The draft model All-American team is comprised of the highest-rated NCAA players at each position according to my DMX model that are not currently listed on 2024 or 2025 mock drafts at ESPN or NBADraft.net
GUARDS
Tamin Lipsey / PG / Iowa State
HT: 6’1″
xWINS: 2.5
Tamin Lipsey was one of the most unheralded freshmen in college basketball last season, starting at point guard for an Iowa State team that exceeded expectations and earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State has sent several point guards to the NBA in recent years including Tyrese Haliburton and Monte Morris, and Lipsey appears to be the next in line. At 6’1″, Lipsey is the smallest of the bunch but notably the best thief with an impressive 3.1 steals per 40 minute average. Lipsey most likely ends up being a Tremont Waters type who bounces around analytically-savvy NBA teams before settling in Europe.
Braden Smith / PG / Purdue
HT: 6’0″
xWINS: 2.2
Likewise, Braden Smith performed admirably as a true freshman starting at point guard, in this case for a team with Final Four aspirations. Smith emerged as Purdue’s second best player behind National POY Zach Edey for a team that finished 29-6 and won the Big Ten. As a freshman, Smith displayed sharp shooting ability (37.6% 3PT, 86.8% FT), a solid floor game (6.2 AST/40, 2.8 TOV/40), and even hauled in 5.9 rebounds per 40 minutes at just 6-feet tall. Once Edey finally makes the jump to the pros, look for Smith to develop into one of the best players in the Big Ten and a top point guard nationally.
FORWARDS
Darrion Williams / SF/PF / Texas Tech
HT: 6’6″
xWINS: 3.8
Darrion Williams is one of the more interesting draft prospects out there; a tweener forward who posted a measly 10.5 points per 40 minutes as a freshman at Nevada. The reason the Texas Tech transfer projects like a lottery pick in my model is the interaction between rebounding and assist-to-turnover ratio. Since 2006, the top-20 draft picks sorted by REB/40*AST:TO includes LaMelo Ball, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Davis as well as several strong role players like Josh Giddey, Kyle Anderson, Jae Crowder, and Lonzo Ball. Williams’ 9.9 REB/40 and 3.08 AST:TO makes him such an outlier in this variable that his projection places him between Paolo Banchero and Mike Conley.
While Williams is not that caliber of prospect, something similar to Jae Crowder or Kenrich Williams seems reasonable enough and he should definitely be a future draft pick.
Oso Ighodaro / PF/C / Marquette
HT: 6’11″
xWINS: 2.5
Junior big man Oso Ighodaro (pictured) is perhaps the most conspicuous absence from 2024 mock drafts. Prospects with his combination of size, skills, and metrics against legitimate NCAA competition are likely to make it to the pros, thus his strong projection in the model. However, Ighodaro is a notably poor rebounder (7.3 REB/40) and has zero 3-point attempts in 73 NCAA games, raising the question of whether he is physical enough to be an NBA center or versatile enough to play power forward.
CENTER
Micah Handlogten / C / Florida
HT: 7’1″
xWINS: 3.1
Handlogten, who emerged from the ranks of the unknown with a strong freshman year at Marshall, excels in a lot of key areas: height, rebounding (14.7 REB/40), steals (1.9/40), and blocks (3.5/40). His 1.7 assists and 2.0 turnovers per 40 are also relatively impressive for a young 7-footer. How he fares after up-transferring to Florida will determine his status as an NBA prospect.
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