Forward Thinking: The Best Small Forward Prospects in the Big 12
Call me Guy Fieri, because I'm on the hunt for the best Wings around.
In what has been considered the best basketball conference in America by many avid digesters of collegiate hoops, The Big 12 has produced a litany of impressive prospects over its 20+ year existence, and this production has increased in recent seasons.
In just the last few cycles, the conference has essentially served as a machine built to pump players into professional basketball.
In the last five years, check how many Big 12 stars have been drafted: Gradey Dick, Kansas (2023), Keyonte George, Baylor (2023), Jeremy Sochan, Baylor (2022), Ochai Agbaji, Kansas (2022), Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (2019), Kai Jones, Texas (2021), Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (2020), Desmond Bane, TCU (2020), Christian Braun, Kansas (2022). It keeps going, too.
Talent-rich areas surround Big 12 country, giving the conference a lot to work with as far as molding talent. The conference sets itself up beautifully with its reach across the Southwest, Midwest and now, with the addition of UCF, parts of the Southeast, as well.
Anyway, without further adieu, here are three of the best NBA wing prospects in the Big XII this season:
Kevin McCullar Jr. – Kansas – Senior
Kevin McCullar, Kansas Jayhawks
© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
With a unique prospect class in 2024, there may be more upperclassmen taken early than in any other draft in recent memory. Players like Kevin McCullar Jr. will be drafted in the first round despite being older than the typical lottery or first-round picks.
McCullar is the best wing prospect in the conference, full-stop. He’s an excellent defensive player, he ranks in the 63rd percentile on Synergy Sports with offensive efficiency in transition, and he ranks 62nd percentile in overall scoring at the rim, which always indicates a healthy attitude towards attacking the basket from a perimeter-based player.
While he’s not great at shooting off of the dribble, (a) he’s not asked to do so very often and (b) Kansas is best when in transition, and McCullar is a really crucial variable in that equation.
This translates to his receiving meaningful touches in the fast-break, giving him opportunities not just to score, but to dish as well (4.5 assists/game).
Overall, McCullar is definitely a guy with a ceiling, but a guy that, in my opinion, has a high floor and can contribute early as a bench piece on basically any team in the NBA.
Perimeter defense, size, athleticism, and the ability to both rebound and distribute makes McCullar an interesting prospect to strengthen the bench unit of a contender come draft time.
Milan Momcilovic – Iowa State – Freshman
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Scott Ash / Now News Group-USA TODAY NETWORK
True freshman Milan Momcilovic is another solid wing prospect coming out of the Big 12, and for one particular reason: the dude can shoot.
The Iowa State product is taking five threes per game roughly, and hitting at a 43.5% clip. He ranks in the 90th percentile in overall jump-shot efficiency in the entire NCAA as a teenager. In overall field goal efficiency, he still ranks in the 83rd percentile according to Synergy Sports, making Momcilovic one of the most reliable shooters not just in the Big XII crop of players, but in the entire NBA Draft.
Though he’s played just 15 games, Momcilovic has already shown his ability to hit clutch shots, which he did against Houston on Jan. 9, nailing a turnaround-baseline jumper to give the Cyclones the lead over the then-no. 2 team in the country. Iowa State pulled off the upset, 57-53, over the second-ranked Cougars.
Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 210 pounds, Momcilovic, though not big or built, is also not a twig to be run over by stronger players every time he's caught defending in the post.
While he’s not built like Giannis Antetokounmpo, he’s still got more weight than some of the slighter wing prospects, which translates to better physicality in rebounding and defense. This also ups his back-to-the-basket game, something he's very good at considering he's not necessarily a post player.
Additionally, his age means his body type is somewhat more malleable than a guy like McCullar's is, meaning Momcilovic can likely pack on more mass if necessary at the next level.
In summation, Momcilovic is the second-best wing prospect in the Big XII this season due to his shooting efficiency, something every NBA team needs, regardless of team, strategy, etc.
Dillon Mitchell – Texas – Sophomore
Dillon Mitchell, Texas Longhorns
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Dillon Mitchell is a player I covered, up close, for a long time on the Longhorns basketball beat.
When I say his great attitude shines through, I mean that literally, on the court, his selflessness, passion and excitement for the game lend themselves to motor, effort and positive aggression.
A microcosm of his attitude is a game I was covering a few weeks ago, wherein Texas held a 25-point lead with about 10 minutes left in the game. The crowd had thinned out, the energy was low, and the lead was big.
Enter a loose ball; enter Dillon Mitchell.
You will see him flying around the court, no matter what the score, diving for extra possessions, even when those possessions don’t necessarily mean much in the grand scheme of the game. The game has been decided, but Mitchell’s drive to be a great teammate makes him so valuable not just as a player, but as a locker-room presence.
He showed his maturity by deciding to stay a second year under Rodney Terry at Texas, as he could have been drafted last year, but in a shorter draft (58 picks instead of 60), and a more competitive class of players, Dillon opted to work on his craft for another year before likely announcing to go pro for the 2024 NBA Draft.
He’s not the most skilled guy offensively, though he has improved his handle and shot form from last season to this one. He is however an elite athlete who can run the floor like a gazelle and fly through the air on blocks, dunks, putbacks or lobs.
Ideally, he shoots better from the field than he does now at the next level – he has a rating of “Poor” by Synergy on all shots besides those at the rim, though he is ranked “Excellent” in such shots, sitting at 98th percentile in efficiency from close range.
Additionally, Dillon Mitchell is a good perimeter defender, as well as good at rotating over to get blocks on the weak-side. This confluence of factors makes him a guy that would, in this draft, likely be a first-round talent.
@KeenanWomack on Twitter.
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