Can Colorado State's Nique Clifford Improve His Stock Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft?

The Rams wing stayed another year in college to work on his game. Can he make the necessary improvements?

Mar 21, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) puts up a shot contested by Texas Longhorns forward Dylan Disu (1) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In the Colorado State Rams' first NCAA Tournament game last season, wing Nique Clifford shined, scoring 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting as well as recording 10 rebounds and six assists in a win against the Virginia Cavaliers. The multitalented perimeter player showed a knack for impacting the game in a myriad of ways on both ends of the floor, as he is a very high-level defender on top of his skills on the boards and in the passing game.

In his fourth season of collegiate basketball, Clifford averaged 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game as well as contributing through his aforementioned defensive prowess. The Colorado Springs native is one of the better prospects in the Mountain West Conference, and will attempt to replicate last year's success in order to stay abuzz on draft boards.

What stood out about his 2023-24 season was his vast improvement shooting the ball from beyond the arc, as he finished at 37.6% from deep on 3.0 attempts per game, as compared to 28.8% on 2.1 attempts the year prior. He shot 52.2% for the season overall, and was Colorado State's leading rebounder.

His return to Colorado State was puzzling to some who thought he would have been taken in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, but clearly, Clifford is betting on himself. His role for the Rams this year will likely be to lead the team in scoring, as last year's leading bucket getter, Isaiah Stevens, graduated this past offseason. Considering Stevens averaged 16.0 points and 6.8 assists per game, Clifford will have to shoulder a much heavier offensive load for the Rams this upcoming season.

While this draft class is stacked with young talent, it's still possible that Clifford is able to make a name for himself if the shooting stays consistent and he can once again be tops on the team in rebounding. If his playmaking can take a leap, Clifford may end up going much higher on boards than previously expected.

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