Cleanthony Early
College: Wichita State
Age: 23 years old
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 210 Lbs
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
NBA Comparison: Cliff Robinson
Cleanthony Early has perhaps the best story of any prospect in this draft class. After playing his freshman and sophomore seasons as a junior college star at Sullivan County Community College in New York, Early transferred to Witchita State as a junior in 2012 and made an immediate impact, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
As a senior, Early established himself as a legitimate scoring threat on a Wichita State Shockers team that went 34-0 heading into the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting nearly 49% from the field.
Strengths:
Cleanthony Early is a versatile player with the unique ability to play both forward positions. An extremely talented athlete, Early, at 6’8″, has adequate size to succeed in the NBA. While he is a very good scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game while shooting 48.7% from the field, he is also great without the ball, and will get open for an easy shot. A tremendous mid-range shooter, Early showed great improvement between his junior and senior seasons at Wichita State. Early possesses a great release, and will have no problem elevating over defenders while shooting in the NBA. When focused, he has shown the potential to develop into an elite perimeter defender. Great from the charity stripe, knocking down almost 85% of his free throws last season.
Weaknesses:
Ball handling is a major weakness, especially if he wants to be a small forward at the next level. Early lacks great-decision making ability when it comes to passing, and he averaged 1.9 turnovers per game last year. He is very inconsistent from beyond the arc (37.6% last season), and attempts too many threes. His 6’10” wingspan and 210-pound frame will make it difficult for him to defend the power forward position in the NBA. Despite his potential as a perimeter derfender, awareness on the defensive end is a concern, as he often gets caught “watching the game” when he isn’t the primary defender. A senior last year, he is already 23 years old.
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