Syracuse Basketball: Mock-draft projections as Judah Mintz hits combine

The 2023 NBA Draft Combine will take place this week in Chicago, and Syracuse basketball freshman point guard Judah Mintz is an expected participant.

The 6-foot-3 Mintz, who had a terrific first season for the Orange during the 2022-23 campaign, is testing the 2023 NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility.

The combine, per a media release from the NBA, will occur from May 15 to May 21 at the Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. The 2023 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn N.Y.

Without question, if Judah Mintz has a strong showing at the combine, that will only help boost his draft stock as the 2023 NBA Draft inches closer. Many ‘Cuse fans, myself included, would love to see him return to the Hill for another stanza, but if Mintz stays in the draft, I hope he’s a high pick and crushes things in the professional ranks.

Some mock-draft projections have Syracuse basketball freshman PG Judah Mintz as a second-round pick.

According to 247Sports, college basketball players who elected to test the 2023 NBA Draft waters will have until the NCAA deadline of May 31 to withdraw from the draft and maintain their collegiate eligibility, should they want to return to the college game.

I perused the Internet to see where Judah Mintz is projected to potentially get drafted, or where he lands in 2023 NBA Draft prospect rankings. These forecasts are going to ebb and flow; plus, full disclosure, this is not a comprehensive list, as I don’t have access to some of these mock drafts where subscriptions are required.

That being said, based on what I’ve seen, it does appear that Mintz possesses a decent amount of projections from experts to possibly hear his name called in the second round of the upcoming NBA Draft. Could he slide into first-round predictions if he shines at the combine? Perhaps.

Here are some projections that I came across:

SI.com: No. 40

Yahoo Sports: No. 48

CBS Sports: No. 51 (draft prospect rankings)

ESPN: No. 57 (draft prospect rankings)

Bleacher Report: No. 44

For The Win (USA Today): No. 43

HoopSocial: No. 33 (draft prospect rankings)

NBA Draft Room: No. 51

Judah Mintz, a native of Fort Washington, Md., was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class who starred as a senior for the powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., during the 2021-22 term. He was rated as high as No. 36 nationally in this cycle, per ESPN.

In his freshman year for the ‘Cuse, which went 17-15 overall in the 2022-23 season, Mintz averaged 33.3 minutes, 16.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.4 turnovers per game, while connecting on 44.3 percent from the field, 75.1 percent from the free-throw line and 30.3 percent from 3-point land.

In 2022-23, Judah Mintz was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s All-Freshman team and also received an honor-mention nod for the All-ACC squads.

As far as the Orange’s 2023-24 backcourt, it remains to be seen whether Mintz will return. Senior shooting guard Joe Girard III has committed to Clemson, while senior guard Symir Torrence is headed to Binghamton.

Freshman shooting guard/small forward Justin Taylor and freshman guard/wing Quadir Copeland are expected to come back. Syracuse basketball coaches secured commitments from two transfer guards, Notre Dame freshman J.J. Starling and Auburn freshman Chance Westry.