The Athletic has released version 2.0 of its NBA Draft Big Board, and unsurprisingly, Villanova's Saddiq Bey has soared up the rankings.
Bey was one of the biggest risers in the update, going from No. 45 (and behind teammates Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine) all the way up to No. 22, squarely in the first round and making a push towards the lottery.
Sam Vecenie, who puts together the board for The Athletic, touts Bey's complete game in regards to what NBA teams look for in a 3-and-D player and how he does all the things teams look for in a role player at a high level. He notes Bey's importance in Villanova's defensive improvement and sees his game translating seamlessly to the NBA.
We don't have a ton of insight on what Bey's priorities are right now, but it's looking like it's time to start preparing for not having him on the Main Line next season.
As for Villanova's other most-regarded NBA prospects, Robinson-Earl and Antoine, their stock has gone the opposite direction. JRE fell to No. 72 from No. 38, while Antoine has fallen off the board (top 100) completely after checking in at No. 40 in Vol. 1. We expressed surprise at Antoine's first ranking considering the lack of film he's put together at Nova, and Vecenie seems to recognize that now as Antoine tries to work his way into the rotation. As for JRE, I don't know that I agree his stock is that low, but it's probably lower than we expected at the start of the season.
We'll continue to track these movements, as well as incorporate different big boards as they come out, as the projections and ultimate decisions of Bey, JRE, and Antoine will have a significant impact on the outlook for the 2020-21 Wildcats.
Bey was one of the biggest risers in the update, going from No. 45 (and behind teammates Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine) all the way up to No. 22, squarely in the first round and making a push towards the lottery.
Sam Vecenie, who puts together the board for The Athletic, touts Bey's complete game in regards to what NBA teams look for in a 3-and-D player and how he does all the things teams look for in a role player at a high level. He notes Bey's importance in Villanova's defensive improvement and sees his game translating seamlessly to the NBA.
We don't have a ton of insight on what Bey's priorities are right now, but it's looking like it's time to start preparing for not having him on the Main Line next season.
As for Villanova's other most-regarded NBA prospects, Robinson-Earl and Antoine, their stock has gone the opposite direction. JRE fell to No. 72 from No. 38, while Antoine has fallen off the board (top 100) completely after checking in at No. 40 in Vol. 1. We expressed surprise at Antoine's first ranking considering the lack of film he's put together at Nova, and Vecenie seems to recognize that now as Antoine tries to work his way into the rotation. As for JRE, I don't know that I agree his stock is that low, but it's probably lower than we expected at the start of the season.
We'll continue to track these movements, as well as incorporate different big boards as they come out, as the projections and ultimate decisions of Bey, JRE, and Antoine will have a significant impact on the outlook for the 2020-21 Wildcats.