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WFU Hoops: '22-'23 Roster Construction - +Ituka/Carr/Appleby/Bradford

From the NBA Draft Room website:

Jake LaRavia – SF/PF – Wake Forest – Is Jake LaRavia the next Georges Niang? That would be a great outcome for someone who isn’t guaranteed to get drafted but has a game that fits the modern NBA. The 6-8 junior showed marked improvement across the board this year and is firmly on scouts radar. He’s a solid 3pt shooter hitting 39% from 3 on the season (on 2.3 shots per game) and he projects to continue to improve in this area and become a meaningful floor spacer. At 235lbs he’s got the size and power to hold his own in the paint and the strength to finish through contact. This versatility makes up for some of his athletic shortcomings and allows him to guard in the paint against taller opponents. Whether he’s drafted or not, look for LaRavia to find a NBA team to develop with. He could also decide to return for his senior season and look to improve his draft stock even more.

https://nbadraftroom.com/2022-nba-draft-sleepers/
 
It's hard to imagine either LaRavia or Manman getting drafted after the way the season ended. I think Alondes has the best shot - even with turf toe he can throw down reverse showtime dunks. He's got NBA size and strength, his midrange game is nice, and he can pass the ball. He's a guy that could spend a year in the NBA working on his jumper and suddenly become a legit backup/utility guard.

If LaRavia leaves based on some yeah/maybe/sure 2nd round stuff I see him falling out of the draft at this point. But who knows.

Jake is a much better prospect, but he really tanked whatever momentum he had going for him.
 
yeah i think that's a good scouting report -- if he's truly a 40% 3-point shooter (or close to it), he does fit the mold as a 3&D guy who can also pass and play off-ball.
 
yeah i think that's a good scouting report -- if he's truly a 40% 3-point shooter (or close to it), he does fit the mold as a 3&D guy who can also pass and play off-ball.

Can Jake play D at this point without fouling 4 times in 10 mins, though?
 
Can Jake play D at this point without fouling 4 times in 10 mins, though?

Does it matter for a 15-20 minute role player expected to go all out and get like 7/5/2 plus a stock?
 
Say Hey, you're coming from the perspective of an old dude reminiscing about how fun college was. College students are ready to start the rest of their lives.

Time will tell if people will emotionally support a college team built on a personal for profit personal basis. Brief involvement at a college causes no loyalty by the player or the supporter. Effectively simply incorporate a “wake forest” pro team and be done with it
 
Does it matter for a 15-20 minute role player expected to go all out and get like 7/5/2 plus a stock?

I just don't think Jake is this guy yet. I'm rarely one to say that an older prospect could benefit from going back to college, but Jake is 100% that guy to me.
 
I agree with you. I just think it's a matter of whether he'd rather become that guy after a year at Wake and drafted mid to late first and some time in the G-League or after getting picked mid-second or so and getting a two-way contract at best.
 
I agree with you. I just think it's a matter of whether he'd rather become that guy after a year at Wake and drafted mid to late first and some time in the G-League or after getting picked mid-second or so and getting a two-way contract at best.

I think he can become that guy at Wake. Learning how to think quicker with the ball in his hands, learning how to make better decisions, and learning how to embrace being a top option are some of the only things that college basketball can really help with on the developmental front.

Would he get that in the G-League? Perhaps, but he's going to be on a team with better and hungrier guys so I kinda doubt it. Jake's biggest issue this year strikes me as confidence and I just don't think the G-League will be great for that...

Anyway, I don't really care one way or the other. I'm sure everybody involved will make a good decision.
 
The ESPN mock draft by Jonathon Givony I just saw (stupid ESPN+ crap) has LaRavia going 40th and Alondes at 53.

Not saying this applies to these two guys or at Wake in general, but we're at the point with NIL where you're going to have deep-pocket boosters offering guys like this several million in NIL $$ to come back for another year rather than risk not getting drafting and/or not making an NBA roster. Same thing will happen with the transfer portal if it has not already: boosters and their NIL packages will either keep guys from transferring or cause them to transfer, as much if not more more than playing time or how it will affect their pro prospects. Exhibit A would be Jamie Neumann, who based on a few conversations with I had with his dad would have IMO stayed at Wake if the $$ (now legal) would have outweighed the chances that a transfer to UGA would have enhanced his NFL prospects.
 
The NBA values youth. College basketball and the NBA have become two different sports. College no longer prepares players for the NBA. But the G League does. Terminology is different. The court is different. The 3 point line is different. The rules are different. Refereeing is different. If you are good enough to be an NBA player, the faster you get schooled in their sport, the better. If you want to keep players longer be another G League. I think LaRavia is gone and he should be. Another year of college ball would be a waste. Even a year in the G League would accelerate his dream of the NBA. The sad facts.
 
The NBA values youth. College basketball and the NBA have become two different sports. College no longer prepares players for the NBA. But the G League does. Terminology is different. The court is different. The 3 point line is different. The rules are different. Refereeing is different. If you are good enough to be an NBA player, the faster you get schooled in their sport, the better. If you want to keep players longer be another G League. I think LaRavia is gone and he should be. Another year of college ball would be a waste. Even a year in the G League would accelerate his dream of the NBA. The sad facts.

It's not that different. And if the NBA valued youth that much, they should have really enjoyed the straight to high school era. NBA teams would likely prefer that players stay in college for 3 years so they can get a better sense of their game before the draft. It's the players that want to be able to get paid as fast as possible. But the younger they get drafted, the higher the risk of busting.
 
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I’d never fault anyone for leaving early to start their pro career, but I do think it would be fun as shit to come back for one more year of college knowing I’m going to likely be one of the high profile players in the ACC, if not all of college basketball, playing for a good team and competing for individual honors and a trophy. Can’t put a $ figure on that, but it could be a consideration for some guys. LaRavia could be an All-American next year.

I doubt Tyler Hansbrough regrets returning for his senior year.

We could retire his number!
 
I think Jake needs to come back, however I wouldn't be shocked if he went pro. We need to prepare for a whole new team next year.
 
I think Jake needs to come back, however I wouldn't be shocked if he went pro. We need to prepare for a whole new team next year.

Yeah. I’ll have fun rooting for him at the next level. I think he and Alondes would at least make summer league rosters.
 
Admittedly a facile comparison, but Jake has always given me Deni Avdija vibes.
 
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