Arizona star Bennedict Mathurin announces NBA Draft intentions
Bennedict Mathurin was one of the top players in the college basketball landscape over the last two seasons and the Arizona Wildcats’ star is ready to take his talents to the NBA Draft after just two collegiate seasons.
On Wednesday, the 2021 Wendy’s All-American shared a heartfelt message on social media announcing his intentions for the future, while thanking everyone involved in helping him get to where he is.
The native of Canada was one of the many success stories for Arizona this year and Mathurin became one of college basketball’s biggest stars. He led the Wildcats with 17.7 points per game as they became a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The former four-star prospect enjoyed a solid freshman season in 2020-21 under former Arizona coach Sean Miller, but he truly exploded onto the national scene as a sophomore under coach Tommy Lloyd. Mathurin averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range. He also dished out 2.5 assists per game for a team that ranked first nationally in assists per game.
CBS Sports’ basketball writer Kyle Boone pegs Bennedict Mathurin as the 10th-ranked prospect heading into the NBA Draft.
At 6-foot-7, Mathurin proved to be a difficult matchup for college opponents. His ability to attack off the dribble and rise above defenders for quality looks made him a tough defensive assignment for opponents and should make him a quality offensive weapon in the NBA.
“Some NBA team in the lottery will happily scoop him up as a high-end shooter with good size and defensive upside,” Boone wrote.
Coincidentally, On3.com National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw released a Pre-NCAA Tournament NBA Mock Draft — and even before the Arizona star continued to catch eyes during the Wildcats’ March Madness run that was cut short early, Shaw pegged Bennedict Mathurin as the No. 10 prospect for the NBA Draft, the exact same ranking as CBS after the season concluded.
Shaw’s full mock can be viewed here, but here’s what he said about the dynamic guard’s potential at the next level:
Sophomore, Arizona
On3 Consensus: Unranked
On3 NIL Valuation: N/A
The physical tools and the shot-making certainly pop for Mathurin. In theory, Mathurin would be a perfect three and D type player. We just need to see more consistent effort on the defensive end; he has the athleticism and length. He is a career 38.9-percent three-point shooter off 4.8 attempts per game at Arizona. Mathurin gets out in transition and the open floor, but his handle in the half-court is average, at best, and there is not a ton of creation in his game.