20. Jalen Johnson, F, Duke
Measurables: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, 6-foot-11 wingspan
Class: Freshman
Age: 19
Mike’s Ranking: 6
Evan’s Ranking: 23
I want to get this out of the way; I’m not sold on Jalen Johnson as a high-tier prospect but I believe in his measurables and potential so much that I couldn’t drop him that low on my big board. That said, Johnson is, and understandably, one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects projected to be selected in the lottery. My biggest concern is the fact that he didn’t produce more during his freshman season at Duke.
It wasn’t an incredibly talented roster and the table was set for Johnson to be the team’s most productive player and he simply didn’t answer the call. He did average 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game but I came away underwhelmed with his freshman season. He was an efficient offensive player (52 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3) but only attempted eight shots per game (1.4 from 3). Not an incredibly large sample size.
Because of his size, Johnson should translate as a versatile player on both ends of the floor. I’m still not sold on what type of player he’ll be at the next level but you have to love his size, athleticism, and potential to develop at the next level.