For the past week, ESPN's basketball experts in the NBA, NBA draft, college and recruiting have offered their opinions about which teams, programs and players have the best outlooks. For recruits and their recruiting classes the experts forecasted what their freshman seasons would look like. In college our experts examined which programs had the best three-year outlooks, while in the NBA they also analyzed three-year outlooks for all 30 teams.
With any ranking, undoubtedly someone gets left off. If you weren't able to catch all of them, here are the links to all the rankings and a digest of which teams, players or programs got the cold shoulder.
NBA draft: Chad Ford's Big Board 2.0
On Tuesday, we released our Big Board 2.0 for the 2015 NBA draft. Here's a look at the names that were snubbed, and what these players have to do in order to make the cut for Big Board 3.0
The rest of Kentucky's team
Kentucky's roster is loaded. We have a record nine players on their squad in our top six, and 10 players in our top 100. Why did just three of them -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress make our Big Board?
For some it's going to be a lack of minutes. For others, there are questions about how their game will translate to the pros. The most controversial snubs were the Harrison twins, Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison. Andrew was a preseason lottery pick last year and Aaron was ranked in our top 30. After slow starts, both players played much better toward the end of the season.
Why didn't they make the cut? Teams are concerned that while Andrew has great size, he doesn't have the explosive athletic ability to thrive at the point in the NBA. Aaron hit some huge shots for Kentucky in the tournament, but needs to turn into a 40 percent 3-point shooter this season. If Andrew can show off quickness and Aaron becomes a more consistent 3-point shooter, they should make the cut.
Big man Dakari Johnson also seemed like a lock for the top 30, but with the strong play of Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein returning from injury, there's question marks about how many minutes he'll get.
That's the problem for both Marcus Lee and freshman Trey Lyles. If they were playing on virtually any other team, they would be the focal point of the team and would probably be ranked 10 to 15 spots higher on the draft board. While both players should get minutes, their role will be more limited. The same holds true for Devin Booker, who could end up being one of the team's best shooters. If Poythress begins to struggle, he could benefit.
Finally, there's Tyler Ulis, a guy who should have a major impact at UK from Year 1. His issue is size. Ulis measures in at 5-foot-9, 142 pounds, and that's being generous. The point guard is seen by many scouts as just too small to play in the NBA.
Branden Dawson, SF, Sr., Michigan State Spartans
The senior from Michigan State will carry a heavy load for the Spartans this season. He has an NBA body and athletic ability, and when he's focused, he can be awesome on both ends of the floor. But teams are worried about his jump shot and lack of consistency. He's going to need an Adreian Payne-type breakout season to erase the first two disappointing seasons from scouts' minds.
Delon Wright, PG, Sr., Utah Utes
You can make the argument that Wright is the best point guard in college basketball this season. The key factor hurting Delon is his age. He'll turn 23 by the time he enters the draft -- a virtual old man by NBA standards. Few players who dominate so late in their careers turn out to be NBA studs. It happens (see: Damian Lillard) but scouts tend to be wary. He's going to need a huge senior season at Utah (a la Lillard) to convince them that they're wrong.
Buddy Hield, SG, Jr., Oklahoma Sooners
Hield was a slasher as a freshman and a jump-shooter as a sophomore. If he can figure out a way to combine those two seasons as a junior, his name will be high in the conversation. Scouts were impressed with him over the summer. If he plays as well as he did at LeBron's camp, he should find his way into the first round.
Rashad Vaughn, SG, Fr., UNLV Rebels
The best freshman not to make the list is Vaughn, a scoring machine that should put up big numbers right away for UNLV. The question is, will he put up efficient numbers? Scouts know he has the strength and athleticism to score, but he needs to shoot a much higher percentage from the field and 3-point line in college to convince them he can do it well in the NBA.
NBA Future Power Rankings
FPR slots in the Bucks at No. 24. However, Bradford Doolittle sees a turnaround taking place in Milwaukee -- one that could happen sooner than later -- based on the team's talented young core, new management group and future salary-cap flexibility.
