The Big 12's top sixth man is projected to go 11th in the latest NBA mock draft from The Ringer.
With the 11th pick in the fictional draft, the New York Knicks (current holders of the 11th pick based on lottery odds) are slated to take one-and-done star Jeremy Sochan out of Baylor. Sochan, who turns 19 on Friday, is the current holder of the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year title, earning the title with averages of 9.2 points and 6.4 rebounds.
In justifying the selection, O'Connell wanted to gauge the feelings of Knicks fans, noting that head coach Tom Thibodeau has taken a liking to hard-working rookies. Sochan, raised in Milton Keynes, England, previously garnered attention at Germany's professional Orange Academy, averaging 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25 games during the 2020-21 season.
"Sochan is the type of player that Thibs would build if he were playing NBA 2K," O'Connell said, noting the freshman's ability to "grind on defense" and claiming "Sochan does that more than maybe anybody in the entire draft".
With Julius Randle's New York future in question, the Knicks could turn to Sochan's services as a combo forward to propel them into the future. His perimeter defense earned rave reviews during his 30-game tenure in Waco and helped him earn not only the conference's top reserve award but also placement on the All-Freshman team. Some may question his ability to contribute on the offensive end, but that didn't stop players like Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner, prime defenders with work to do on offense, from becoming top ten picks in last year's selections.
The Knicks will find out their official draft position on Tuesday night in the NBA's annual draft lottery.
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