Bouk #14 on The Athletic's best guards list

[husky429]

Top 20 guards in college basketball

Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu returned to school to lead the Illini to the NCAA Tournament and will do so as the best guard in the country.

theathletic.com

14. James Bouknight, 6-foot-5 sophomore, Connecticut

Bouknight is a guy a lot of basketball people believe is in for a breakout season. A coach in the AAC had this to say about him: “Love him! So shifty and has such awesome change of pace.” Bouknight can run off screens and score from three levels, and the biggest reason he oozes potential is his ability to make plays off the bounce at 6-5. I’m not sure I’m a believer in his jump shot, which he needs to improve to take the next step, but he’s a guy NBA people will be watching closely this year, because he could be a really gifted scorer if he puts it all together.

 

[husky429]

You can find the top 20 Big/Wings articles here if you have a subscription.

Top 20 wings in college basketball

Consider this your annual college basketball version of that Bernie Sanders meme you always see: Once again, I am asking you to … consider the state of positionality in college basketball. We do things a little bit differently — and a bit more sensibly — when it comes to categorization...

theathletic.com

Top 20 big men in college basketball

A senior from the Big Ten and a freshman from the Pac-12 lead our list of college basketball's top big men.

theathletic.com

 

[Hey Adrien!]

You can find the top 20 Big/Wings articles here if you have a subscription.

Top 20 wings in college basketball

Consider this your annual college basketball version of that Bernie Sanders meme you always see: Once again, I am asking you to … consider the state of positionality in college basketball. We do things a little bit differently — and a bit more sensibly — when it comes to categorization...

theathletic.com

Top 20 big men in college basketball

A senior from the Big Ten and a freshman from the Pac-12 lead our list of college basketball's top big men.

theathletic.com

I've read a lot about Austin Peay's Terry Taylor, but have yet to see them play and will have to check him out this season. Their 12/7 conference game against Murray State will be one I'll try to catch.

 

[superjohn]

Top 20 guards in college basketball

Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu returned to school to lead the Illini to the NCAA Tournament and will do so as the best guard in the country.

theathletic.com

14. James Bouknight, 6-foot-5 sophomore, Connecticut

Bouknight is a guy a lot of basketball people believe is in for a breakout season. A coach in the AAC had this to say about him: “Love him! So shifty and has such awesome change of pace.” Bouknight can run off screens and score from three levels, and the biggest reason he oozes potential is his ability to make plays off the bounce at 6-5. I’m not sure I’m a believer in his jump shot, which he needs to improve to take the next step, but he’s a guy NBA people will be watching closely this year, because he could be a really gifted scorer if he puts it all together.

No way are there 13 guards better than Bouknight.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Maybe I’m biased but I’m a huge believer in Bouknight’s jump shot.
46/35/82 as a freshman, sure to increase this season. Form looks good, seems to maybe palm it a bit, but he has all the makings to be an above average jumpshooter.

 

[husky429]

No way are there 13 guards better than Bouknight.

Agreed. Even without my Blue-tinted goggles, I would say that Bouk *should* be above

#13 Mckinley Wright from Colorado
definitely #12 Caleb Mills out of Houston. The kid wasn't even that good? He shot well under 40% from the field...
#11 Mitch Ballock
#10 Davion Mitchell
#9 AJ Green--hard to say, but NORTHERN IOWA, c'mon.
#5 Marcus Garret-- are you kidding me? Talk about a Kansas bump. The kid can't shoot and average less than 10 points a game. Please. Nice defender though.

so, I guess I'm probably putting Bouk somewhere between #8 and #10. Seems fair--a bunch of these guys are upperclassmen who you can expect to be better than Bouk at the college level. I'm assuming this list isn't about potential

 

[ucawn]

Maybe I’m biased but I’m a huge believer in Bouknight’s jump shot.
46/35/82 as a freshman, sure to increase this season. Form looks good, seems to maybe palm it a bit, but he has all the makings to be an above average jumpshooter.

Totally agree, the problem for me was consistency. There were games where he was 0-4 from deep. 2 areas for improvement would be more consistent with his jumper, and better defense with that I can see him being a lotto pick

 

[Incursio007]

Lol at that list. Can't wait for the season to just start already.

 

[Mr. French]

Top 20 guards in college basketball

Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu returned to school to lead the Illini to the NCAA Tournament and will do so as the best guard in the country.

theathletic.com

14. James Bouknight, 6-foot-5 sophomore, Connecticut

Bouknight is a guy a lot of basketball people believe is in for a breakout season. A coach in the AAC had this to say about him: “Love him! So shifty and has such awesome change of pace.” Bouknight can run off screens and score from three levels, and the biggest reason he oozes potential is his ability to make plays off the bounce at 6-5. I’m not sure I’m a believer in his jump shot, which he needs to improve to take the next step, but he’s a guy NBA people will be watching closely this year, because he could be a really gifted scorer if he puts it all together.

"shifty" and "change of pace" are, aside from shooting, the most important things for a guard to be good. And the reason I say this is because a) it's maybe his biggest attribute, and b) I think it's often overlooked.

People look at straight away athleticism, speed, strength ... all important, but for guards, shiftiness and craftiness and changing pace is so much more important, IMO.

