Trae Young's early exit from the NCAA Tournament could really hurt his stock value in the eyes of many NBA scouts, who doubt the freshman would be taken in the lottery of this upcoming NBA Draft.
The Oklahoma native couldn't do enough to get his Sooners to best the Rhode Island Rams, despite making a few clutch buckets to rally his team to a tie in regulation, falling 83-78 in overtime.
When asked about Young, scouts and executives showed signs of concern with his ability to be one of theis year's top prospects.
“I would not take him in the lottery,” one scout responded after the game, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
“Not a fan,” replied an Eastern Conference executive. “Love his passion and dedication, but he must learn to be more efficient.”
Young poured in 28 points in 9-of-18 shooting from the floor, along with seven assists; both game-highs — but neither proved enough to get his team one step ahead in the big dance, getting a quick boot from March Madness in the first round.
The 6-foot-2 point guard led the nation in scoring with 27.4 points per game, and assists with 8.8 per game — but his average of 5.2 turnovers per game this season has created some question marks in a game where the play is not as physical or as mentally taxing as the pro game is.
“I don't see it with him,” said an executive from the Western Conference. “He's erratic with the ball, and he's a teaser. Volume shooter. I have concerns on him.”
Young is a sight to behold on the court, making gaudy passes and launching from way beyond the 3-point line, which has captivated audiences throughout this season — though scouts aren't biting on the media frenzy, but rather looking at how his strengths and weaknesses could pan out in a more challenging game.
Weighing only 180 pounds, Young has drawn plenty of comparisons to Stephen Curry, who was light as a napkin coming out of Davidson College in 2009 after leading the nation in scoring with a 28.6-point scoring average.
“As he matures, he's going to have to balance out his impulsive play, because while that's flashy and all of us love to see it when he's hot, it's not going to take you very far as a team,” added another scout. “Defensively, he has to be better, plain and simple.”
Curry was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the draft, but his evolution took a few years of building strength and learning the point guard position, along with surviving through chronic ankle injuries.
Young would not be the first player picked outside of the lottery to make a name for himself, but he will have to tune himself into a more educated decision-maker to prove himself effective in a league where defenders are longer, stronger, and a hell of a lot smarter than his NCAA competition.
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