No Stone Unturned 2025: The Wings, Part 2
No Stone Unturned 2025 is back with five more under-the-radar wings who could pop onto NBA Draft radars! PLUS: Insights from San Francisco Head Coach Chris Gerlufsen and South Florida's Joseph Pinion!
Welcome back to No Stone Unturned 2025! In this series of articles, I dig into five players at different positional groups who are flying under the radar but warrant attention. For my methodology, I started by seeking out players with interesting statistical profiles or players who had popped on film for me this past season. From there, I compiled a list, worked my way through the film and data, then chose my favorites. I excluded prospects who have received rankings on early big boards and mock drafts, as well as those who received an NBA Combine or G League Elite Camp invitation. I’m looking for deeper cuts who aren’t receiving much love yet but still have a real crack at making a mark in the draft space. Today, we are looking at our second of three wing groups.
Before we get down to business, make sure you’re following me on Twitter/X here! If you missed the Big Man edition of No Stone Unturned 2025, check that out here, and you can find the first wing group here. Now, let’s dig in!
Tyrone Riley IV, 6’6”, 180 Pounds, San Francisco, Sophomore
2024-2025 Season Stats: 9.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 TOV, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 50.2/32.2/73.5
Signature Performance: vs. Oregon State, 1/18/2025. 15 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks. 4-5 FG, 3-3 3FG, 4-6 FT.
Reminds me a little bit of: Josh Hart, Will Barton, Terance Mann
Background
Tyrone Riley IV is a second-generation San Francisco Don. His father played his junior and senior seasons for the same program back in the mid-aughts, hitting 39.3% of his threes during the 04-05 campaign. Riley IV put together a strong pre-college resume. He averaged 22.2 PPG for St. Pius X-St. Matthias as a senior, earning four-star status in the 247Sports Composite rankings and finishing 125th in his high school class. Riley had high-major interest, receiving offers from the likes of Xavier, USC, Texas A&M, Florida, California, and Arizona State. Ultimately, he decided to forgo those options and followed in his father’s footsteps by committing to San Francisco. He had a strong freshman season, earning WCC All-Freshman honors. After the season, he entered the transfer portal, but ultimately decided to return to San Francisco.
I had the pleasure of speaking with San Francisco Head Coach Chris Gerlufsen for this article. When asked about his recruitment and retention of Tyrone Riley IV, he said, “He had a really cool appreciation for what this place did for his dad. That got us in the door to begin with. He had an injury before his senior year that probably curtailed a lot of his recruitment. If he was on the circuit, it might've made it a little bit tougher for us to get it done. It was the relationship part, building a meaningful relationship with him and his family, and his understanding that he can play anywhere, but that USF provides him an opportunity to develop at a faster rate, and while giving more freedom to play through mistakes.”
What’s Good
When putting on Tyrone Riley IV’s tape, two things immediately stand out. First, there’s his outlier athleticism. He is a blur on the go, and he has the bounce to finish above the rim. Per Synergy, he registered 37 dunks this past season. According to BartTorvik, he was second in the nation in dunks for freshmen 6’6” and under, and 11th for all players 6’6” and under. When he has a runway, it’s over. The second thing that stands out is his ability to play within a team construct. “One of his biggest strengths is that you can put him on the floor with any combination of four guys, and he can figure out how to blend in and pick his spots. He does whatever is required to help the team win. As the season went along, you saw glimpses of his ability to do even more, but it's a credit to him that he was selfless as a freshman…He's super easy to play with. Being easy to play with is one of the best compliments someone can give you,” Coach Gerlufsen noted. Riley has great instincts when it comes to finding gaps in the defense for him to cut through, allowing him to function as a lob target. While he’s filling out his frame, he’s still tough as nails at the rim, having converted a fantastic 65.0% of his halfcourt shots at the basket according to Synergy. Riley’s timing and athleticism played a big part in his success near the hoop, converting 61.2% of his twos as a freshman.
