Preview of the NBA draft from the Nevada/Mountain West perspective
If the mock drafts are accurate, the Nevada basketball team could go without a selection in the NBA draft for the ninth straight season.
But if those same mock drafts are correct, the Mountain West will have a player selected for the sixth time in the last seven drafts.
San Diego State alum Jalen McDaniels is expected to be selected in Thursday's draft, which begins in Brooklyn at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN, but his status as a draft pick isn't a lock. Most mock drafts have him as a mid- to late-second round draft pick, and as Nevada alums Cameron Oliver and Deonte Burton can attest from recent seasons, that can be a tenuous position.
Nevada has had three potential draft picks on the workout circuit over the last several weeks, including Cody Martin, Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline. Each participated in the G League Elite Camp, with Cody Martin also earning a spot in the NBA Combine. Cody Martin is the most likely to be selected in the draft, but only two notable mock drafts have him being picked (The Ringer pegs him going 49th overall to the San Antonio Spurs and SI has him going 50th overall to the Indiana Pacers).
Martin's versatility as a ball-handling 6-foot-7 forward who plays above-average defense could earn him a draft selection. McDaniels, meanwhile, has loads of talent as a potential stretch power forward. Another former SDSU player, Zylan Cheatham who played his senior season at Arizona State, could find a spot in the draft. But there are no locks from the MW to be picked unlike last season when Boise State's Chandler Hutchison was a first-round selection by the Chicago Bulls.
Nevada last had a player selected in the NBA draft in 2010 when Luke Babbitt went in the first round and Armon Johnson in the second round. Both played for local high schools before starring for the Wolf Pack. Nevada has had 14 players picked in the NBA draft, including six since the draft went to the modern two-round format in 1989.
Here's a look at this year's NBA draft from the Nevada/Mountain West perspective.
Draft rankings
* Sports Illustrated has Jalen McDaniels at No. 64, Cody Martin at No. 65 and Jordan Caroline at No. 75
* ESPN has McDaniels at No. 58, Cody Martin at No. 66 and Wyoming's Justin James at No. 76
* NBAdraft.net has McDaniels at No. 38, Caleb Martin at No. 80 and Cody Martin at No. 97
* CBS Sports has McDaniels at No. 51, Cody Martin at No. 66 and James at No. 96
* Sports News has McDaniels at No. 53
* The Ringer (Kevin O'Conner) has McDaniels at No. 18 and Cody Martin at No. 54
* ESPN's advanced metrics have Caleb Martin at No. 63, McDaniels at No. 87, Cody Martin at No. 93 and James at No. 107
Mock drafts
56. Clippers - Jalen McDaniels | SF/PF | Age: 21.3 | San Diego State
50. Indiana: Cody Martin, G, Nevada: Martin made progress over the past year, improving his shot and doing a much better job selling teams on his role player potential, despite being one of the oldest players in this class. He could be a fit for Indiana at this spot.
45. Detroit Pistons - Jalen McDaniels, PF, San Diego State: Versatile player built for today’s league, with the height of a big and the perimeter skills of a wing.
49. San Antonio Spurs - Cody Martin, PG, Nevada: Jumbo ball handler who controls the tempo and has natural feel, plus the versatility to defend multiple positions.
42. Indiana - Jalen McDaniels, PF, Philadelphia 76ers
No Mountain West selections