NBA Big Board 3.0: D'Angelo Russell soars in latest 2015 draft rankings

In a matter of months, D'Angelo Russell has gone from a blip on NBA radars to a blast.

Flashback to December, to Ohio State’s visit to Louisville. It was the Buckeyes’ first road game of the season and the biggest game of baby-faced freshman D’Angelo Russell’s young career. And what a game. Thrust into a playmaking role after the Cardinals’ pressure overwhelmed senior Shannon Scott, Russell helped Ohio State erase a 19-point lead before eventually falling short. His final line: 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in an eye-opening performance.

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Today, Russell is the biggest surprise in college basketball. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He’s played at least 32 minutes in each of his last 12 games and cracked 40 twice. He’s gone from decent prospect to full-fledged star, from a blip on the NBA’s radar to a player every team drafting in the top 10 is gathering information about—all in the span of a few months.

While it’s unlikely Russell—or anyone—can unseat the man entrenched at No. 1, his stellar play has elevated him to the spot right below him.

Onto Big Board 3.0, my latest projections of the top 20 prospects for the 2015 NBA draft.

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1. Jahlil Okafor, Duke

C | 6-11, 270 pounds | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 1

Okafor’s stellar season rolls along. He followed up a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against Notre Dame last week with a 23-point, 13-rebound performance against Syracuse on Sunday. Okafor continues to be an offensive wrecking ball, dazzling scouts with his ability to score inside and out. Okafor was considered the closest thing to a lock to go No. 1 at the start of the season and nothing has changed since.

2. d'angelo Russell, ohio state 

SG | 6-5, 180 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 8

3. Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

C | 6-11, 250 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 3

Towns’ struggles at the end of January—which included a four-game stretch of single-digit scoring and rebounding games—suggested that fatigue could be kicking in for the freshman, who is only averaging 20.2 minutes for a loaded Kentucky team. But Towns rebounded with four straight strong games, including a 12-point, 13-rebound showing in a narrow win over LSU. Scouts still love Towns’ offensive versatility and are projecting him as a dangerous inside-out threat at the next level.

4. Emmanuel Mudiay, China

PG | 6-5, 200 | Age: 18
Last Big Board: No. 2

5. Stanley Johnson, Arizona

SF | 6-7, 245 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 4

Johnson continues to roll along in a solid season, posting 20 points and eight rebounds in a win over Washington last week. Scouts repeatedly praise Johnson’s better than expected shooting (47.8 FG% and 38.5 3P%) and rave about his physique and rebounding skills. At 18, Johnson is one of the draft’s youngest prospects and several execs believe he has All-Star potential.

6. Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia

PF | 6-11, 220 | Age: 19
Last Big Board: No. 5

Porzingis maintains his foothold as the top international player in the draft. Several executives note that Porzingis is probably a year or two away from being an NBA rotation player, citing his age and body type. But he has excellent range and projects to develop into a solid stretch-four prospect.

7. Mario Hezonja, Croatia

SG | 6-8, 200 | Age: 19
Last Big Board: No. 10

8. Kevon Looney, UCLA

PF | 6-9, 220 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 12

9. Justise Winslow, Duke

SF | 6-6, 225 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 7

Winslow rebounded nicely from a sluggish mid-January stretch—one caused, at least in part, by nagging injuries, rattling off six straight double-digit scoring games, including three double-double’s. Winslow is still a pedestrian perimeter shooter but he has a knack for getting to the free-throw line (4.2 attempts per game). Now, if he could improve his free throw shooting (61.3 percent) NBA teams might be more impressed.

10. Frank Kaminsky, wisconsin

C | 7-0, 242 | Senior
Last Big Board: No. 13

11. Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

PG | 6-5, 202 | Senior
Last Big Board: 14

Grant is a big, athletic playmaker who can get into the lane and finish at the rim. He plays heavy minutes (36.1 per game) for the Irish, something he has done since arriving on campus in 2011. He submitted a seven-point, four-assist clunker in Notre Dame’s loss to Duke last week but did shine with 23 points and 12 assists in the Irish’s upset win over the Blue Devils last month.

12. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

C | 7-0, 240 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 5

Cauley-Stein struggled much of January, registering just two double-digit scoring and rebounding games, though he has bounced back with three straight strong conference games in February. Those struggles have reinforced a belief among some executives that Cauley-Stein has a short ceiling offensively. He’s a menacing defensive prospect, who may be as NBA-ready as anyone in the top 10. But, like Kaminsky, his flaws are apparent.

13. Myles Turner, Texas

C | 6-11, 240 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 11

Continuing a trend of playing really well against bad opponents, Turner submitted a 25-point, 12-rebound performance against Texas Tech last weekend. Before that, he scored a combined 10 points against top-20 ranked Baylor and Kansas, with a 16-point effort against No. 15 Iowa State mixed in between. Turner is an impressive shot blocker (2.7 per game) but he needs to be more consistent against better competition.

14. Kelly Oubre, Kansas

SF | 6-7, 200 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 9

15. Devin Booker, Kentucky

SG | 6-6, 206 | Freshman
Last Big Board: N/A

Meet the draft’s best shooting prospect. Despite a recent slump, Booker is connecting on 47.3% of his three’s and has impressed scouts with his form and release. With good size, Booker is an excellent two-guard prospect who could rise quickly with a strong NCAA tournament run.

16. Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

PF | 6-8, 240 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 19

Harrell continues to be a dynamic, Kenneth Faried-like power forward, thriving at the rim (84%) and on the glass (9.3 rebounds per game). His weaknesses’ still are what they are: He can’t shoot the three (21.2%) and his free throw shooting (61%) is still not consistent enough for a player who creates a lot of contact. Scout’s love his motor though and it’s hard to see him slipping out of the top 20.

17. Bobby Portis, Arkansas

PF | 6-11, 242 | Sophomore
Last Big Board: N/A

18. Caris LeVert, Michigan

SG | 6-7, 200 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 18

A broken foot ended LeVert’s season last month, a major disappointment for some executives who were anxious to see how LeVert finished the year. LeVert has prototypical two-guard size and shot well enough from three (40.5 percent) to convince several scouts that he could do it on the next level. His mid-range game needs work, but he’s a nice developmental player for a team picking in the second half of the first round.

19.

SG | 6-6, 227 | Junior
Last Big Board: 17

Anderson’s fractured finger likely ended his regular season and could cost him time in the NCAA tournament. His shooting slipped some before the injury—he bookended a 16-point effort against North Carolina with an 11-point game (including 1-6 from three) against Duke and a two-point stinker against Louisville—but overall his perimeter game has been a pleasant surprise. Like everyone else at Virginia, Anderson is a terrific defender, which will certainly keep him in the top-20 mix.

20. Cliff Alexander, Kansas

SF | 6-8, 240 | Freshman
Last Big Board: N/A

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