Draft Notebook: Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody, Brandon Boston Jr., and More

As our Babcock Hoops group sets out to cover ground watching live basketball in person and gathering pertinent information on NBA prospects, we’ll keep you updated on our evaluations through this draft notebook series. Here are some of the players we’ve seen recently that have stood out to us:

Cade Cunningham

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 220

Position: PG/SG

Class: Freshman

School: Oklahoma State

Game: Arkansas @ Oklahoma State

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals

Comments: “The early favorite to go #1 in the 2021 Draft, Cunningham is a powerful guard with the potential to be a jumbo initiator at the NBA level. He came off the bench in today’s game after missing some time, but upon checking in he made an immediate impact. In his first possession of the game, he forced a steal, which set the tone on that end of the floor. He plays with tremendous footwork and physicality, which allow him to defend multiple positions at a high level. On offense, Cunningham started slowly, but when it really counted late in the second half, he took over. With strength and a combination of dribble moves and shot creativity, he was able to get in the lane on multiple occasions, as well as display a beautiful mid-range jump shot. He’s not an explosive athlete and can be turnover prone, but is one of the more complete prospects we’ve seen in a while. He has the ability to control the speed of the game and is extremely polished as a passer and facilitator. With excellent vision, body control, and feel for the game, Cade Cunningham has the tools to be a force in the NBA for years to come.” - Derek Murray, Director of Scouting

Moses Moody

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 205

Position: SG/SF

Class: Freshman

School: Arkansas

Game: Arkansas @ Oklahoma State

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 17 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST

Comments: “Moody entered 2020 ranked #40 in the RSCI, but has looked like a potential lottery pick since day one. At 6’6” and 205 pounds, he has NBA size and a frame that should allow him to continue to grow; he also has a reported 7’0” wingspan which he uses to his advantage on both ends of the floor. Oklahoma State ran a 2-3 zone for a lot of the game today, allowing Moody to show off some versatility. He alternated playing zone buster in the middle of the key as well the corners, making quick, correct reads out of both with regularity. His assist numbers won’t blow you away, but I don’t believe that the small number is indicative of his passing ability. He can create for both himself and others and has one of the smoothest strokes in the country. His athleticism and length give him a high release point with beautiful mechanics. While he’s not an elite defender, he plays with discipline on that end, using his length to deter passes with an ability to contest shots from anywhere on the floor. There’s a lot of buzz around Moody, and I feel he won’t be on the board long come draft day.” - Derek Murray, Director of Scouting

Brandon Boston Jr.

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 185

Position: SG/SF

Class: Freshman

School: Kentucky

Game: Kentucky @ Alabama

Date: 1/26/21

Game Stats: 8 points and 6 rebounds

Comments: “Boston’s struggles this year continued in this game. He struggled to make shots, separate from defenders, and often settling for tough pull-ups. We’ll need to see him make the kinds of shots that he did in high school, to reach his potential. He has great positional size as a shooting guard. Despite his scoring struggles, he seems to be a really good teammate. He gave a lot of effort defensively and on the glass and had a positive mindset throughout this game. However, he’s going to have to prove his ability to make shots over good defenders to halt his slide down big boards.” - Jeremy Berman, Director of Research and Analysis

Keon Johnson

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 186

Position: SG/SF

Class: Freshman

School: Tennessee

Game: Kansas @ Tennessee

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 8 points and 1 rebound

Comments: “Keon Johnson is an interesting prospect. On one hand, he is an elite athlete that has tons of potential, especially on the defensive end. On the other hand, what he brings to the table on offense is a bit underwhelming, although he does pull off some spectacular plays from time to time. I do like Johnson and I think he is worthy of being a solid first-round pick, however, until he proves to be more of a threat from the perimeter and on the offensive end in general, I will be hesitant to move him up another notch in our rankings.” - Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst

