Kel'el Ware, Dillon Jones, Judah Mintz, Saint Thomas
Brian breaks down big Kel'el Ware, wing Dillon Jones, Guard Judah Mintz, and wing Saint Thomas
A lot of these teams had some disappointing seasons. Indiana University was at least looking to be in the tournament and that didn’t work out. Weber State lost in the first round of their conference tournament to the eventual champions. Northern Colorado couldn’t get over the hump, and Syracuse struggled as well. However, these 4 teams have some prospects that are interesting for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Kel’el Ware/Indiana
(Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK
Kel’el Ware was a big time High School recruit and spent his freshman season at Oregon. After an underwhelming season there, he decided to transfer to Indiana where he has had a much better season this year. He’s been the guy for Indiana and Indiana has had a disappointing season all things considered.
Personal Opinion
I’m just going to come out and say it. I am much much lower on Kel’el Ware than consensus. I get why people are excited but I think he has shown nothing this season that has alleviated my concerns on him. He’s been great against bad teams and bad against good ones. He’s been borderline bad against fellow center prospects. He still doesn’t take a ton of 3’s and I’m not confident in it. I think he might really get exposed on the next level when he’s asked to be a defensive, low usage player.
Fantasy
For the sake of the argument, let’s say the shot is real. There is a lot of upside with this because of the 3PT shot. That being said, everything else about Ware’s statistical profile doesn’t show a high level fantasy player. He’s been average at a lot of things, so he won’t kill you in areas but he also won’t help you dramatically anywhere apart from 3’s at the center position. If he does hit, there could be potential for a top 70 type player but he’d have to up his drive for the game.
If Kel’el fails in the league, Why?
Motor and defense. If he doesn’t have the motor and attitude to push to get better, then he will have very limited opportunities to play. On top of that, if his defense doesn’t improve, it will be hard to keep someone who is consistently playing off the court. Especially at a center position where defense matters a lot, if Kel’el doesn’t defend, he won’t play a lot.
So statistically here are some players that are similar to Ware this season. Zach Collins is the interesting one here. Aric Holman and Jake Stephens got a bit of a run in the NBA as well. There’s something there at least.
27 Pts, 11 Reb, 5 Blk, 1 To, 11-12 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT
In this game, Kel’el Ware missed one shot and was a dominant force in this game. Getting the 5 blocks is very interesting and Indiana beat Wisconsin by 4. Wisconsin was a tournament team so that’s worth noting. Just don’t expect him to only miss one shot very much.
28 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 To, 13-19 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-6 FT
He had another really good game at Michigan State in a one point win. Michigan State does not have an NBA caliber center at the moment and Ware feasted on it. Indiana won by 1 and he was the reason they won. 1-6 FT also hurts.
It’s also worth noting that while these performances look good, against NBA Draft Prospects at the center position, Ware has struggled. Ware struggled against UCONN and Clingan early in the year. He struggled against Auburn and Johni Broome (though Broome struggled too). He struggled against Ohio State and Feliz Okpara (who might be a 2025 guy). They played Purdue twice, Edey completely destroyed him in the first matchup and Ware played a bit better the second time but nothing crazy.
Dillon Jones/Weber State
Photo: Robert Casey
Dillon Jones was a bit of an unknown in the Big Sky Conference but had a really good sophomore season. He’s known as a really hard worker and great character guy. He got a G League Elite Camp invite last season after not being on the original list, made big noise in it, got a NBA combine invite and played well last season. He decided to go back for a Junior Season at Weber where he’s been an absolute monster this season. He also has officially declared and will stay in the draft this season.
