With the college basketball season culminating nearing the end of its first month, attention has already turned to where the top prospects will land in the 2022 NBA Draft.
If the Toronto Raptors do end up with a lottery pick again this season, one name to keep an eye on is Kentucky's TyTy Washington Jr., according to The Athletic's latest mock draft.
Washington is a 6-foot-3 freshman guard who came into the year considered a five-star prospect, ranked 15th in the class of 2021 by 247Sports.
"After entering the season with lottery hype, Washington has been fairly effective as a playmaker for Kentucky but has some key areas for improvement that will determine where he actually lands in the draft," Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo wrote. "He has a good frame for a combo guard, a shifty handle that allows him to beat defenders into the paint, and upside as a secondary creator who can space the floor without being a major defensive liability. He’s a talented midrange scorer, but doesn’t get to the rim quite enough and has had some ball security issues going into the paint. His jumper is workable but sort of a push shot, and a bit inconsistent from three-point range. He hasn’t been all that impactful defensively, but communicates well and isn’t a lost cause."
Washington is averaging 15 points, five rebounds, and 3.4 assists through his first five games while shooting 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc.
"Basically, Washington has looked like a freshman so far," Woo continued. "It may not take too much for a good team to clean up the issues and get more out of him. If he adjusts his diet of shots to cut out the tough attempts and be a bit more efficient, while proving he can make teammates better, it will bolster his case."
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