Saddiq Bey is a sophomore from Baltimore, Maryland that took on the task of being the next great Villanova wing. He is one of the few players that earned a lot of minutes in his freshman season under Jay Wright which speaks to his basketball IQ and talent.
Saddiq Bey 2020 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Bey started his Wildcats career as a cog in the wheel of the Villanova machine and developed into the go-to guy in just two seasons. There were not a ton of scorers for Villanova this season, so Bey had no choice but to put the ball in the bucket. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for his career, including 16.1 points per game this year.
In terms of accolades, Bey was named All-Freshman team last year and upped that to All-Big East this year. He was a highly-touted prospect out of high school and those accolades continued in college.
Strengths
Bey proved to be an outstanding shooter. He increased his percentages from 37 percent on four threes per game to 45 percent on six threes per game. His long-range capabilities will be what puts him over the top in the NBA.
To pair with his deep shooting, Bey is solid off the dribble and was able to draw several fouls to get easy points at the line. His size and length really help him to create opportunities to score. He also has shown the capacity to play out of the post against smaller defenders. All of these different scoring opportunities mean Bey can impact the game frequently on the offensive end.
Lastly, Bey has great size for the NBA game. He checks in at 6’8 215 which is ideal for a wing. He can add 10 to 15 pounds over his first few seasons and become a great 3-and-D player for a playoff team.
Weaknesses
One of Bey’s weaknesses is his lack of lateral quickness and explosion. He is not very quick so he can have some difficulty going by players or keeping fast players in front of him. He will definitely need to do some work with an NBA strength coach early and often in his career.
Another issue for Bey is his inability to score over bigger defenders in the lane. He was not great around the rim when help was present and needs to develop that to ensure he does not become a perimeter only type player.
Lastly, while Bey was the go-to guy this season, he is an off-ball type of scorer. Bey really needs a good distributor with him to put him in the best position to be successful. His success in the NBA will be significantly dependent on the players around him, which drops his draft stock slightly.
NBA Player Comparison
Justin Jackson. Jackson is a 3-and-D wing that is trying to find a nice role in the NBA. Both are good shooters and have great length making them decent defenders. Saddiq Bey is more built than Jackson which will help him guard the tough wings, but he has to improve his overall defense. Bey has some tools that could make him a very solid NBA player.
NBA Draft Projection
Mid to late first round.
Main Photo
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