The narrative going into the 2024 NBA draft was that the talent pool was smaller relative to previous years. On top of that, the first round pick was projected to be older (and bigger in height) than in previous seasons.
Did Wednesday and Thursday go by like this?
ESPN spoke with a dozen college coaches about some of the big stories that emerged over the course of the two-day event.
According to multiple sources, the increased age and size of the first-round draft pool are correlated and directly related to several developments at the college level: name, image and likeness (NIL); the extra year granted to student-athletes due to the COVID-affected 2020-21 season; and the increased prevalence of the transfer portal.
Zach Edey, 22, spent four years at Purdue; Providence's Devin Carter is 22; Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is 23; and first-rounders Dillon Jones (22), Baylor Scheierman (23) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (23) are all older than the average top draft pick.
“All of college basketball is a little older right now,” one college coach said. “I think that while college basketball will soon begin to get younger again, the NBA, especially in the second half of the first round, seems more willing to draft established players who can have a major impact than to take bets on better projects at long term”.
Another coach said, “That's what college basketball is like right now.” The age range is between 18 and 24 years old. … The NBA draft is at the mercy of what happens in the college landscape.”
As ESPN's Jeremy Woo wrote before the draft, as many as eight centers were projected as potential first-round picks in this year's NBA draft, compared to just one in 2023 and three in 2022.
“It speaks to the copycat nature of the league,” one college coach said. “Edey was talked about as a first-round pick out of nowhere after being ranked 40th for 18 months, and then he comes into training and dominates. It only takes one or two decision-makers or influencers to change minds “It's cyclical to a certain extent, and right now there's a conversation about which guys can win in the league.” [NBA] “playoffs.”
An NBA scout added: “Historically, big men have been relegated to college basketball and are now being paid more than they would make in a two-way league.” [contract]Do they take a risk and end up choosing a round trip option? Or do they keep the college money?
Most college coaches also agreed that the talent level at the top had dipped, but the draft still had impressive depth throughout the remainder of the first round and into the early part of the second round.
