The X Factor Files: I Want to Believe
The X Factor Files: I Want to Believe
In the first edition of The X Factor Files, Special Agent Rowan Kent sifts through the supernatural debuts of four freshmen to see if they're ordinary or extraordinary.
The truth is out there when it comes to paranormal sightings, unexplainable happenings, and the supernatural. Similarly, when it comes to the gray areas that often permeate the NBA draft and its respective prospects, the truth is usually out there as well regarding their games.
That’s why I, Special Agent Rowan Kent, have been tasked with finding said truth about upcoming draft prospects. A shocking stat line or sequence could be just a game away in scouting. It’s hard to process what all of the flashes and hoopla really mean for a prospect’s game, but that’s where I come in.
The X Factor Files serves as a secret division of No Ceilings tasked with figuring out what’s real and what’s not during the busy draft season. If a player has a spooky shooting streak, can we believe they’re a shooter? What if their turnovers skyrocket? Is it the work of forces we don’t understand… or a defensive adjustment after the non-conference slate?
This batch of files comes early enough in the season that anything is possible but late enough that a supernatural single-game performance can be ruled out. Instead, the four prospects below sit on the cusp of a potentially paranormal rise into serious consideration for the 2024 draft class. While it’s unlikely that all of them make it, it’s my due diligence to comb through the files, film, and stats to determine if their early production is a hoax.
Like a wise agent once said, I want to believe.
X Factor File #1: Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Although it’s become more common and less mystical, deadeye shooters of all shapes and sizes are still worthy of an X Factor File. Our first file today is Iowa State freshman Milan Momcilovic, a 6’8” sniper out of Wisconsin who has started off at a scalding pace that deserves extra attention.
Momcilovic wasn’t the highest-ranked high schooler heading to Ames, as Omaha Biliew was a consensus top recruit for the Cyclones. Instead of Biliew, though, Momcilovic has started all three games for Iowa State. Momcilovic is leading the team’s balanced offensive group in scoring at 15.3 points per game and three-point shooting at a sizzling 62.5% on 5.3 attempts per contest.
Unless he’s truly an alien, the likes of which we’ve never seen, Momcilovic’s deep percentage will assuredly go down. However, what makes it worth monitoring is that despite the unorthodox form, Momcilovic has a balanced form that he releases quickly, whether off of the catch or off of the dribble.
The modern game demands wings to have size, feel, touch, and accuracy on both ends of the floor, which Momcilovic has covered. He hasn’t fully flashed the same crafty passes he showed in high school, but Momcilovic has more than delivered his promise as a shooter.
That makes him an X Factor worth watching as Iowa State’s schedule ramps up. If he can continue to shoot the ball at a high clip and figure prominently into the Iowa State offense, Momcilovic will see his draft stock erupt in a fashion that demands more of a national warning than just an X Factor File.
X Factor File #2: Yves Missi, Baylor
The X Factor Files keep tabs on almost all reclassification candidates, given the extraterrestrial potential for extremely young prospects to break out. While most players need proper seasoning and experience at the college level before they can bank on their grand potential, the ones who stand out early, like Yves Missi, deserve a deeper dive.
Missi started the season coming off the bench for the Bears, but he quickly flexed his ferocious two-way play to force his way into the starting lineup. Missi is fifth on the team in scoring, fourth in rebounding, third in field goal percentage, and first in blocks per game for Baylor, even ranking second across all freshmen in the country in swats per contest.
Missi’s massive frame and quick instincts make his film look akin to a bigfoot sighting; no matter how clear the evidence is, you still have a hard time believing it. His ability to contest shots, run the floor, and finish at the rim makes him the exact type of supporting big with remaining upside that all thirty NBA teams crave.
It’s been a “right place, right time” situation for Missi, as the Bears lack another impact big man, and he’s peculiarly positioned himself to take advantage. While he’s not playing a heavy minutes load or leading the team in scoring, the fact that his flashes have become longer and brighter makes him worth monitoring.
As I keep an eye on the files, what will move the needle more for Missi is how much more of his upsides he uncovers in his freshman year. If he starts shooting or flashing developed passing chops, Missi could go from an intriguing flier to a monster prospect on a meteoric ascent up draft boards.
X Factor File #3: Braden Huff, Gonzaga
While unicorns aren’t the domain of the X Factor Files, unicorn big men certainly are. The term has lost a lot of luster as many would-be paranormal prospects have tried and failed to earn the title, but the allure of a big man who can shoot remains. While he might not be a bonafide unicorn, Braden Huff fits in more as a “Pegasus” player, given his abnormal skillset.
Huff spent a redshirt season in Spokane working on his game and has seen the fruits of labor sprout early in a bench role for the Zags. He’s only playing 17 minutes a game but has flashed an intriguing combination of inside-out play. Through Gonzaga’s first two games, Huff has amassed 42 points and 15 rebounds while shooting a scorching 75% from the floor and 60% from deep.
Huff’s shown a peculiar confidence shooting from the perimeter, which has opened up each block for him to go to work with a mix of hooks, shimmies, and finishes over other players. It’s rare for players of his size to have the feathery touch and balance that he has on his finishes, which puts him in the crosshairs of the X Factor Files.
There are good reasons, however, to take a more cautious approach to Huff’s potential breakout. It’s only been a pair of games, with one of them pitting the Zags against a vastly inferior Eastern Oregon team. Huff has only taken five shots from deep, and while he looks confident popping off of picks for them, he still has to prove that his shooting is not a fluke.
If he can do that and continue to finish inside at a high clip, we could be looking at one of the more offensively potent big men in the draft class. Until then, I’ll continue to add grainy clips and first-hand footage of Huff’s otherworldly offensive opportunities and track whether they have the same weight against better opponents.
X Factor File #4: Tyler Harris, Portland
When assembling this first batch of X Factor Files, I looked in every nook and cranny for potentially paranormal players. In my search, I came across a freshman wing who hasn’t gotten a lot of buzz due to playing for the Portland Pilots but could have an extraterrestrial impact on the WCC sooner rather than later.
Tyler Harris, a 6’8” combo wing out of California, was a late signee for Portland, yet he’s piloted the team to a 3-1 record in their early play. Harris leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks per game while shooting the best percentage from the floor and deep for the Pilots.
Harris has a lanky frame that’s more akin to an eldritch god than a normal wing, which helps him affect passing lanes, finish at the rim, and have a high release point. His shooting has had the biggest influence, as he’s hit 7-of-13 three-pointers so far. Harris’ deep prowess has opened up even more lanes to the rim and made him a lethal offensive weapon.
When an unheralded prospect like Harris has such an explosive start, it’s necessary to proceed with caution before declaring him a full-fledged freakish player. He’s yet to play a WCC opponent, which will be a reality check, and hasn’t flashed the same upside on defense as on offense.
With his potentially prodigious offensive output, Tyler Harris deserves a more robust evaluation for his X Factor File. If he can keep producing at paranormal levels, Harris could factor into the draft conversation and elicit the same sort of buzz that players like Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski had as star WCC wings.