Eight Mid-Major NBA Draft Prospects
We are currently 14 days into December and the college basketball season is well underway. It only makes sense, five weeks in, to start talking about the 2024 NBA Draft. After all, June is only six months away. With all the high-major players and teams taking up a lot of the written space, I wanted to give some mid-major players a look. While there is a long way to go, and NBA Draft boards can be fluid, here are eight mid-major players who could make a move onto NBA Draft boards.
G Donovan Dent, New Mexico
The Buzz: Donovan Dent has gone for double figures in nine of New Mexico’s first ten games and he has dished for five or more assists in eight. Dent was high school teammates with Kylan Boswell (Arizona) and Jared McCain (Duke) where the trio won a state championship together at Corona (CA) Centennial High. Dent is averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three (low volume) for the 9-1 Lobos.
F Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon
The Buzz: Tyon Grant-Foster started his college career at Kansas and took a short pit stop at DePaul before finding his way to Grand Canyon after sitting out last season. Grant-Foster is a bucket-getter of the most confident variety. At 6-foot-7, the native of Kansas City, Kansas is averaging 21.3 points on 48.8 percent shooting from the field. He is also drawing 8.7 foul shots per game. Grand Canyon currently sits at 8-1 on the season.
F David Jones, Memphis
The Buzz: David Jones is a noted scorer at this point in his college basketball career. Two seasons ago, his 14.5 pints were second on DePaul’s team. Last season, his 13.2 points were second for St. John’s. This year, through nine games, Jones’ 20.1 points lead the way for 7-2 Memphis. Over his last five games, the 6-foot-6 wing forward has scored 29, 23, 22, 13, and 36 points. He is also averaging 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 40.0 percent from three on 6.7 attempts per game. Memphis will next play undefeated Clemson on Dec. 16.
F Dillon Jones, Weber State
The Buzz: Dillon Jones earned an invitation to the NBA Combine this last NBA Draft, based on his play at the G-League Combine. Jones picked up real NBA buzz after showcasing his toughness and his defense. Jones comes into this season after averaging a double-double through the previous two. He picked up where he left off averaging 18.9 points and 10.9 rebounds this season. He has also added 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals. Jones has 44 career double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 26 straight games.
G Xaivian Lee, Princeton
The Buzz: Xaivian Lee played just over 13 minutes per game for Princeton’s Sweet 16 team last season. After losing its top two scorers, Lee stepped up in a big way this season. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 18.1 points and 3.3 assists on 40.0 percent shooting from three. In his last five Division One games, Lee has scored 20, 23, 24, 15, and 30. Delaware Valley is up next for Princeton.
G Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara
The Buzz: Six games into his third year of college basketball, and Ajay Mitchell has already scored 1,010 career points. The 6-foot-5 guard originally from Belgium, averaged 16.3 points and 5.1 assists last season on 50.6 percent shooting. His athletic burst and his shooting have been questioned in previous years, but his craft and pace with the ball have been intriguing this season. So is the 46.2 percent three-point shooting on 2.2 attempts per contest. Mitchell, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, is averaging 21.2 points and 4.2 assists this season.
G Erik Reynolds, St. Joseph’s
The Buzz: St. Joseph’s has gotten out to an 8-2 start and 6-foot-2 guard Erik Reynolds is averaging 16.7 points and 3.2 assists on 39.0 percent shooting from three. Reynolds is in his third year of college basketball and already has 1,177 career points. Already this season, Reynolds had 28 and five assists on 6-12 from three against Kentucky and 24 points on 5-8 from three in an upset win against Villanova. St. Joseph’s is 8-2 on the season with a Dec. 16 showdown against Iona next up.
G Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State
The Buzz: Isaiah Stevens made a lot of buzz two seasons ago when Colorado State finished No. 24 in the final A.P. Poll. Last season was a forgettable one for the Rams, but they seem to have picked up where two years ago left off in the early parts of 2023-24. Stevens is averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 assists while shooting 40.0 percent from three on 3.5 attempts per game. Colorado State is 9-1 with wins over Boston College, Creighton, Colorado, and Washington. They are currently No. 17 in the A.P. Poll. Stevens, a fifth-year senior is 51 points away from 2,000 in his career.