Atlanta Hawks Select Young Arizona Wildcats Forward in NBA Mock Draft
The Arizona Wildcats are starting to see their season heat up with some big matchups already happening and coming up over the next few weeks before conference play starts in the Big-12.
Through four games, the Wildcats hold a (2-12) record, with their losses coming on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers and against the Duke Blue Devils. The first road game of the season is never easy for a team, and Arizona tested themselves against a solid Badgers squad.
With the Battle 4 Atlantis coming up at the end of the month, the talented Wildcats roster should be prepared for a great tournament. Arizona has a good mix of experienced players and young players this season, and one freshman who has been highly touted is forward, Carter Bryant.
While it has been a very small sample size of just a few games, Bryant showed some flashes early on in their game against the Old Dominion Monarchs. In the win, the freshman scored 12 points and knocked down two three-pointers.
As a 6’8” forward that is athletic and can shoot the ball, he is going to garner a lot of attention from NBA scouts throughout the season, and could be a first-round pick.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently had Arizona forward Bryant going to the Atlanta Hawks in a recent mock draft.
“At 6'8", 220 pounds with perimeter shotmaking skill, athletic finishing and defensive quickness, Carter Bryant clearly has the talent and look of an NBA forward. He's going to go through quiet stretches this season for a veteran Arizona team. He may not give the lineup a singular, polished skill, but the physical tools and scoring versatility should keep scouts patient.”
The Hawks were lucky enough to win the NBA Lottery last season, and were awarded the first overall pick to go along with having Trae Young at point guard. By no means was Atlanta the worst team in the NBA last year, and they now have a lot of young talent surrounding Young moving forward.
While the Hawks are off to a (7-9) start this season, this is a franchise that is still very much thinking about the future. Adding a prospect like Bryant would fit in well with what the franchise is trying to do on the wing, by adding long athletic players to pair with their star guard.
With a lot of college basketball season to be played, the freshman forward will certainly be a player to keep an eye on, as development throughout the season could help his draft stock.