That connective tissue shows up in other departments, too. When Riley did get the ball, he proved to be a rock-solid decision maker. He has the shiftiness to get into the paint, and when he draws help, he can reliably make the simple pass to make defenses pay. He does a great job of keeping the offense flowing and continuing advantages, as shown by his positive assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s also a dynamite rebounder for his size. Riley registered a 7.3 ORB%, which was the end result of his willingness to crash the glass and battle for position on the boards. Throw in his vertical pop, and he’s able to get to balls that other dudes his size simply can’t. His motor, physical tools, and desire to play the right way are all spectacular traits.
Riley brings a lot to the table defensively, too. “His intangible stuff on defense...he played pretty darn good as a freshman. He played with good energy and attention. His length and attention help him; even if he's a step behind a play or a bit late to a play, he has the athleticism to make up for it, which is hard to put into a player. He wants the challenge of guarding the other team's best player, and he wanted that as a freshman. Not every player is willing to do that,” Gerlufsen remarked. At the point of attack, Riley has quick feet, he stays low in his stance, and he can play suffocatingly tight on the ball. He really soars when he goes up to contest shots. Off-ball, he can use his speed, positioning, and length to act as a threat in passing lanes. Riley also times his aggressive digs well to generate strips. His rotational engagement, speed, and balance are a wonderful combination when closing out. He’s also a threat around the basket, where he put together some of the nastiest rejections at the rim I’ve seen from a player his height. Lastly, his nose for the glass shines through here, too, as evident by his fantastic 17.1 DRB%.
What Needs Improvement
The biggest swing skill for Tyrone Riley IV will be his jump shot. He made 32.2% of his threes on 5.4 attempts per 100 possessions last season. That’s okay for a freshman, but by NBA standards, there’s work to be done. His shot can be a bit of a moonball. “We've been spending a lot of time [on his shot]. If you asked him, he'd say he wants to be more consistent and efficient as a shooter. He'd be the first to tell you that needs to go up to [the] high 30s, and our goal is to get him in the low 40s. I think if you look at game breakdowns, he had games where he made three, four, or five, but then had some where he didn't make one or any. He wants to be, and we want him to be, a guy you can't leave open,” Gerlufsen said. He’ll need to show he can make reliable decisions on increased usage. I’d also like to see Riley continue to fill out his frame. There’s room for optimism there, as our own Tyler Rucker noted that Riley was looking good at Formula Zero, and Coach Gerlufsen noted that he’s put on 15 to 17 pounds since joining the program.
Conclusion
Tyrone Riley IV is one of my favorite players in the series this year. For starters, he does a lot of things well. Beyond that, I have some real optimism about his shot. He’s continued to see his percentages from deep and the free-throw line tick up throughout his career. Additionally, looking at the Synergy data, he had a pretty tough shot diet from deep this past year. Of his 68 catch-and-shoot threes, only 25 were unguarded, and he made 48% of those. Add in the high release point of his shot, and it’s reasonable to believe that he’ll start hitting the contested ones at some point. And when you factor in the rest of his skill set, he might only need to hit the “you can’t leave him open” threshold. He’s definitely less interesting if he can’t find consistency from long range, but I think he’s got a good chance to reach a respectable level.
The starting point here is really, really great. “He had an offense rating of 120 as a freshman. To be a Top 200 player from an offensive standpoint...when you look at some of that and peel back the layers, we want to increase his usage. He was probably more relied upon to be a spacer and cutter, a 3-and-D guy as a freshman. The fun part of developing guys is, ‘can we play him in more two-man games, increase his assist rate, and make him a more complete offensive player?’ He has the ability to do that. Now he's bigger, stronger, understanding the physicality of the game…The interesting part with him, and the reason so many NBA teams are intrigued, what he was as a freshman to what he will be as a sophomore is completely different…If you watch us play, what we do translates to what the next level looks like. It's a lot of five-out, free-flowing, read and react. He has a natural high-level IQ that goes with that. Him adjusting to the speed and physicality of the game in the two-man game will be the biggest jump for him in year two. It's been fun to be a part of that this off-season. He's going to be a lot more comfortable playing in those actions,” Gerlufsen said.
Riley didn’t get to play a massive role in his first season, but he totally embraced the role he had. “Why he is so good as a player is because [of] the type of person he is, and the type of character he has away from basketball. You cannot find a better human being than Tyrone Riley. That translates from everything he does academically to on the court. There's no BS to him in any regard. He's an amazing teammate. It speaks to his makeup as a kid that he's not consumed with the wrong stuff. He's a phenomenal human being,” Coach Gerlufsen raved. It’s not just that he has the upside to do more than what he’s been doing, but it’s also that Riley has shown that he can accept doing whatever is needed for the betterment of his team.
