Several anonymous NBA scouts shared their insight on former Syracuse basketball players Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett. Here are the details.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally arrives this week, the 2019 NBA Draft.
Two former Syracuse basketball players, in particular, are hoping to hear their name called in Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett.
Both players decided to forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility for an opportunity to be paid for their talents. Tyus spent three years at Syracuse and Oshae was on the hill for two seasons.
The perceived NBA Draft stock of both players has been fluid throughout this process. But as the draft approaches this Thursday, things are becoming more clear.
Several anonymous NBA scouts provided their unfiltered take to The Athletic’s Seth Davis on the futures of both Battle and Brissett:
On Tyus Battle:
"“I’m not a big fan. I don’t know what he does at a high level. He’s an average shooter, average athlete, average playmaker. He’s a decent finisher but, he’ll have to become a three-and-D guy. His shooting range definitely has to improve. Despite the fact that he played at Syracuse, he could be a really, really good defender. Probably somewhere in the second round, or he could go undrafted.”"
On Oshae Brissett:
"“Little surprising he decided to come out. For a long time, I’ve been dying to like him, but he just never gets anything done. He never makes a shot. Turns the ball over. When I saw him during the season he looked awful, but he was better in Chicago at the combine. He has some nice athleticism off the bounce. I liked him as a freshman and then last summer he got in this mode where he was trying to show he’s a 3-man, and he’s really not. I felt like he underachieved at Syracuse.”"
Under the shroud of anonymity, people are more willing to say things. Some of these criticisms are fair and warranted, but some of it seems over the top.
The other part of anonymity is the absence of accountability. If either Tyus or Oshae rises above these criticisms, there will be no one to take the heat for these incognito takes.
Although currently, the expectation among experts is that no Syracuse basketball player will be selected on Thursday night in either the first or second round (60 total picks in the draft).
If that happens it’ll be the first time we’ve witnessed back-to-back NBA Drafts with no Orange player being taken this century.
The last time it happened was 1997 through 1999, no Syracuse player was taken during that three year run.
In other words, since 1978 this has only occurred once (above), so to see it happen in 2018 and 2019 would be pretty historic.
Although this seems to be where college basketball is heading. With so many underclassmen opting for the NBA on top of the normal players that leave college every year, there are simply not enough spots to go around.