Jaden Springer

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 204

Position: SG

Class: Freshman

School: Tennessee

Game: Kansas @ Tennessee

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists

Comments: “The first word that comes to mind when thinking of Jaden Springer is “solid.” At 6’4” with a thick and strong build, Springer is about as good as it gets as a physical perimeter defender. He also has a smooth and repeatable outside stroke that I think will translate to the next level well. Although he made several nice passes to set up his teammates with easy buckets in this game, I do not necessarily trust his ball skills or overall point guard abilities, and subsequently, I do think he is limited to only playing as an off the ball shooting guard. Similar to my thoughts on his teammate Keon Johnson, I question how much offense Springer can create, which limits my excitement in him to a certain extent. However, I have no doubt that he will become a “solid” NBA player at the very least.” - Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst

Isaiah Jackson

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 206

Position: PF/C

Class: Freshman

School: Kentucky

Game: Kentucky @ Alabama

Date: 1/26/21

Game Stats: 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks

Comments: “Jackson dealt with a lot of foul trouble in this one, but his athletic ability was apparent versus Alabama. He’s a quick jumper who can really get up from a standstill. He also has an impressive ability to guard in space for his size. To go along with his athleticism, Jackson has great shot-blocking and rebounding instincts. His block rate is off the charts on the season. Offensively, he’s at his best as a play finisher who will likely need to stay in a rim-running, lob-catching role on that end. Defensively, I don’t see him being a stalwart defender against the league’s best centers, but his potential switchability is exciting.” - Jeremy Berman, Director of Research and Analysis

Josh Primo

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 190

Position: SG/SF

Class: Freshman

School: Alabama

Game: Kentucky @ Alabama

Date: 1/26/21

Game Stats: 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks

Comments: “Primo has some intrigue with his positional size as a shooting guard, coupled with a high-level shooting ability. He plays as more of an off-ball player at Alabama, but he does have some handling ability to create off the dribble. He does a good job of drawing two defenders and making the easy, right read. At times, Primo will get ahead of himself and turn the ball over, trying to do too much, but he only recently turned 18. As potentially one of the youngest players in next year’s draft, Primo has the potential to become an effective scoring and shooting two-guard.” - Jeremy Berman, Director of Research and Analysis

Jalen Wilson

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 215

Position: SF

Class: Freshman

School: Kansas

Game: Kansas @ Tennessee

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists

Comments: “The first thing that I noticed with Jalen Wilson was that he has a terrific frame. He is listed at 6’8” and 215 pounds but looks bigger than that, as he is very strong, specifically his lower body. He's physical, versatile, plays hard, and shows flashes as a shooter and slasher, but my big question is: what position does he play? He’s seemingly a tweener in a time in which hybrid forwards generally have more value than they did in the past. I’m very intrigued by Wilson and I think he is a serious prospect, however, I hope he returns to school to have another year to develop and establish a true identity as a player. I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a high priority prospect for us next season.” - Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst

Ochai Agbaji

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 210

Position: SF

Class: Junior

School: Kansas

Game: Kansas @ Tennessee

Date: 1/30/21

Game Stats: 9 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds

Comments: “I’ve watched Agbaji many times now, as he is in his junior year, and I tend to go back and forth with my evaluation of him. He certainly looks the part, having an absolutely chiseled physique, and on paper this year he’s been shooting the ball extremely well. However, I think his lack of ball skills and feel limit his ability to play as a guard — he’s a 6’5” wing. I’m also not sure I fully trust his outside shooting. I watched him miss a handful of three-pointers in a row during warm-ups, which is certainly not indicative of a high-level shooter. I think he is a draftable prospect this year, but I’d like to keep tracking him throughout the rest of the season before I made any statements that would be any more conclusive than that.” - Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst

Other players worth mentioning: Efe Abogidi (Washington State), Marcus Garrett (Kansas), Feron Hunt (SMU), Josiah James (Tennessee), Herb Jones (Alabama), and Yves Pons (Tennessee).