Ty Jerome (Guard, Virginia)
It can be tough to evaluate players in Virginia’s pack-line defense and snail’s pace offense, but Ty Jerome showed out enough last season to consolidate his standing as a first-round talent. Playing alongside projected lottery pick De’Andre Hunter and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Kyle Guy, it was often Jerome who was the steadying presence for the national champions.
Playing as the lead ball handler and creator for the Cavaliers, his combination of shooting and playmaking makes him an enticing prospect. He is already an NBA-level pick-and-roll playmaker, and he has the IQ and ability to make the right passes at the right time.
Those passes are made easier by the threat of his shooting and scoring. Jerome is a three-level scorer, with a smooth stroke from outside and the ability to drive and shoot off the dribble inside the arc.
He shot just below 40 percent from three last season and showed a willingness to fire from NBA range with no hesitation. While he won’t blow by defenders with raw speed, he has exquisite footwork and a range of ball fakes to get his defender off balance and give himself space to operate.
Jerome’s physical limitations will be the ceiling on his NBA potential – his lack of speed could prove to be an issue on both ends of the floor, and his short six-foot-four wingspan will make shooting over and defending longer players a challenge. However, his blend of shooting, playmaking and basketball smarts should see him find a role in the NBA, and his ability to shine in the biggest moments should make him attractive to the league’s upper echelon.