If nothing else, Riley’s athleticism, decision making, and shooting ability as a young wing make him a great bet to eventually get a foot in the NBA door. When you factor in Riley’s intangibles and the value of his skill set, though, he has the opportunity to be so much more than just a player who gets a roster spot at some point. Hyper-athletic glue guys who do the dirty work but still have talent and feel come at a premium. Think Josh Hart, Terance Mann, Keon Ellis, Will Barton, or Terrence Shannon Jr. These types of guys are easy to find minutes for because they do a variety of things well, and they can be plugged into just about any context effectively. That’s why Riley appeared in the first round of our initial way-too-early 2026 Mock Draft. That might be ambitious and would require a significant production leap in key areas. But even if it doesn’t all come together for Riley next season, he’s still worth having on your radar for the future.
AK Okereke, 6’7”, 244 Pounds, Vanderbilt, Senior
2024-2025 Season Stats (at Cornell): 13.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 TOV, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG
2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 59.5/32.1/79.3
Signature Performance: vs. California, 12/10/2024. 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, three blocks. 10-18 FG, 2-6 3FG, 2-2 FT.
Reminds me a little bit of: Trendon Watford, Jonathan Mogbo, Andre Jackson
Background
AK Okereke was a standout at Clovis North High School in Fresno, California, earning third-team All-State honors as a senior. Following his high school career, Okereke did a prep year at Golden State Prep. From there, he walked on at Cornell. As expected of most walk-ons, he barely saw the floor, playing six total minutes across four games. As a sophomore, Okereke carved out a legitimate bench role, playing 18.0 MPG in large part due to his advanced ball skills for a player his size. As a junior, Okereke’s stock exploded. He led Cornell in assists, steals, and blocks per game. His play earned him Second-Team All-Ivy League honors. After the season, Okereke followed in the footsteps of a previous Cornell standout, Chris Manon, entering the transfer portal before committing to Vanderbilt.
What’s Good
AK Okereke has a rare combination of size, strength, skill, and savvy. He’s both powerful and smooth with the ball. He can get to the rim by backing his man down or by beating them off the bounce from a face-up. Regardless of how he gets to the restricted area, he’s an outstanding finisher once there, having made 69.9% of his halfcourt rim attempts this past season, per Synergy. Okereke’s toughness enables him to rise through and finish against contact. He’s also capable of using each hand inside. Okereke’s blend of force and finesse made him one of the most deadly self-creators in college hoops last season. Per Synergy, Okereke ranked in the 95th percentile in isolation, the 94th percentile on post-ups, and the 93rd percentile as a pick-and-roll scorer. He’s a walking mismatch who can create advantages against a wide variety of opponents.
What makes Okereke truly special, though, is how he uses the advantages he creates not just for his own gain, but also for the benefit of his teammates. Okereke’s assist-to-turnover mark topped two-to-one, and he registered a phenomenal 28.5 AST% that’s far more common among ball-dominant guards than big wings. He can make every pass in the book. He has advanced vision that allows him to make reads that few his size can. From there, he executes his deliveries at a high level. Okereke can sling the ball cross-court with either hand and make slick interior passes through tight windows. His combination of scoring output, physicality, and feel makes him a unique offensive prospect.
Okereke’s traits go a long way defensively, too. His thick frame, paired with his solid balance, enables him to slide his feet well, play opponents off his chest, and keep his man out of the paint. He’ll straight-up bully his man into picking up their dribble. He works hard to navigate ball screens and isn’t as stiff as you might expect for a player his size. His hand-eye coordination shines at the point of attack, as he does a good job of reaching in for takeaways without fouling. Off-ball, he’s engaged and ready to get involved. His rim instincts are rock-solid, and he stays vertical well when contesting inside. Okereke’s 2.3 STL and 4.4 BLK% are a testament to his contributions on that end of the floor.
