Pitt F Blake Hinson Rated Top 75 Prospect

Pitt Panthers forward Blake Hinson is a part of the top 75 prospects ahead of the NBA Draft, according to The Athletic.

Mar 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Blake Hinson (2) takes part in player introductions against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers forward Blake Hinson is trending in the right direction ahead of the NBA Draft this week, as he awaits his future in the sport.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic ranked Hinson No. 71 on his NBA Draft Top 100 Board for his NBA 2024 Draft Guide. 

He complimented Hinson on his size, standing at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds and owning a 6-foot-10 1/4 wingspan and an 8-foot-7 standing reach, that all allow him to perform at both small forward and power forward on offense. Operating as a wing gives Hinson the chance to bully smaller guards who can't handle his weight and work against taller power forwards too.

Vecenie likes his ability to hit 3-pointers from all over the court and that he made more 3-pointers off of screens than eight high-major players last season. He also pointed out that Hinson made 38% of his 100 3-point attempts from beyond 25 feet, beyond where the NBA line is.

He is concerned with Hinson's lack of explosiveness heading into the NBA, with a short 28-inch vertical leap and poor testing in other combine drills. His lack of verticality affected his shooting at the rim, making just 51.1% of his shots.

Vecenie also thinks that Hinson lacking a mid-range game or a floater hurts his status, as well as him not featuring as a pass-first player at times, leading him to put up some low-percentage shots at times. He also worries that on defense, he isn't quick enough to keep up with average NBA players as a wing, especially guards with speed.

Overall, Hinson's shooting ability keeps him on this list and the potential he can bring to a team from that aspect of his game. It's why Vecenie put him over players like USC's Bronny James and former Pitt commit/Syracuse's Judah Mintz, who came after in No. 72 and No. 74, respectively.

"Anytime that you have a shooter like this, that player is absolutely worth evaluating," Vecenie wrote. "Hinson is an awesome shooter with range out to the NBA 3-point line already and a versatile shot that allows him to get to it from a variety of situations. Even with him already being 24, that’s worth bringing into your program and seeing what improvements can be made on Hinson’s frame. 

"Can continuing to cut weight allow Hinson to add enough quickness to find NBA success on defense? That’s what makes him a worthwhile two-way investment. If you bring him in and believe there’s any frame-based upside, the shooting might allow him to turn into a contributor. Time is of the essence for Hinson, though. With him turning 25 in December, teams will be less patient with him than they would a younger player."

Hinson most recently competed at the G-League Elite Camp at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, where he had an excellent second day. 

He led Team Two with 18 points, shooting 7-for-16 from the field, 2-for-9 from 3-point range and 5-for-7 from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds, tied for second most on the team, along with two assists to four turnovers. His performanced helped Team Two to a 90-78 victory over Team Three.

Hinson excelled at Pitt, starting 68 of 69 games in two seasons, while averaging 32.6 minutes, 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also shot 44.1% from the field and 40.1% from behind the arc during his time with the program.

He recently finished his best college season, as he averaged 33.6 minutes, 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, respectively, while shooting 45.4% from the field and 42.1% from deep, leading to All-ACC First Team honors. He also set a program record with 110 3-pointers in a season. 

Hinson's 207 total 3-pointers and his three-point percentage at Pitt rank seventh and sixth best in program history, respectively.

Pitt has not had a player receive an NBA Draft selection since the Atlanta Hawks took forward Lamar Patterson with the No. 48 overall pick in the Second Round in 2014.

Panthers star freshman guard Bub Carrington received an NBA Draft green room invite, where his family will join him at the Barclays Center for the First Round, as he is likely to go in the top 20 overall picks.

If both Carrington and Hinson earn NBA Draft selections, it would serve as the first time since 2009 that Pitt had two players do so. Forwards Sam Young and DeJuan Blair went back-to-back, No. 36 and No. 37 to the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively, in the Second Round.

The last time it happened for Pitt prior was in the 1998 NBA Draft, Forward Charles Smith went No. 3 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers who traded the pick to the Los Angeles Clippers, while fellow forward Jerome Lane went No. 23 overall to the Denver Nuggets.

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