Jacksen Moni: Trust The Vision | The Prospect Overview
North Dakota State's Jacksen Moni is equal parts fascinating and productive. He's a 6'10" sharpshooter with a high level of feel, and he's one of the most interesting sleepers in the 2025 NBA Draft!
Around the time I got to middle school, I realized that I had a really difficult time seeing things that were far away. It first occurred to me when we were in a car ride to one of my sister’s basketball games. In the pre-Google Maps days, we were trying to find a street to turn on, and I realized I couldn’t read the letters on the street signs until we were practically in the intersection. During my own basketball games, I dreaded when we were the away team, because the other school might have a microscopic scoreboard set up. I’d have to really squint to see the score or how much time was left on the clock.
The issue here was two-fold. One, I didn’t want to wear glasses. And two, my only phobia is touching my eye, and/or seeing other people touch their eyes. It genuinely makes me want to throw up. That second part meant contacts were off the table. Eventually, my parents caught onto me, and I had to get glasses. At first, I wore them as minimally as possible, putting them on for brief seconds in glass to read the board before hastily removing them. By the time I got deeper into high school, I got over it and rocked the glasses full-time. Much of that came from the security of growing into my body and getting into weightlifting. I was 6’5” and 240 pounds. What was someone going to do, pick me up by my ankles and shake the lunch money out of my pocket because I was wearing glasses? Come on, let’s be real here.
But when I got my glasses, the vision test also induced an anxiety of sorts in me. It still does, to be honest. It’s not the “reading the eye chart” part. It’s the: “Which slide looks better” part. They show you one slide, called slide one, and then move to slide two, and ask you which looks better. For me, this creates quite the conundrum. For starters, I hate being wrong. But secondly, the stakes of being wrong are serious. I don’t want to get an inaccurate prescription! I ultimately decided to answer quickly and decisively based on my gut. Even if my vision was lousy, I had no choice but to trust it. I use this tactic every time I need new glasses. And my vision has actually remained steady over the years. Never have I gotten a pair of glasses that felt as if they weren’t optimally helpful. It’s all about trusting the vision.
The moment one draft cycle ends, the next one begins. For me, that means putting together my No Stone Unturned series, focusing on under-the-radar NBA prospects. As time has gone on, putting together that series has become easier in some ways and more challenging in others. It’s gotten easier in that I’ve accrued more experience as a scout. I’ve gotten to learn from my mistakes and see what issues can lead to difficulties in prospects when they have to scale up in competition. Additionally, an improved understanding of data has better helped me sort out the prospects who do have a chance at an NBA future from those who don’t. Where it’s become more difficult is that those same things are true of just about everybody else in the scouting world. Guys like Ajay Mitchell play themselves onto early mock drafts because of their favorable outputs, even though they were at smaller schools. That means they’re on the radar, and I can’t cover them for the series. Everyone who takes this seriously is better than ever at finding guys now. Additionally, the transfer portal has added another wrinkle, as I attempt to keep the series focused primarily on mid-major players.
That leaves me with no choice but to dig deeper. This year, I covered a few players who didn’t compete at the Division I level the year prior. I’ve started to learn some lessons from that, too, but that’s another story for another day. Of that group, the one who has found the most success is North Dakota State’s Jacksen Moni. The reason I chose to cover him was a blend of the numbers and game tape. On paper, he presented an interesting proposition. At 6’10”, he was launching threes at a high clip while possessing positive shooting indicators. Through three seasons at Northern State, he’d made 36.3% of his threes on a gaudy 5.5 attempts per game while also sinking 81.3% of his free throws. Plus, there were real ball skills in there. He slung 3.6 APG to only 2.2 TOV and often acted as a primary offensive hub. You don’t find those things at his height too often. After my initial film dive, I was totally infatuated with his game.
Still, when it came time to make my initial Top 100, I didn’t commit to Moni. I slotted him as a “watchlist” guy rather than giving him a place on my board. I worried about his run/jump athleticism and how well his strength would scale up in competition. I’d bounced him off another evaluator who wasn’t into his game, and that made me question myself. While you never want to brush off concerns, I wish that I didn’t bog myself down in the negative stuff so much. I wish that I’d trusted the vision of what Moni could be, and what he’s become—a jumbo sniper with high feel who can hold his own defensively. Let’s get into that, and what it means for Moni’s NBA prospects.
