WKU Basketball: Bassey Does Nothing to Change the Narrative At Day 1 of NBA Combine
What was the prevailing theory on Charles Bassey heading into the NBA Draft Combine Thursday morning?
What was the prevailing theory on Charles Bassey heading into the NBA Draft Combine Thursday morning?
A likely second round pick with a chance to raise his stock with a good combine, or with some bad luck, an undrafted free agent.
Charles went 1-for-6 from the field, scoring five points and four rebounds in 21 uneventful minutes Thursday in 5-on-5 scrimmages.
When asked why he chose to participate in 5-on-5, he said, “I played because I know what I bring to the game and I know what I’m going to do when I step on the court. I’m going to play hard and play tough.”
That’s fine, but the play on the court didn’t help his case.
Well, maybe his “measurables” could help differentiate, right?
Bassey is actually a quarter inch under 6’9” without shoes, pretty average hands for such a big man, and is not particularly explosive (33 inch max vertical).
On the positive side, he has a massive wingspan as advertised, boasting a 7’3.5” wingspan and a standing reach well over nine feet.
However, what of this screams first round pick? He has not been in a majority of first round mock drafts in months. He is a virtual consensus mid- to late-second round pick everywhere you look.
Somebody may pick him in the first round, but when everyone seems to think otherwise, the more likely scenario is actually not getting drafted than getting picked in the first round.
Thursday was nothing to write home about, unfortunately and he will not be participating in events on Friday.
Everyone wants to see the guy do well. Every Western fan should want a one-and-done caliber player to get drafted and be successful.
Bassey would be the first Hilltopper to be drafted since 2010, when Jeremy Evans was drafted with the sixth-to-last pick by the Utah Jazz.
But the more we get into it, shouldn’t Charles just stay, help the Tops another year, maybe grow another inch, fill out, hone his craft, make the tournament, and waltz into draft night knowing he’s a lottery pick?
Charles is capable, but getting drafted in the second round means you go from a first round asset to a second round commodity. He may be an NBA player, but getting drafted in the second round means he may not get a fair chance to prove it.
Do you really want that when you could just set yourself up in a better situation in a year?
Charles seems to be determined to make it to the NBA, but if the current climate stays cold to 6’9” post players, perhaps the sensible decision is to come back to Bowling Green, work hard, and run through 2019–20 on a mission to bring WKU back to prominence.