What Needs Improvement
The big issue for Okereke is his jump shot. He only made 32.1% of his threes on 4.0 attempts per 100 possessions this past season. He has an upright posture on his shot, displaying little bend in his knees and letting his arms do most of the work. The tape showed a lot of ugly misses in the mid-range and beyond the arc. In addition to being inefficient, he’s also passive, moving on from open looks too often. It’s hard to play non-centers who can’t shoot in the NBA, and that’s what Okereke is right now. I’d also like to see him finish with his left hand more often and avoid dribble pickups in heavy traffic. Defensively, I want to see more activity on the glass. His 14.5 DRB% last season was frustrating, given his tools and the league he played in—plus, not crashing the boards prevents him from getting into his fantastic grab-and-go game.
Conclusion
AK Okereke is a tricky prospect. I understand why front offices might be dismissive of him at this stage in the process. He’s a 6’7” guy who played primarily on the ball, shot a poor mark from three-point range, and is tentative from deep when left open. It’s also not a, “well you can just play him in double big lineups” situation at this point because he’s a subpar rebounder even by forward standards. Some guys are easy to plop onto a court with any lineup, and others require more creativity. That can cause some players to be unjustly punished early in their careers, but it’s a fact of life.
Still, Okereke grew on me a lot during my final film dive. I won’t lie—the shot is concerning. That said, I do believe he has hope, as he’s made over 80% of his free throws over the past two seasons. Plus, he’s on a fantastic upward trajectory. We’re talking about a guy who was a walk-on as a freshman and then posted the best offensive rating in the Ivy League as his team’s primary engine two seasons later. This late-bloomer is a walking mismatch, a high-feel distributor, and a disruptive defender. Okereke might not fit neatly into any one box, but he has an NBA-ready brain, an NBA-ready body, and a variety of ways to leave his mark on a game. He could slot in as a threat in early offense, short-roll passer, switch punisher, connector, and versatile defender. There are chances it doesn’t pan out at Vanderbilt, where the Commodores return heaps of talent from an NCAA Tournament team. I can’t help but want to swing on Okereke, though, who will be in my Top 60 to start the year.
Joseph Pinion, 6’5”, 200 Pounds, South Florida, Senior
2024-2025 Season Stats (at Arkansas State): 12.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 TOV, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 42.9/36.0/88.7
Signature Performance: vs. South Alabama, 3/9/2025. 23 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block. 7-14 FG, 5-12 3FG, 4-4 FT.
Reminds me a little bit of: Danny Green, Ben Sheppard, Gary Harris
Background
Joseph Pinion played high school ball at Morrilton High School in Arkansas. There, he earned 4A All-State first team honors twice. He drew in significant recruiting interest, slotting 106th nationally in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. Pinion received offers from the likes of Kansas, Oklahoma, Creighton, and Baylor, but he chose to attend Arkansas. He didn’t get much run for the Razorbacks, playing only 5.6 MPG during his two seasons there. He transferred to Arkansas State for his junior year, where he found new life under coach Bryan Hodgson. After a strong bounce-back campaign, he followed Hodgson to South Florida, where he’ll play his senior season. I got to speak with Joseph Pinion for this piece, and he remarked, “I just felt like finally getting to play, and having a coaching staff that believes in me and what I do, that really benefitted my game. I want to give them [the South Florida staff] all I can.”
What’s Good
Joseph Pinion is an otherworldly shooter. While his 36% from deep might not jump off the page, his shooting becomes more impressive the deeper you dig into the numbers and film. Pinion launched threes at a ridiculous clip, taking 14.5 attempts per 100 possessions this past season. “Coming into college, I didn’t feel like I was much of a shooter. I was told to find something that made me stick out on the court. I’ve worked really hard on it, and now I feel like I’m one of the best shooters in the country,” Pinion said. He’s always moving and relocating to get himself open. He’ll launch threes off movement and can sink them whether he’s going left or right off an action. Pinion’s range extends out to the parking lot. Even better, he’s got a fast release and has also displayed the ability to get his shot off without using a dip in his mechanics. In totality, this makes him one of the most dangerous snipers in college basketball.
