Thunder Select Talented Freshman in Recent Mock Draft

In a brand-new mock draft, OKC came away with a well-known collegiate newcomer and a high-upside international player.

On March 9, NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony of ESPN released an updated, two-round mock draft in which the Draft Express founder slotted Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore and French wing Bilal Coulibaly to Oklahoma City. 

With the eighth overall pick in Givony's prediction, the Thunder drafted former five-star prospect Cam Whitmore. Whitmore is a 6-foot-7, 230 pound forward from Odenton, Maryland, ranked 13th overall in his high school recruiting class according to 247Sports' composite rankings. 

The Archbishop Spalding product first garnered national attention when by earning Most Outstanding Player honors as a member of Team USA at the FIBA U18 Championship last summer. Whitmore's impressive performance turned heads from scouts across the league prior to the coveted recruit's college career.

Unfortunately, the Wildcat's would-be star suffered an injury prior to the season, and was forced to miss time after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. Despite a delayed collegiate debut, Whitmore scored seven points, grabbed three rebounds and notched three steals in a win over the Oklahoma Sooners to kick off his Villanova career.

This season, the former McDonald's All-American averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 27 minutes per game. Whitmore shot 47.5% from the field and 35% from 3-point range as a freshman. 

Due to the Wildcat's struggles this season, Villanova will not appear in the NCAA Tournament, meaning Whitmore's season is likely over. In the team's final victory of the season, Whitmore went 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. 

In the second round of his most recent mock draft, Givony selected Bilal Coulibaly for OKC. Coulibaly is a French guard, listed at 6-foot-5 and nearly 200 pounds. 

The 18-year-old's youth is a tantalizing trait that the Thunder have seemingly coveted in recent drafts. According to Proballers.com, Coulibaly is averaging 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game this season on Metropolitans 92's U21 team. 


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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.