The 2023 NBA draft only saw one college basketball player drafted in the top 5 last year. This year’s draft may also follow a similar trend. While there are more paths to the NBA than ever before, college basketball still provides the deepest pool of prospects.
This draft class is considered a weaker class with no clear order of prospects. That fact holds for the college ranks which leads to one question.
Who Will Be The First College Player Drafted In 2024?
1) Cody Williams: Colorado
Cody Williams has been rising up draft boards consistently and is the current favorite to be the first college player drafted. He’s a six-foot-eight slender wing in his freshman season at Colorado this year. Williams is the younger brother of starting NBA guard Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s a smooth and fluid athlete who looks to have a very polished all-around game for his age. Young wings with production and upside like Williams are usually always at the top of the draft.
2) Ja’Kobe Walter: Baylor
It’s an easy buy-in process when analyzing Ja’Kobe Walter’s skillset. He’s long, athletic, and can shoot the three-ball at a high clip. He uses this length and athleticism to be very effective on the defensive end as well. This 3-and-D archetype makes Walter one of the safer bets in this draft. He isn’t the strongest in the self-creation department, but he’s so solid at other aspects of the game that scouts can overlook it. He may need some big-game performances in March Madness in order to become a top-five or six pick.
3) Rob Dillingham: Kentucky
Rob Dillingham is a twitchy scorer who plays with a lot of flash. The major concern for Dillingham coming into the season was exactly what role he could fill at the next level. Was he a spark off the bench microwave scorer? Can he play true point guard? Dillingham has answered these questions by mostly proving he can succeed at whatever role is needed. Now firmly a leader at Kentucky, he’s thrived with just about any lineup on the floor. This versatility has placed him in the conversation of being the first college player drafted. He’s been able to dish out assists, handle point guard responsibility, or even become an explosive scorer if that’s needed.
Dillingham’s a bit undersized to become a true franchise guy, but some more explosive performances could help convince scouts.
4) Reed Sheppard: Kentucky
Reed Sheppard was another surprise to draft boards and wasn’t expected to be one of the top prospects above other teammates at Kentucky. He’s only six-foot-three and doesn’t possess elite athleticism, but he’s shown that he can be a lethal shooter and high-IQ passer. He also has shown he’s an extremely adept team defender averaging a ridiculous 2.5 steals per game. Sheppard established himself as a top player on a loaded Kentucky team when not many expected him to. There’s more than enough reason to believe he’ll accomplish the same thing for an NBA team when finding a role.
In a draft where there may not be a franchise-altering talent, selecting a player like Sheppard becomes more appealing.