Offense
Much of Jacksen Moni’s appeal begins beyond the arc. This season, he’s shooting 41.4% from three on 11.8 attempts per 100 possessions. To put that into context, that’s a similar volume and percentage to what players like Sam Hauser, Corey Kispert, and Trey Murphy shot during their pre-draft seasons. He’s THAT willing and accurate.
Moni can position himself deep behind the line when spotting up, further accentuating his team’s spacing. His high release point helps him to convert over hard closeouts. Per Synergy, 67 of his catch-and-shoot threes his year have been guarded, and he’s still making 40.3% of them. When he has to move into his jumper, his shot prep footwork shines through. He gathers his feet cleanly and concisely before getting into his motion. As a result, there’s some movement upside here, even if he’s not the fastest dude in the world. He can run into a transition three. Moni is an excellent pick-and-pop partner, and his ability to stretch the floor can force opponents into uncomfortable switches in ball screens. There’s a little self-creation sauce in here, too. Moni has gone 7-of-9 on threes as a pick-and-roll ball handler this year, and he has some nice stepback footwork when he needs to resort to it. It’s rare to find this type of proficiency and dynamism, especially from a guy who’s 6’10”.
Even better, Moni can really pass the ball. He was an offensive hub at the D-II level, and that’s carried over to his time at North Dakota State. His 33.1 USG% is an astronomical number, ranking 12th overall in the country per BartTorvik. That demonstrates both the size of his role and the trust that the Bison’s coaching staff have put into him. It’s for good reason, too. Moni is a trustworthy, skilled, and creative passer. He’s averaging 3.9 APG (with a humongous 31.0 AST%) to only 2.4 TOV.
His passing game reeks of NBA functionality, too. A lot of times, tall college players can rack up assists by simply punishing doubles that come when posted on the block and subsequently hitting the open man. And that’s fine, but it’s unlikely to be a part of how most players are utilized at the next level. Moni can do that, but he also does a whole lot more. He’s a sharp swing passer who makes decisions at warp speed. He’s fantastic in DHO settings, as he can misdirect defenders and make a variety of reads. Moni is seeing the whole floor at all times. So if the handoff option isn’t there, instead of just keeping it, he can whip it to other teammates who may spring open while off-ball defenders key in on the rock. Moni has also shown some short roll functionality. Blend that with his three-ball, and he makes for an appealing “high pick-and-roll” option.
My favorite traits that Moni possesses are his patience and mental fluidity. If there isn’t an opening the second he looks for it, rarely will he try to force an exceedingly difficult pass through a tight window, or panic and force a shot. Instead, he continues to go about his business. Additionally, he doesn’t get locked in to making one particular read. He has a smooth handle and he’s a good finisher (64% at the rim in the halfcourt), so when he attacks downhill, defenders are ready to move. As he gets deep into the paint, he keeps his mind open and eyes up, reading the help and scanning for new openings. This allows him to tally assists not just from the perimeter but also deep in the paint. Few college players have this well-rounded of a creation game, and even fewer are 6’10” sharpshooters.
No prospect is perfect. Moni’s shortcomings are typical of what you would expect from a dude who spent three years at the D-II level and a season at a mid-major. He’s not that strong and he’s not explosive. He’s been an effective post player this year, ranking in the 90th percentile in Division I on those play types, per Synergy. His length and touch do wonders on the inside. But he can’t quite bully opponents and emphatically slam the door on them with power. He’s only registered three dunks this season, which is frighteningly low for someone his size. When opponents chase him off the line, he’s slow from the three-point line to the rim, and he doesn’t get up high or easily to finish. If he could control his line downhill, that would make the NBA translation easier, but at times, physicality can force him into tougher angles or dribble pickups. It will be imperative that he maximizes his athleticism and strength as he prepares for the NBA.
Defense
Let’s get the negative part out of the way—defense is not Moni’s strong suit, and it will not be where he derives his value at the NBA level. He doesn’t have the burst to jump passing lanes. His lack of quickness can prevent him from making timely rim rotations. Add in a lack of bounce, and he has a meager 2.1 BLK%. His 16.8 DRB% is okay for a forward, but disappointing for a 6’10” guy in a mid-major league. NBA big men may be able to plow through him, and he may struggle to contain quicker players, making the “who does he guard?” question complicated. As of this writing, he has 0.0 DBPM. Look at tall prospects who had a sub-1.0 DBPM, and you don’t have many positive defenders on the list.
