Today is a good one. Just about every participant is a name that hoops junkies will recognize.

Tyger Campbell, Markquis Nowell, and Jalen Wilson are NCAA seniors who all led their teams on deep NCAA tournaments runs. Ben Sheppard is a mid-major sharp shooter who impressed at the NBA Combine. Sidy Cissoko is a G-League Ignite product who's been sleeper favorite of mock drafters all year. Hunter Tyson... well I'll be honest, I had to look him up... but he's a 5th year senior from Clemson who stands 6'8 and shot over 40% from three on 6 attempts per game!

Ben Sheppard

Ben Sheppard is someone we should get familiar with as he fits the profile of exactly what the Pacers are looking for in a late pick. An upperclassman and leader of his Belmont team, he's a low-ego, hardworking 3-point sniper with good positional size. Maybe it's because they look similarly, but he reminds me a bit of Quentin Grimes.

At 6'5.25 (without shoes) Sheppard is in the 81st percentile of height for two-guards. He shot an excellent 41.5% on six attempts per game from distance last year. Adept at shooting on the move and practically automatic when left open, Sheppard lit up the combine scrimmages.

While he projects to be a great shooter in the NBA, it's worth noting that he shot under 70% from the free throw line for his college career. I don't know what that means but it seems incongruous.

Sheppard had a late growth-spurt and, as a result, has experience playing point-guard. He's high IQ and knows where to move the ball, which is evidenced by the fact he averaged three assists a game as an off-ball guard.

I highly doubt he has a future as All-NBA defender, but he was voted by MVC coaches to the conference All-Defense team. This comes down to his feel for the game and his effort level. He averaged 1.4 steals a game due to his anticipation and propensity for jumping passing lanes.

He's a subpar athlete from an NBA standard and needs to hit the weight room. Even so, his IQ and effort should translate and I have no problem envisioning him as capable team defender.

His athletic limitations also reveal themselves when attacking inside the paint. He cannot handle physicality and he doesn't have the explosion to pressure the rim in traffic.

Nevertheless, his movement shooting and high IQ would thrive in our fast paced system. With Buddy Hield on an expiring contract and Duarte not looking like a long term replacement, I wouldn't be surprised if the Pacers elected to take a shot on Ben Sheppard. Keep an eye on him at 32.

Sidy Cissoko

Cissoko is representative of a lot of talented young European prospects. He possesses impressive physical tools and a good feel for the game, but is still very raw as a basketball player.

He's one of the younger players in the draft, though you wouldn't know it by looking at him. He has a man's body, weighing in at almost 225 lbs at 6'5.5 without shoes. He relies on strength more than quickness and projects to be a bit of Swiss army knife at the next level. I'll be interested to see where he seems most comfortable.

He played as a jumbo two-guard next to Scoot Henderson at Ignite but I could see him being deployed in a Bruce Brown role in the NBA. He's a good playmaker and has the strength to mix it up in the paint with bigger players.

He should earn minutes early in his career by defending 2-4 and doing the dirty work. If he refines his handle, he could have a future as a secondary playmaker. If he refines his shot as well, he could be a very good.

He's raw but there's a lot to work with. He doesn't feel like a player the Pacers usually target in the first round but if he's hanging around in the second, I could see them wanting him on a two-way.  

Markquis Nowell

At 5'7, Nowell is out to prove size doesn't matter. A classic NYC point guard, Nowell can handle, dish, and put the ball in the hole. He was the catalyst for a tough Wildcats team, propelling them to the Elite 8. During that run, he delivered a fantastic performance against Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen, breaking the NCAA Tournament record with 19 assists.

While he's a fun, competitive player, overcoming his height limitation to succeed in the NBA would defy very long odds. He'd be a great guy to root for as an undrafted free agent, but it's hard to justify spending a pick on someone that short.

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