From Doolittle's "Bucks Snubbed in Power Ranks" piece:
The Bucks have actually drafted well given their usual double-digit draft slot, recently getting Brandon Jennings at No. 10, Larry Sanders at No. 15 and John Henson at No. 14. However, the Bucks might have finally hit the jackpot in 2013 when they landed Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 15. Antetokounmpo wasn't expected to see much court time as a supremely talented and supremely raw rookie, but he got 1,897 minutes and mostly held his own, while flashing brilliant teases of the player he may become. This summer, he's looked like a good candidate to become this year's most improved player. By his third year, if the progress continues, Antetokounmpo could emerge as the foundation player the Bucks have lacked since Ray Allen was in his prime.
Antetokounmpo's arrival coincided with the first real, rock-bottom season Milwaukee has had in 20 years. The Bucks' 67 losses established a franchise nadir, worsting the 1993-94 squad that put them into position to draft Glenn Robinson. That was a missed pick, as well, of course. With the 20-20 vision of retrospect, we now know Milwaukee should have taken Jason Kidd in 1994. Well, he's there now and he'll be coaching Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, the No. 2 pick of June's loaded draft.
If Antetokounmpo doesn't emerge as a true, No. 1 type of superstar, Parker may well fit the bill. He's skilled, talented and should eventually develop into a top-10 scorer. Even better, he actually wants to be in Milwaukee and is a perfect complement to the length and defensive potential of Antetokounmpo and Sanders. And while the future rankings are only considering the next three seasons, when you realize that most franchise players declare themselves as such by their third or fourth season, the latter part of that range might well coincide with Milwaukee's climb up the ladder.
College Basketball Future Power Rankings
From Seth Greenberg's Future Power Rankings snubs and surprises:
Ranked too low: Iowa State Cyclones (No. 31)
It's hard to fathom Iowa State failing to make the top 25. Fred Hoiberg has led the Cyclones to three consecutive NCAA tournaments, advancing past the initial round each time and reaching the Sweet 16 in 2014. This season's Cyclones will be a preseason top-20 team and have a chance to once again advance to the second weekend of the postseason. Similar to Gregg Marshall at Wichita State, I think some believe Hoiberg could leave Iowa State. Every year there will be overtures from the NBA, but the reality is he has a unique situation with the Cyclones. It would take perfect circumstances for him to move his family from Ames before his children finish school.
Hoiberg has transitioned seamlessly to college basketball. The Mayor has not only brought the magic back to Hilton Coliseum, but he has added an NBA system that utilizes his players' strengths and attacks matchups, and he sells well on the recruiting trail. He manages his roster like a former director of player personnel, finding a good mix of high school players, transfers and fifth-year seniors. He's a terrific communicator, in whom players trust and for whom they work hard. Instead of running plays, he runs actions and lets his players play out of them. This enables him to move players to different positions and use different lineups.
Recruiting: 2015 Class Rankings
From Adam Finkelstein's biggest moves in new rankings:
Biggest fallers
No. 28 Elijah Thomas | Center
Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster High School
Previous rank: No. 9
Considering LSU, Texas A&M, Illinois, SMU, Oklahoma State and UNLV
The 6-9 lefty fell from the top 10 to the 28th spot after returning from injury noticeably out of shape. Still, he has undeniable talent and mismatch potential with his wide frame. He also has the ability to create space and handle the ball. We'll be watching him closely this season.
No. 43 Charles Matthews | Shooting guard
Chicago/Saint Rita High School
Previous rank: No. 30
Committed to Kentucky
When you're a big, playmaking guard who makes an early commitment to a place like Kentucky, expectations are immediately inflated. Matthews was probably a victim of early expectations, and while his ranking may now be leveling off, that doesn't mean he won't be very solid at the next level.
No. 55 Corey Sanders | Point guard
Lakeland, Fla./Kathleen High School
Previous rank: No. 32
Committed to Rutgers
On sheer talent, Sanders might be a top-three point guard in the class. He's an attacking guard who can make plays like few others, but he tends to get caught in first gear. He checks in at No. 55, down from No. 32, but will rise again if he can learn to slow down, vary his speeds and be a more stable presence at the point.