Personal Opinion
Dillon Jones might be one of the toughest evaluations in the draft. The numbers look insane. The talent is there. However, we need to remember that Weber State isn’t a very good college basketball team outside of Dillon Jones. Given the fact he’s been playing the PG on offense and center on defense, I can guarantee you that he will not play this role in the NBA. Unless by some weird reason he’s doing this for Miami’s bench unit who knows with Spoelstra. But I think he’s a better shot blocker than what the numbers indicate, because of how much Weber State didn’t want him in foul trouble, because he averaged 37 minutes per game. So 3 minutes of rest. His combine and team workouts will be very impactful on his stock. If he plays excellent this season, I will not be shocked if he goes in the lottery. The character and work ethic will get Jones on the team's good side. But he also could go in the middle of the second round or later if he struggles. So we will see.
Fantasy
This is a real question. I don’t know what to tell you here to be honest. Everything looks great if he’s running at 30% usage. But he wont. The advanced numbers look pretty good, so that’s interesting. And he has a good steal rate and that’s a good indicator for success. He has good size. He’s a good passer. I think the rebound numbers are a little inflated due to his role and lack of effort from teammates. I could see top 70-100 seasons if he hits and starts, but it’s still pretty up in the air.
If Dillon fails in the league, Why?
His production was mainly due to conference strength and Dillon’s abilities struggle to translate on the next level. He struggles to shoot from the wing position and struggles to defend. He struggles to adapt where he doesn’t have the ball in his hands as much.
There are a lot of names here and he won’t be like some of them, but there’s definitely some comparisons to players like John Konchar, Evan Turner, Nick Calathes and a bit of MCW. Draymond is the absolute 100th percentile outcome and he’s not the defender Draymond was. I buy the passing and that’s mainly what I was focusing on here.
Big Performance Highlights
29 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 To, 11-20 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-5 FT
This was his best game against a tournament team this season. Weber State won by 4 in this game and Jones was the main guy keeping them in it. It also took Aidan Mahaney struggling in order for them to win, but still a really solid game. You’d like more in the peripheral numbers but it’s not too bad for him.
February 29th vs. Northern Colorado
30 Pts, 23 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Stl, 4 To, 9-23 FG, 1-9 3PT, 11-11 FT
This was his best game of the season and shot wasn’t falling. Imagine if the shot was falling. We would be looking at an almost 40/20/10 triple double game in an overtime win against Northern Colorado who was very good in the conference this year. Jones was doing everything and carrying his team.
Judah Mintz/Syracuse
(Player Page)
Judah Mintz made some noise his freshman season at Syracuse because of his ability to get to the rim at his size. He went to the combine and played really well but decided to go back. His stock this season has taken a bit of a hit despite the fact he improved. The problem is that what Mintz needs to improve on is not what college teams want him to do.
Personal Opinion
I am finding it tough to buy in to be honest. Like he has a pure talent to get to the rim. I just don’t know what else he can do. I think he’s going to make a lot of money in his career. I don’t know if that’s in the US or overseas, but he’s going to end up being a pro. Given his defensive concerns and shooting concerns it's hard for me to buy in at his size.
Fantasy
His high free throw rate is the biggest thing that stands out. He has a decent percentage that could improve which could make Mintz an interesting free throw percentage streamer in some leagues if he hits. He also gets some decent steals. But everything else doesn’t stand out in a great way for a fantasy perspective.
If Judah fails in the league, Why?
His offensive game isn’t feasible to put on the court in the NBA. Given the fact he’s a small guard with defensive concerns, he doesn’t get on the court and he’s out of the league.
Looking at this, this is where I get really concerned. With his free throw rate and passing, there are only 3 players that have been drafted. George Hill was a way better college player and defender. Marcus Smart was a way way better defender, and Elfrid Payton was a better all around player. Some of these guys didn’t really get anywhere basketball wise but we will see. His archetype isn’t super effective in the league.
Big Performance Highlights
28 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 To, 8-16, 5-7 3PT, 7-10 FT
This was the one game all season long where Mintz made more than 3 3’s per game. He was shooting lights out in this game, but it was against Cornell. The shot is still a concern but Mintz lit up this team in an 11 point win.
