This past week, the NBA Draft Combine – the premier opportunity for NBA prospects to improve their draft stock – took place in Chicago. Both of Illinois’ soon-to-be one-and-done draft picks, Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley, were present – although neither participated in any of the live scrimmages.
The event had its lauded stars – and notable players who struggled – with every prospect under the microscope as front offices and decision-makers across the league monitored every jumper taken and athletic measurement tested.
On Monday, ESPN’s draft expert duo of Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released their latest mock draft, and here’s where Jakucionis and Riley landed:
No. 10: Houston Rockets
No change here. ESPN had Jakucionis slotted in the same slot in its pre-combine mock draft, so the 6-foot-6 guard appears to have neither harmed nor boosted his draft stock.
More on Kasparas Jakucionis’ fit in the NBA – and with Houston
No. 22: Atlanta Hawks
Only a week ago, Riley was projected to go at No. 16 to the Orlando Magic in ESPN’s pre-combine mock. In an unexpected twist, Riley has dropped all the way to 22nd – though it appears to have more to do with other prospects improving their stock (Asa Newell and Danny Wolf, among others) than Riley hurting his own.
Although his physical measurements were encouraging in a number of ways, Riley’s 6-foot-8 wingspan may have sounded a few alarms around NBA front offices – especially paired with his below-average vertical explosiveness.
