4. Vernon Carey Jr., Duke
As the son of former NFL’er Vernon Carey Sr, the 19-year-old has taken his own path on the hardwood and could be a high pick in this year’s draft out of a prestigious Blue Devils program. Just like Nnaji, Vernon Carey Jr. can play both center and power forward and profiles to be a solid player at both positions in the NBA.
He’s very physical at 6-foot-9 and 263 lbs, using his body well to bully opponents in the paint. Carey is an efficient scorer from all over as well, finishing in a variety of ways, whether it’s slamming it home or hitting a shot off the glass. Carey isn’t afraid to creep out to the perimeter and take the opposition on either; with his size, he has no problem driving to the hoop and finishing thanks to his soft hands.
Carey averaged 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in his lone year at Duke, while also collecting 1.6 blocks per contest. He has a great sense of where to be in order to swat opponents. Carey’s mid-range game is also impressive, shooting close to 60 percent from 2-point and field goal range. Carey is a terrific rebounder and is an absolute workhorse in the paint, but he will need to limit his turnovers at the next level. Although he is a very strong and physical player for his age, he tends to get a little wild at times, which leads to him losing the ball too much.
His combination of size, speed, and physicality makes him an intriguing prospect heading into this draft. Carey could potentially see himself off the boards within the first 15 picks.