60th overall, seventh-best center.
ESPN player comparisons: Kenyon Martin, Justin Hamilton, Paul Davis.
The Ringer ranking (as of June 14): 62nd overall.
The Ringer mock draft (as of June 20): Undrafted.
The Ringer player comparisons: Reggie Evans, short Andre Drummond.
The Ringer analysis: “One of the best rebounders in college basketball history. He’s like Gollum in pursuit of his ring. Even if it means ripping the ball away from his teammates, he never stops hustling for his precious. … During the predraft process, he has worked on shooting corner threes, which would be a game-changing skill for him to develop. … Sloppy passer. Struggles with making basic reads and delivering the ball with accuracy. … He has subpar positioning in pick-and-roll defense, and he doesn’t really deter players from driving on him.”
CBS Sports ranking: 63rd overall.