February 13th vs. North Carolina
25 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 To, 8-11 FG, 0-1 3PT, 9-11 FT
This was Mintz’s best game of the season against a tournament team and it being North Carolina is pretty big. Syracuse won this game by 7. Mintz and JJ Starling were great in this game and Mintz took advantage of UNC’s small guards.
Saint Thomas/Northern Colorado
(Player Page)
Saint Thomas has had a big roller coaster of a college career. After leaving during his sophomore year, he’s bounced back in a huge way to the point where he deserves some level of consideration. He’s a do it all wing that has good size and athleticism.
Personal Opinion
He’s got a real ability to score the basketball and fill up the stat sheet. Given his inability to get on the court his first two years, it is a concern that he couldn’t. However, Loyal Chicago is an interesting program that can be a bit hit or miss with stuff. Given the fact that he’s got good size and has put up a lot of production, I think he’s a legitimate draft candidate.
Fantasy
Saint Thomas can stuff the stat sheet quite a bit. He’s got a really high rebounding rate, can pass the ball and a decent steal and block rate. That’s worth something. He won’t have that usage in the NBA but getting out of position rebounding is the big sell with Thomas.
If Saint fails in the league, Why?
It would be the same reason why he struggled at Loyola Chicago. Maybe he’s actually not that good. Some of the advanced numbers are concerning. It seems like he’s in a better place mentally now, but maybe that could resurface. (Though obviously I don’t wish that on anybody)
Get rid of Keegan Murray and Zion Williamson in there. Both players had absurd seasons. I do like that Jaedon LeDee and Riley Minix are on this list too, because both are interesting sleepers. But Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks could potentially be a route. Though both are more physically built than Saint, so that will need to be something he needs to improve on.
Big Performance Highlights
November 14th vs. Colorado State
11 Pts, 15 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 To, 5-13 FG, 0-6 3PT, 1-3 FT
So why am I showing this one? Northern Colorado played against 2 other NCAA tournament teams apart from their conference winner. We can tell that Saint can put up numbers against bad teams, but what about good teams? So this one is interesting because Nique Clifford is on the other side as a defender and Saint struggled. This was one of the first games of the season. However this stat line could have looked a lot better if Saint shot closer to average. It would be closer to a 20/15 game. Northern Colorado lost this game by 19.
27 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 To, 10-22 FG, 2-8 3PT, 5-5 FT
Colorado has a lot of prospects and Colorado is a very good team. Saint Thomas was running the show because he was the only one that could somewhat score on Colorado. They lost this game by 22 points, but Saint made his presence felt on this team.
Final Thoughts
Kel’el Ware was a top high school recruit last season and transferred to Indiana after an underwhelming season at Oregon. He’s had a better season but there are concerns about his motor. The consensus has Ware as a pretty firm first round prospect. I disagree. As of right now, I have Kel’el Ware at 49th on my board, and I’ve spent most of the year debating if I should push him down further. He’s talented and if he turns up his motor, I’d have him top 10 at the minimum. Though that’s what’s tough. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Kel’el Ware went 19th overall to the New York Knicks.
Dillon Jones is a wing that is dominating the Big Sky Conference at Weber State University. He’s been doing everything for them, but he won’t be doing that at the NBA level. How much he can scale back his game will largely influence his fate. I have Dillon Jones at 37 on my board. In the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock, Dillon Jones went 37th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Judah Mintz is a small scoring guard that has had struggles to shoot the basketball and defend. He’s got an ability to take a lot of usage and score a lot of points. If he develops a jump shot, he can be very difficult on the defensive end to stop. I have Judah Mintz in my top 80 at the moment. Judah Mintz was not selected in the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock.
Saint Thomas is a do it all forward that really has an ability to rebound the ball. He’s done a very good job taking over the Dalton Knecht role at Northern Colorado and he’s got really good size and abilities at the wing position. I have Saint Thomas in my top 80 on my board. Saint Thomas was not selected in the recent Dizzle Dynasty Mock.