His dynamism from deep generates serious gravity, and he knows how to weaponize it. ”If guys have to pay close attention to me coming off screens, it benefits not just me, but my teammates, and gets them open looks,” Pinion remarked. Pinion had a positive assist-to-turnover mark this past season while showcasing some creativity and flair on the go. Additionally, he’s no slouch himself when run off the line. Pinion has a speedy first step, soft touch inside, and some real bounce to him. “Working on my body has helped a lot. Then, it’s understanding where the shot blocker is and where help is coming from. Figuring out whether to go straight up, get it out quick, find a teammate, or go for the acrobatic finish.” Pinion made 60% of his two this past season, showing that between his interior scoring and passing, he has ways to contribute when run off the line.
What makes Pinion all the more interesting is that he’s an exceptionally disruptive defender. He had a 2.6 STL% and a 2.8 BLK% this past season. He’s always engaged and ready to make a play. Pinion’s rotational speed is fantastic, allowing him to cover large swaths of ground in a hurry. Those traits help him to act as a threat in passing lanes, too. He gets way up on his contests, allowing him to block threes at a much higher clip than most wings. Pinion also runs the floor hard in transition to take away easy scoring opportunities. “I was a terrible defender coming into college,” Pinion confessed, “just being around the game at Arkansas, around real pros, everything stems back to that. Having to guard against those guys and that offense, it helped me understand how to play to my advantages. And when I really started working on basketball, we were always doing plyometrics, lifting, and stretching, and I’ve really reaped the benefits of it. I’ve seen my bounce improve a lot more since I got to college.” Pinion’s motor, nose for the ball, and functional athleticism give him the chance to be a two-way threat at the next level.
What Needs Improvement
Pinion will need to turn the dial in a few areas to maximize his draft stock. For starters, I’d like to continue to see him get stronger so that he’s more prepared for the NBA’s physicality on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he can get too reckless when gambling at times. I’d like to see him do more on the glass. Offensively, I want to see him take a step forward as a playmaker. At times, he can rush his process before rushing an ill-advised delivery. Other times, he might pick up his dribble in heavy traffic. Pinion noted that this has been a major focus for him this offseason. “I feel like I can take people off the bounce better now. I can come off a ball screen and make the right read, whether it’s a lob, or finding the opposite corner, or getting my own shot,” he said.
Conclusion
Joseph Pinion isn’t a sure thing by NBA standards. He has work to do. If he struggles with physicality without taking steps forward as a playmaker, he could find himself in a dreaded “not quite wing” tweener mold that tends to struggle in the NBA. Look at Jordan Hawkins, for instance. Plus, it’s worth noting that South Florida is flush with talent. Guys like Izaiyah Nelson, CJ Brown, Daimion Collins, Devin Haid, Wes Ennis, and Josh Omojafo have all established strong reputations for themselves. It’s not like the Bulls have to force-feed Pinion for the sake of their own survival. He’s going to have to earn his touches, even if he played for the same staff at Arkansas State.
Still, readers who followed my work throughout this last cycle have long been privy to my fascination with Pinion. He is an electric shooter. But most electric shooters don’t have the other stuff Pinion brings to the table. He’s super quick, which helps him to generate separation off movement. Additionally, he’s faster going to the rim, he has some real bounce at his disposal, and he’s got some juice as a passer. The real sell, though, is that not a lot of marksmen can wreak havoc on defense like Pinion. He’s always finding ways to disrupt the opposing offense and get a hand on the ball. For those reasons, I think he has a real chance to find a home in the NBA as a connective floor spacer who positively contributes to the turnover battle. Don’t be surprised if he’s a big-time riser this year.
Michael Rataj, 6’9”, 230 Pounds, Baylor, Senior
2024-2025 Season Stats (at Oregon State): 16.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.4 TOV, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 48.4/35.1/78.8
Signature Performance: vs. Gonzaga, 1/16/25. 29 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block. 9-15 FG, 2-3 3FG, 9-10 FT.
Reminds me a little bit of: Otto Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Vince Williams Jr.
Background
Michael Rataj hails from Augsburg, Germany. He rose up through the ranks of basketball there, playing professionally for FC Bayern Munchen II and Ratiopharm Ulm (primarily for their Orange Academy team in Germany’s third division). He is the second youngest player ever to compete in a EuroCup game. Rataj has also suited up for the German national team in U16, U18, and U20 play over the years.
