Marcus Sasser is a 6-foot-2 combo guard from the University of Houston. He played all four collegiate years as a Cougar, earning first-team All-American honors in his senior year.
In addition, Sasser also was awarded the Jerry West Award, given to the top collegiate shooting guard in the country. Sasser’s other impressive accolades include First-team All-AAC in 2023, Second-team All-AAC in 2021, and AAC All-Freshman team in 2020.
Marcus Sasser 2023 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Although Sasser made the All-Freshman team, he started for Houston halfway through the season, having a shaky beginning to his four-year career.
Sasser’s most productive season on a per-game basis was his junior year, where he averaged 17.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 steals on 44/44/74 shooting splits. Unfortunately for him and the Cougars, Sasser only played 12 games that season, dealing with a toe injury that shut down his season.
Nevertheless, Sasser got another opportunity. to prove he was one of the best college basketball players in his senior year, playing 36 games. He averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals on 44/38/85 shooting splits.
Strengths
Shooters are always a coveted trait in the NBA, and Sasser provides plenty of it. He shot 44 percent from three in his junior year and 38 percent from three in his senior year. He is a great shooter both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations.
Not only is he a great shooter, but Sasser is also an improved playmaker. Sasser averaged 3.1 assists and 1.6 turnovers in his senior year, nearly a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sasser is an adaptable combo guard that can play either guard position due to his shooting and playmaking ability. As a result, he gives coaches plenty of lineup options and matchup flexibility.
He’s also a great defensive player who will provide plenty of energy to whatever team selects him. This is evidenced by Sassers seasons as an upperclassman, where he averaged 2.2 steals as a junior and 1.6 as a senior. He is strong for his 6-foot-2 height and has great agility, moving his hands and feet exceptionally well to stay in front of his man out on the perimeter. He is great at anticipating plays and getting his hands in passing lanes.
Another strength is that Sasser is more NBA-ready than most rookies in the draft due to his senior experience. Of course, it can also be negative, depending on the specific team’s situation. But, there may be a team picking late in the first round in win-now mode that will be intrigued by Sasser’s ability to contribute immediately relative to the other options that will be available at that point. He can provide scoring, playmaking, and defense from day one.
Weaknesses
6-foot-2 isn’t an ideal height for a point guard, but nonetheless, a combo guard. Sasser is a bit of a “tweener” in the sense that he’s not an elite enough playmaker to be a point guard and not tall enough to be a shooting guard. It would be hard for Sasser to play alongside another small point guard, as it could leave teams vulnerable. He’s a great perimeter defender, but Sasser may find trouble in the pick-and-roll-heavy NBA getting switched onto the bigs.
Sasser is one of the oldest players entering the draft at age 22. Sometimes, a player’s age is viewed as too much of a weakness. However, it should still be mentioned as a weakness and something teams will be weary of. Sasser’s lack of size and the fact that he’s 22 may limit his potential compared to others that can develop their game and have a higher physical ceiling.
NBA Player Comparison
Terry Rozier. Rozier is a 6-foot-1 guard and an electric scorer, averaging 21.1 points per game with the Charlotte Hornets this season.
He’s similar to Sasser as both are barely over six feet but aren’t relied on as the primary distributors in their respective roles. Rozier is a career 36.7 percent three-point shooter, which seems similar to where Sasser will hover around in the NBA.
In addition, Rozier is an underrated defender, averaging 1.2 steals per game this past season. Although he averaged over 20 points a game, Rozier finished with a better defensive real plus-minus (1.43) than offensive (0.86).
Sasser could take on a similar role in the NBA as Rozier as a combo guard that brings energy and a different dynamic to the game with his shooting and defense. Rozier was the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Sasser will likely go later than that, but this could be a case of a player dropping too far due to teams overvaluing their age and size rather than their talent.
NBA Draft Projection
Late first/early second-round.
