What Were They Thinking? Low-Scoring Frosh Believe They're NBA Caliber
June 30th, 2023 - 7:50
Haste makes waste. In their brief college academic careers, these scholars must have taken a stimulating course in how to have a healthy self-esteem. After all, the names of Duke centers Harry Giles III and Dereck Lively II sounded as if they were royal centerpieces right out of the English monarchy.
Despite averaging only 3.3 ppg in 2021-22, freshman Peyton Watson (UCLA) felt he was sufficiently talented to make a prompt transition to the NBA. It makes about as much sense as #Dimorat ex-Speaker #NannyPathetic wanting to stimulate the economy by giving hard-earned money from American citizens to illegal aliens. Three players this season - including lottery pick Lively II - joined the following alphabetical list of low-scoring yearlings in this suspect category who were selected in the NBA draft over the past eight years after only one college campaign:
| Freshman | Pos. | College | PPG | Drafted By | Year | Round | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ike Anigbogu | C | UCLA | 4.7 | Indiana Pacers | 2017 | 2nd | 47th |
| Tony Bradley Jr. | C | North Carolina | 7.1 | Los Angeles Lakers | 2017 | 1st | 28th |
| Deyonta Davis | F-C | Michigan State | 7.5 | Boston Celtics | 2016 | 2nd | 31st |
| Cheick Diallo | F-C | Kansas | 3.0 | Los Angeles Clippers | 2016 | 2nd | 33rd |
| Harry Giles III | C | Duke | 3.9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 2017 | 1st | 20th |
| Dereck Lively II | C | Duke | 5.2 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 2023 | 1st | 12th |
| Chris Livingston | F | Kentucky | 6.3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 2023 | 2nd | 58th |
| Josh Minott | F | Memphis | 6.6 | Charlotte Hornets | 2022 | 2nd | 45th |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | F | Kentucky | 5.9 | Orlando Magic | 2018 | 2nd | 41st |
| Jordan Walsh | F | Arkansas | 7.1 | Sacramento Kings | 2023 | 2nd | 38th |
| Peyton Watson | G | UCLA | 3.3 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 2022 | 1st | 30th |
NOTE: None of the players on this list has averaged as much as 8 ppg in an NBA season although Vanderbilt came close in 2022-23.