The NCAA men’s basketball tournament will not be played this year. Some players could have used a tournament to get better draft stock. Ashton Hagans is one of those players that will be in the NBA draft. Hagans was having a decent season. He was averaging 11.5 points and 6.4 assists per game but a tournament run could have risen his draft stock from being a low first-rounder and second-round pick to possibly being drafted in the low teens. We will never know.
Ashton Hagans NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Ashton Hagans displayed his ability to lead a team by utilizing his speed, quickness, and offensive and defensive talents. He was ranked 20th in the ESPN 100 coming out of high school. For his college career, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
In his freshman year, he had a high of 23 points on Jan. 15th against the Georgia Bulldogs. They were not able to win the conference championship that year. They lost to Tennessee in their second game of the SEC Conference Tournament. Hagans had 10 points in that loss. In the first game of that tournament, he only had 2 points in the win against Alabama. In the NCAA tournament, they were able to make it to the regional final in which they lost to Auburn. Auburn eventually lost to Virginia in the Final Four.
This year he had a career-high of 26 points against Utah Valley. He tied his career-high of 12 assists against Alabama-Birmingham. This team was very talented as in the preseason they were ranked number two in the nation. With players like Hagans leading them, they finished eighth in the top 25. There will be no conference tournament or NCAA tournament to Hagans’ detriment. He finished his career with 629 points and 351 assists.
Strengths
- Has ideal point guard size at 6’3
- Has speed and utilizes his speed to get anywhere on the court
- Can shoot off the dribble
- A good passer
- Good free-throw shooter
- Can handle a lot of minutes
Weaknesses
- Needs to shoot better
- Gambles too much
- Turns over the ball often
- Can play wildly sometimes in terms of shot selection
- Needs to make better decisions on the court
NBA Player Comparison
Ashton Hagans could be just like Kris Dunn. Dunn is a guard that has the same size as Hagans and he can play defense. The Chicago point guard averages about the same as Hagans from the three-point line and field goals wise. He also has a high motor and can play a heavy load of minutes as Hagans can. As a player that has not been able to live up to his draft spot, Dunn is a viable comparison to Hagans because of their intangibles and abilities.
NBA Draft Projection
Hagans will not be a superstar. He will most likely be a great option at the backup point guard spot. His draft range compliments that statement. As a player to develop Hagans will most likely be drafted late in the first round and early in the second round. He has some athleticism and he is able to fly on the court. He will be able to get by opposing point guards. A second year in school helped him develop his talents. While playing the backup point guard spot, his team will rely upon him to score while playing valuable minutes.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