All hope is not lost, though. For starters, it is important to contextualize Moni’s usage burden. It’s tough to make plays all over the court on both ends of the floor. His high level of feel helps him out. While he might not be a bursty disruptor, he at least knows what’s going on and where he’s supposed to be. He’s not some sort of mistake-prone disaster. Plus, Moni is really tall. That matters! Lastly, while Moni might not be the quickest, he’s very fluid. He’s able to stay in his stance, move, and contain the ball far more often than not. We’ve even seen this on display against good competition. Below, you’ll see clips of him stopping Jahmyl Telfort during three separate crunch-time possessions during North Dakota State’s upset victory over Butler.
Is Moni a three-and-D prospect? No. But given how skilled he is offensively, he’ll have more wiggle room on that side of the ball than most other prospects. His feel, length, and fluidity will go a long way in helping him reach respectability, which is really all that he’ll need to do.
Projection
Jacksen Moni has been an exceptional college player. He’s been stuffing the stat sheet in impressive, abnormal ways. But the question here is always: “How does this project to the NBA?” There are certainly reasons for concern. Moni’s shaky athleticism and poor defensive production are fair causes for skepticism. But those were concerns coming into the year for me, and in spite of them, Moni has been stellar this season. Sure, there’s room for doubt, but there’s also reason for excitement. Moni is damn near flirting with a 50/40/90 season on absurd usage. He’s draining threes at a specialist-level clip. And despite his scoring dominance, he’s more than happy to spread the wealth, dishing out assists left and right. I beat this point to death, but at the end of the day, the job of most role players is to shoot threes, move the ball, and hang defensively. At 6’10”, Jacksen Moni has a chance to check all three of those boxes.
We’ve seen teams swing on this archetype before. It doesn’t always work, like in the cases of Henry Ellenson and Erik Murphy. But we’ve seen it work, too. Moni’s precision from deep, paired with his passing, could make him something akin to a modernized Davis Bertans. He also reminds me a little bit of guys like Santi Aldama and Dean Wade. This is a skill set that has value and has succeeded before, and it’s conducive to winning basketball. So much of modern basketball is predicated on tall guys with ball skills shooting threes and making plays for others. That’s Jacksen Moni. It’s time to trust the vision.
Quick Hits
-Duke’s Kon Knueppel has been a quiet “conference play riser.” His shooting priors were highly touted coming into the year, and he’s really firing on all cylinders now. He’s sitting at 40.3% on 14.0 threes per 100 possessions in conference play. Add in a high level of feel (2.7 APG to 1.3 TOV) and a strong, sturdy frame, and there’s a lot to like. Knueppel’s iffy finishing (52.2% at the rim in the halfcourt), subpar defensive production, and struggles changing directions in space still have me skeptical of “super high end” outcomes. But I’m far more intrigued with him as an NBA prospect now that he’s been making his threes in games against good competition on a more consistent basis.
-I covered Oregon State junior Michael Rataj during my December Spreadsheet Sleepers column. In that article, I expressed my interest in Rataj as a “high usage scale down bet.” His 6’9” size, strong frame, and wide-ranging statistical output make him one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects out there. Two things of note have happened since I wrote that column. The first is that Rataj has indeed held steady from beyond the arc! He’s at 39.4% from three on a career-high 3.1 attempts per game. The second is that Rataj is fulfilling my wish that he’d cut his turnovers. In his first ten games, he averaged 2.0 APG to 3.4 TOV. Yuck! Since then, he’s averaged 2.6 APG to 2.2 TOV. Now we’re talking! I was really hoping to cover him for No Stone Unturned next summer, but it feels inevitable that he’ll already be on radars by then, if he isn’t already. He could be a sneaky 2025 guy.
-There’s one question on everybody’s mind—is Aday Mara back?! Okay, maybe not everybody’s mind, but perhaps a few people. The 7’3” Spanish prospect joined UCLA prior to the start of last season with sky-high expectations that he didn’t manage to meet. But a recent hot streak has caught my eye. During a three-game stretch against Wisconsin, Washington, and USC, he’s averaged 15.3 PPG and 4.0 BPG. Offensively, his length opens up so much for him. He has a giant catch radius, and he can create advantageous passing angles thanks to his jumbo wingspan. Defensively, he’s a massive paint deterrent and an intimidating force around the basket. His coordination is still wonky, and he was visibly exhausted at points during these games. If you’re asking why he can’t be Zach Edey, it’s because he’s not as fit, not as powerful, and not as assertive. But to be fair, this is the most assertive he’s been, and the results have been good. I’m still in “wait and see mode,” but I’d love it if he could play his way back onto radars.
