Three upperclassmen to watch for the 2023 NBA Draft

Sometimes, all it takes for a prospect is just a little more time. Time to figure things out, their game, the system, or just to grow into their confidence. Whatever the reason, it seems every draft class has some upperclassmen who simply came into their own and moved into the first round of the NBA Draft.

Read Three upperclassmen transfers climbing NBA Draft boards

In the 2022 NBA Draft, Jalen Williams, Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, Wendell Moore, and David Roddy all stuck it out at their original colleges and developed into first-round NBA Draft picks.

Read Non-five-star freshmen who could be one-and-done

I take a look at guys who have been at their schools for multiple years, and this year looks like the year they could break through toward the NBA Draft. This list does not include players like Drew Timme, Jaime Jacquez, Oscar Tshiebwe, Caleb Love, etc. Uber-productive players who have carried these same draft stock from freshman to senior year.

Read Five sophomores building NBA Draft buzz

Here are upperclassmen who are building first-round NBA Draft stock.

SF Jalen Wilson (Kansas)

Height/Weight: 6-8/225
2019 On3 Consensus: No. 54
Class: Senior

Jalen Wilson has consistently been a player who shows flashes. He’s declared and gone through the NBA Draft process each of the last two cycles. With his size and skill set, Wilson would occasionally put up big games like the 22-point and 9-rebound conference game against Oklahoma or the 16-point and 11-rebound NCAA Tournament game against Providence last season. However, last year, Wilson was clearly the third perimeter option behind eventual first-rounders Christian Braun and Ochai Ogbaji.

This year, the Kansas Jayhawks are Jalen Wilson’s team. And Wilson has stepped up to the plate with confidence. He is currently 7th in NCAA D-I in points per game (21.9), and he is second in the BIG 12 in rebounds per game (9.3). Wilson has five double-doubles through nine games this season. He is also shooting 35.7 percent from three on 6.2 attempts per game this season.

Wilson is the focal point of a top-ten team in the country. He has shown noted improvement across the board since coming back this season. There is clear value in his size, frame, progression, and production. And he plays for a program that has consistently produced late-blooming NBA Draft picks.

SF Kris Murray (Iowa)

Height/Weight: 6-8/215
2020 On3 Consensus: No. 234
Class: Junior

Look no further than what Kris Murray’s twin brother Keegan did at Iowa last season. Keegan jumped from non-starter as a freshman to first-team All-American and 4th overall NBA Draft pick as a sophomore. Kris only started one game last season, but his 21.0 points per game this season rank him 14th in NCAA D-I.

The lefty is shooting 40.5 percent from three this season on 6.0 attempts per game. This is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him shoot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. While most of his jump shots are coming off catch-and-shoot situations, he is consistently knocking down shots off the bounce as well. Murray is also finishing well at the rim this season, where he shoots 66.7 percent.

While a vault into the top five like Keegan is improbable, Kris has looked comfortable and efficient (31.3 PER) as a go-to scoring option so far this season.

CG Marcus Sasser (Houston)

Height/Weight: 6-2/195
2019 On3 Consensus: NR
Class: Senior

Marcus Sasser is the best player on the best team in the country right now. The senior tested the NBA Draft waters last year and waited until the final day to withdraw and announce he was coming back to Houston. Sasser was sidelined last season with a foot/toe injury in December, and he missed the rest of the year.

Sasser is an interesting prospect. He is a pick-and-roll primary initiator, who shot 43.7 percent from three last season, and his quick hands and 6-foot-7 wing span give him intrigue as an on-the-ball defender. Sasser is a better catch-and-shoot jump shooter than he is off the bounce, and he is finishing 75 .0 percent of his shots at the rim.

He is probably more of a combo guard, but the fact he is showing he can initiate in the pick-and-roll is promising. There is an innate toughness to his game, and if he can get his three-point shooting back in line with what it was last year, along with his point-of-attack defensive ability, there are some real positives in play for Sasser.

Others to watch

SF Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)

Height/Weight: 6-7/205
2020 On3 Consensus: No. 61
Class: Junior

C Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)

Height/Weight: 6-10/225
2020 On3 Consensus: No. 150
Class: Junior

Colby Jones (Xavier), Matthew Murrell (Ole Miss), Reece Beekman (Virginia), Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee)