Fourteen NBA scouts were slated to attend Thursday’s Providence-Seton Hall game, including Clarence Gaines, the Knicks Vice President of Player Personnel, who was in attendance.
The Knicks, of course, don’t own a pick in 2016.
Those scouts witnessed Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead out-play Providence’s Kris Dunn, a projected Top-5 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft who was bothered by an illness all week and was throwing up during the game, according to Friars coach Ed Cooley.
The 6-foot-4 Whitehead went off for 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 70-52 victory to push the Pirates closer to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006.
Still, NBA personnel and draft gurus believe Whitehead needs at least another year on campus.
“He played great, he needs another year,” one NBA scout in attendance told SNY.tv. “He shot it well last night but inconsistent. I think he is a combo [guard], capable of playing the 1 at times.”
Added one NBA executive who was not at the game: “He has played himself into a possible 2nd-round pick. Still not convinced he is an NBA point guard. He will have to spend time in the D-League to develop his skills.”
Whitehead entered the night shooting 37 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep, something that is a concern for NBA folks.
“He needs to become a much more efficient offensive player,” said Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, who does not have Whitehead on his mock for 2016 or ’17. “Out of the 340 college players we have designated as ‘prospects’ in the DraftExpress database, he has the second-worst 2-point percentage of any of them. He’s also top-15 in turnovers, and is not what you would call a lockdown defender. Winning games is always the biggest key to helping your NBA stock, so making a little Tournament run this March could definitely help.”
NCAA BID COULD HELP RECRUITING
Just as an NCAA Tournament bid/run could facilitate Whitehead’s NBA stock rising, it could also help with recruiting.
The Pirates had a slew of local recruits at the game, including 2017s Sid Wilson and Isaiah Washington of St. Raymond’s, 2017s David Beatty and Bourama Sidibe of St. Benedict’s Prep and 2018s Jahvon Quinerly, Luther Muhammad and Louis King of Hudson Catholic.
Several local coaches said an NCAA Tournament bid would hype the buzz around the program.
“I think it will help a lot,” said Sports U coach Brian Coleman, who has a “Fab Five” group of Quinerly, Muhammad, King, Atiba Taylor and Naz Reid with a group Seton Hall offer. “I think it’s giving recruits an awareness of Seton Hall they might not have had before. Seton Hall has a lot of excitement surrounding their program right now. “
Roselle Catholic coach Dave Boff, whose team has won two of the last three Tournament of Champions titles and plays Saturday night for the Union County Tournament championsip against St. Patrick’s, concurred.
“I think it helps with certain kids for sure,” Boff said. “The NCAA Tournament has become such a huge focus of the college basketball season that naturally kids want to be a part of it.”
St. Raymond’s assistant coach Joe Amelio , who attended the game with his kids, was more measured.
“Ultimately, I think a kid’s goal is to play at the highest level,” he said. “Nothing better than the biggest stage in the NCAA. Then again, you have to find a school that’s best fit for you and your future. When you find both, it’s the complete package.”
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