 

[CallMeBruce]

This list sucks

 

[Cjet]

Top 20 guards in college basketball

Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu returned to school to lead the Illini to the NCAA Tournament and will do so as the best guard in the country.

theathletic.com

14. James Bouknight, 6-foot-5 sophomore, Connecticut

Bouknight is a guy a lot of basketball people believe is in for a breakout season. A coach in the AAC had this to say about him: “Love him! So shifty and has such awesome change of pace.” Bouknight can run off screens and score from three levels, and the biggest reason he oozes potential is his ability to make plays off the bounce at 6-5. I’m not sure I’m a believer in his jump shot, which he needs to improve to take the next step, but he’s a guy NBA people will be watching closely this year, because he could be a really gifted scorer if he puts it all together.

He has a great jumpshot

 

[husky429]

He has a great jumpshot

Absolutely. He shot 35% as a freshman. And 38% on 5 attempts per game over the last 10 games. The kids is a legit shooter no matter how you slice it. Those weren't easy attempts either.

 

[CL82]

Those weren't easy attempts either.

This. I've said this before but I expect that Cole and Gaffney's vision, playmaking, passing and savviness are going to make everyone "a better shooter" this year.

 

[businesslawyer]

Totally agree, the problem for me was consistency. There were games where he was 0-4 from deep.

Not how statistics work. If you take 4 triples a game, you will have days where you're 0-4 and you will have days where you're 3-4. It's just how standard deviations work in small sample sizes.

 

[husky429]

So Dickie has him somewhere around top 10-12ish guard in the country since some of those wings are probably more guard-ish. I think that's fair considering the upperclassmen involved that don't have an NBA future. Seems like he's more in line with what the 'Yard is thinking.

 

[ucawn]

He’s got us at 35 which is also a fair ranking

 

[HooperScooper]

The Athletic may think he's the 14th best guard but this mock draft predicts he's going 10th overall in next year's NBA draft. Don't think I've seen any other mock drafts with him this high.

10. JAMES BOUKNIGHT, SG, CONNECTICUT
Bossi’s take: Finally, somebody who has been in college for more than a year. Who knows, maybe I’m going out on a limb here but I’m fully confident that Bouknight is about to explode this season. He has a good-looking jumper, he can put it on the floor and there aren’t many two guards capable of playing as far above the rim as he can. He’s just scratching at the surface of his potential.

Cade Cunningham leads the way for projected 2021 Draft picks

The first round of the 2020 NBA Draft has come and gone. You know what that means? It is time to take a look at the 2021 NBA Draft. Because when it comes to the Draft, it is

247sports.com

 

[Huskybass]

Bouknight scores in more ways than any guard out there. His freshman highlight video would show him scoring in every way imaginable. Dunks, 3s, midrange, reverse layups...heck he even dunked one of his own misses.

 

[Ratso]

i think he’s gonna be POY in the BE IF we get a full season

 

[ToolzieFan]

Agreed. Even without my Blue-tinted goggles, I would say that Bouk *should* be above

#13 Mckinley Wright from Colorado
definitely #12 Caleb Mills out of Houston. The kid wasn't even that good? He shot well under 40% from the field...
#11 Mitch Ballock
#10 Davion Mitchell
#9 AJ Green--hard to say, but NORTHERN IOWA, c'mon.
#5 Marcus Garret-- are you kidding me? Talk about a Kansas bump. The kid can't shoot and average less than 10 points a game. Please. Nice defender though.

so, I guess I'm probably putting Bouk somewhere between #8 and #10. Seems fair--a bunch of these guys are upperclassmen who you can expect to be better than Bouk at the college level. I'm assuming this list isn't about potential

I really don’t get Mills ahead of Bouknight. Mills was a nice find who played way above his ranking. He’s not an elite college basketball player, though.

 

[UconnU]

Mills didn’t even start for Houston much of the year. Plays too loose always taking bad shots(very active defender tho). Having him above Bouknight is absurd.

 

[NEforceUConn]

This is why I love being a UConn fan, we know our players and hopefully have an idea how good they are versus other NCAA players.. JB is q star!! Keep it together Mr Sophomore, and world is yours.

If Jeremy Lamb is an almost star, you have the ability to be a total star..

GO CELTICS.

High ceiling and $ to come to him. Cheers.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Agreed. Even without my Blue-tinted goggles, I would say that Bouk *should* be above

#13 Mckinley Wright from Colorado
definitely #12 Caleb Mills out of Houston. The kid wasn't even that good? He shot well under 40% from the field...
#11 Mitch Ballock
#10 Davion Mitchell
#9 AJ Green--hard to say, but NORTHERN IOWA, c'mon.
#5 Marcus Garret-- are you kidding me? Talk about a Kansas bump. The kid can't shoot and average less than 10 points a game. Please. Nice defender though.

so, I guess I'm probably putting Bouk somewhere between #8 and #10. Seems fair--a bunch of these guys are upperclassmen who you can expect to be better than Bouk at the college level. I'm assuming this list isn't about potential

I would rank AJ Green over Bouknight. Northern Iowa was #23 in the country last year in AdjO per KenPom. I follow the mid majors. Green may turn out to be the best pure shooter in the country this year. Bouknight comes packaged in a nice shiny bright box with a potential Harry Winston inside. Potential being the operative word. We shall see...

 

[BoukofJames]

JB was snubbed again in ESPN+ list of top 25 players in college basketball. Not included in the list. Morons, I tell you, morons!!!