Isaiah Stewart followed Mike Hopkins to Washington from the upstate New York area. The Rochester native turned into one of the best bigs in college basketball this year after being a top-five recruit. He now moves on to fulfill his NBA dream.
Isaiah Stewart 2020 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Stewart was consistently in the top four of the recruiting ranks and spent a good chunk of time as the number one overall recruit. If it were not for an injury, Stewart would have at least been ranked second. Regardless, he had an instant impact for the Huskies and was dominant at times. Stewart averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.
Stewart was named to the All-Pac 12 team and Pac-12 All-Freshman team. He also was on a shortlist for freshman of the year but finished just shy of Vernon Carey Jr. Stewart has had success everywhere he went, but that did not continue on the team level at Washington. It would be tough to place any blame on Stewart for those struggles, as the Huskies finished last in the Pac-12, but everyone on the team gets at least some blame.
Strengths
Stewart is a massive human being. He is built like an NFL linebacker and has ridiculously broad shoulders. He uses this wide frame to be a dominant rebounder. He rebounds approximately 16 percent of misses which is above average. Stewart has a solid motor and works hard for rebounds which means those numbers should stay high as he gets to the league.
Along with his massive build, Stewart is an above-average athlete. He uses his athletic ability to help him score. He uses this athleticism to excel in short spaces. Stewart shot 59 percent from inside the arc this year and a lot of that is because of his athleticism.
Lastly, Stewart is a great shot-blocker. He averaged 2.1 blocks per game this season which is excellent. Stewart had the benefit of playing the center of a 2-3 zone so he was always in a great position to block a shot, but regardless, that is impressive.
Weaknesses
One of the biggest concerns with Stewart is his passing and playmaking ability. Stewart only averaged 0.8 assists per game this year. Some of this is due to the players that surrounded him, but the assist numbers should be higher. He has to be able to make plays from the post at the next level.
Another weakness is a strange one. While Stewart is fairly athletic, he plays close to the ground from the post. It’s not like jumping over a piece of paper type close to the ground, but it’s also not much better. He is going to be able to use his upper body strength more in the league without worrying about picking up offensive fouls, but he still will need to elevate over people and finish strong.
The final concern deals with Stewart trusting his ability. He has good form and is decent at the free-throw line, however, he shoots 32 percent from three on less than one three per game. Stewart has all the capabilities of being a pick-and-pop big but he cannot do that if he does not trust his jump shot.
NBA Player Comparison
Kevon Looney. Looney is thinner and slightly less athletic, but in terms of skills, they match well. Both players are solid on the defensive end and have a good post presence offensively. Isaiah Stewart’s upside may be a bit higher, but if he is Looney at worst, he still has done well for himself.
NBA Draft Projection
Late lottery to mid-first round.
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