Rataj made his way stateside for college, enrolling at Oregon State. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting half of his team’s games while producing at a respectable level. His sophomore year was more of the same. As a junior, Rataj saw a large shift in his role. His usage rate spiked from 18.1% to 28.4%. He wore it well, showing off an increasingly well-rounded offensive arsenal and earning All-WCC First Team honors. After the season, he entered the transfer portal and enrolled at Baylor.
What’s Good
Michael Rataj brings an intriguing modern skill set to the table. This past season, the forward hit 35.1% of his threes while taking a career-high 5.6 attempts per 100 possessions. He has consistent mechanics off the catch and doesn’t fold in the face of a hard closeout. Additionally, Rataj has some uncommon ball skills for a player of his size. He’s a smooth operator with the rock. He can string together multiple moves and has a polished counter game at his disposal to get to his spots. Rataj can dance his way to a clean pull-up in a way that you don’t normally see from someone who stands 6’9” and tips the scale at 230 pounds. His 7-for-21 mark on pull-up threes is nothing to sneeze at, particularly considering that such a shot had not been a part of his game at all until this past season.
Rataj has a lot of ways to bring value inside the arc as well. He can use his silky dribble game to get into the paint, where he can find creative angles to finish or go to his post-up game. Rataj plays low with the ball, takes long strides to the cup, and holds his line well. He’s unafraid of contact downhill and draws heaps of fouls (.405 FTr). Additionally, he has some solid flashes of vision around the elbow and nail. While he initially struggled with turnovers in his jumbo initiator role, he posted 2.2 APG to 2.1 TOV during conference play. Rataj’s size, physicality, and the dribble-pass-shoot framework of his game make him an enticing proposition on offense.
Despite taking on a bigger offensive workload than ever, Rataj posted his strongest defensive playmaking metrics to date this past season. His 3.1 STL% and 2.4 BLK% from this past year are good marks for a forward prospect. He’s an active communicator who is always pointing and talking. He’s engaged and ready to act. His instincts and timing are sublime. He knows when he can get to errant passes, and he gets into position around the rim well. His balance while closing out stands out time and time again. At the point of attack, Rataj stays big in his slide and walls up well to contain his man. He mirrors the ball well and does a nice job of poking into his opponent’s handle. His love of physicality shows up on this end of the ball, too, as he’ll scrap on the glass to win battles for contested rebounds (20.2 DRB%). This blend of engagement, toughness, and size could enable him to stay above board at the next level.
What Needs Improvement
While Rataj took massive strides on offense this past season, we still need to see a little bit more from him on that front. He ultimately ended the year with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio despite improvement down the stretch. He can be a ball stopper, he suffers from tunnel vision at times, and he has a bad habit of picking up his dribble in traffic before panicking. Rataj could also stand to be more assertive from deep, as he’ll occasionally pass up open looks from three. He’s also behind the NBA’s athletic curve. His first step isn’t anything to write home about. Also, his nine total dunks on the year point to a serious lack of bounce, and he lacks lateral quickness on the defensive end.
Conclusion
There are some warts in Rataj’s game. He’s not the best run-jump athlete, he can be too tentative from deep, and he’ll need to continue refining his playmaking process. He’ll also need to do that while scaling up in competition as he makes the move over to Baylor. There are definitely worlds where he’s a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none who just doesn’t have enough juice to get over the hump. With that being said, I’m still optimistic about Rataj. He went from being a low-maintenance role player to a legitimate star this past season.
Rataj is a “usage scale down bet.” Boris Beric’s tremendous piece on two-way contract players showed that the players on the margins who end up sticking were guys who had to do a lot in college. That’s what Rataj was tasked with at Oregon State this past season, often functioning as his squad’s primary initiator. Despite standing 6’9”, struggling with consistency as a decision-maker, and not having the most overwhelming athletic profile, Rataj was their best bet. Why? Because he’s really good at basketball. He’s a solid shooter, a good ball handler for his size, a creative finisher, a prolific foul-drawer, and an intelligent defender with NBA size. If he can up the volume from three while making good decisions in a simplified role and use his size and smarts on defense, there might be a place for him in the NBA.