-Sergio De Larrea has been a tricky evaluation for me. The 6’5” Spanish guard is a tremendous playmaker. He processes the game at warp speed, and he always has the floor mapped. That allows for quick, creative deliveries that defenses often don’t have the capacity to anticipate. His 2.7 APG to 1.6 TOV is nice to see, given his level of competition (ACB and EuroCup). He’s a good finisher, too, converting 65.4% of his halfcourt rim attempts. Still, I have my concerns. His shot looks funky. There’s a lot of guide hand involvement, his base is extremely narrow, and both of his elbows are tucked in very close to his body. Maybe I should be concerned with that less, given his results this year (19 for 40 from three, 28 for 37 on free throws this year), but it doesn’t pass the eye test for me. Defensive, he’s a clunky mover who routinely ends up behind the play when put through a series of off-ball actions. His size, toughness, and feel give him something real to work with, but I’m uncertain about the extent to which I’d be willing to bet on the rest of his game rounding into form.
-Kaleb Banks had a quiet first two seasons with Indiana, but the 6’8” junior has found his footing at Tulane. He’s been scoring 17.4 PPG. Banks’ handle and strength enable him to score inside with ease. He’s making 63.4% of his twos, including 68.9% of his halfcourt rim attempts. I also think he’s a better of a passer than his 7.2 AST% indicates, as he made some great on-the-go dishes against Memphis on Thursday. He’s not mistake prone if nothing else, with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Defensively, his instincts, timing, and toughness enable him to wall off drives and help at the rim effectively (4.5 BLK%). He makes an impact on the glass on both ends of the floor (2.2 ORB, 5.1 DRB per game). The swing skill here is the shot. Banks is making a solid 34.1% of his threes. However, he’s getting up 8.3 attempts per 100 possessions, and he’s nearly an 80% free throw shooter. Given his size and all-around impact, if he gets to “knock down” levels next year, be prepared to see his name a whole lot more.
-It’s deep cut time! Let’s talk about Tyrel Morgan, a 6’5” graduate from Texas State. For starters, he moves like a pro in every sense, which always starts off a mid-major tape session on a positive note. Offensively, he’s an impressive shot creator. He has quick offensive footwork which helps him to generate separation and soft pull-up touch. Even better, he keeps his eyes up for teammates, as evidenced by his positive A:TO (2.6 APG to 2.1 TOV). He also generates easy looks inside off putbacks (8.9 ORB%), cuts, and drives, enabling him to convert 71.4% of his halfcourt shots at the basket. Defensively…oh man. He’s everywhere. He’s always battling for position and getting after the ball. His excellent hand-eye coordination leads to a high number of tipped passes and steals. Morgan also loves to help out around the basket. His 3.4 BLK% and 3.2 STL% fly off the stat sheet. Morgan is older (2020 high school graduate), and I’m not totally sold on his three-ball (39.4% from three, but on only 2.1 attempts per game). Still, he’s a guy I’d want to bring in during the pre-draft process. Keep an eye out for him as a potential PIT nominee.
-UTEP graduate Otis Frazier III grabbed my attention this week after nabbing eight steals in a win over Kennesaw State. At 6’6” and 207 pounds, Frazier plays a tough brand of basketball. Defensively, he can make opponents uncomfortable with his physicality. But his steal production is largely the product of his timing and instincts. He does a great job of punishing laziness. If opponents throw looping perimeter passes or don’t account for his presence in transition after a rebound, he will make them pay. Teams need to be on their toes at all times when he’s on the court. His 4.7 STL% and 3.7 BLK% are both fantastic marks for a prospect. Offensively, his grit and feel get him to the rim consistently, and he is more than willing to feed the open man when help comes his way (2.8 APG to 2.1 TOV). The question here is the shot, as he’s a 32.9% three-point shooter. The volume is good (8.1 attempts per 100 possessions), but the lefty’s form is heavily aligned to the right side of his body, which doesn’t inspire confidence. His size, defensive output, and feel could potentially get him into the Portsmouth mix.
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