Barry Evans, 6’8”, 215 Pounds, VCU, Senior
2024-2025 Season Stats (at Bryant): 13.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.1 TOV, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 47.6/37.5/65.8
Signature Performance: vs. Delaware. 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal. 10-14 FG, 3-5 3FG, 2-3 FT.
Reminds me a little bit of: Dorian Finney-Smith, Derrick Jones Jr., Danuel House
Background
Barry Evans had a strong high school career at Oakland Mills and Baltimore Poly, earning Baltimore Sun All-County First Team honors in 2020. Evans also played for Team Melo on the EYBL Circuit alongside future first-round pick and current Wizards player Cam Whitmore. After high school, Evans did a prep year at Putnam Science Academy. He helped lead their team to a national title and registered the second triple-double in program history along the way.
Evans began his college career at St. Bonaventure. He had a quiet freshman season. As a sophomore, he began to pop up on analytics radars due to his defensive playmaking, rebounding numbers, and assist totals. He transferred to Bryant for his junior season, where he displayed growth as a perimeter player. After the season, Bryant’s coaching staff left for VCU, and Bryant followed them.
What’s Good
Barry Evans brings an interesting blend of size, skill, and athleticism to the table. Evans took an impressive shooting leap this past season. During his first two college seasons, Evans shot only 29.4% from deep on 1.7 attempts per 100 possessions. This past year, he went 37.5% from distance on 5.6 attempts per 100 possessions. While his 65.8% mark from the charity stripe may not inspire confidence, that number climbed too, as Evans was a 31.6% free-throw shooter heading into this past year. You read that right—he more than doubled his free-throw percentage. What’s more, Evans has some real confidence in his lefty stroke. He can move into it a little bit, shoot it from deep behind the line, and he’s not afraid of a hard closeout. Evans drilled 40.2% of his 97 catch-and-shoot threes, and 67 of those attempts were guarded, so he’s not just getting easy ones. This newfound success from deep opens up the rest of Evans’s arsenal.
Evans has a potent downhill game. He can speed to the rim, but he also mixes in dizzying speed changes and counters. He keeps his dribble alive, reacts to mirroring, and keeps his man dancing. He has shifty moves to make opponents miss as he drives to the rim. Plus, he has big-time bounce at the rim. Per Synergy, he registered 40 dunks this past season and made an impressive 60.6% of his halfcourt rim attempts. When it’s not a dunk, he’s still able to finish with touch using either hand. Even better, Evans keeps his head up and is happy to find open teammates on the go. This skill set allows Evans to run more offense than most his size can, but it’s also a killer second-side skill set for when he plays off the ball.
He has a lot to offer defensively, too. Evans is tough to get around thanks to his size and lateral agility. He does a great job of putting his chest on opponents and staying in front. In the instances when he does get beaten, he boasts top-notch recovery tools and plays with a motor that allows him to get back into the play. He’s even more intriguing in an off-ball context. Evans routinely communicates, talks, and points things out to teammates. He covers ground at warp speed and can get to plays that other players can’t. He flies off the floor when he contests shots around the basket. Through his three college seasons, he’s posted a 2.7 STL% and 2.1 BLK%, which are solid marks for a wing prospect.
What Needs Improvement
Offensively, Evans will need to continue to establish himself as a shooter. While his free-throw shooting improvements were as good as anyone could have realistically hoped for, he’s still behind the curve on that front. He can also get erratic as a playmaker at times. He can get out of control at top speed, leading to a loose handle, turnovers, or errant off-balance rim attempts. Evans could use refinement on defense, too. He commits some ill-advised gambles and can burn himself by being overly reactive off the ball. At the point of attack, he has a tendency to take negative steps and allows his man to get inside easier than he should.
Conclusion
I find Barry Evans to be a super-interesting prospect. At times, he can be frustrating. He’ll play too fast on offense or get over his skis on defense. Throw in the fact that VCU is one of the most well-rounded mid-major squads in the country, and he might not be in a position to post the most eye-popping counting numbers. But at the end of the day, there aren’t a lot of players with his combination of size, athleticism, and skill. Evans is a rapidly improving shooter who posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio while boasting the size, frame, speed, and bounce required by the NBA. For that reason, I think he deserves to be on draft radars as a potential breakout candidate.