Wayne Ellington - NBA Draft Prospects

Numbers: 16.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.7 t/o's, 47% FG, 83% FT, 40% 3's

About Him: Wayne Ellington has emerged as one of the best shooters in all of college basketball - he shot 47% from the field on the year, which is incredible for a guy that takes over five three's per game. He has a very quick release and needs only a split second to get his shot off when he is spotting up. His range extends beyond the NBA three. Elligton also is very good in the mid-range. He has added a pull-up jumper and a step-back jumper, which he can hit with consistency to beyond the college three point line. He also has a knack for being able to create space by making contact with a defender and then hitting a fade-away. Coming off screens he is deadly. He changes speeds well when coming off screens, but he is always moving. He is able to stay low to the floor so it is difficult to tell if he wants to shoot or curl off of a screen. He can hit every jump shot an NBA two needs to make, but that is about all he can do at the NBA level now. His ball-handling needs significant improvement and he has a tough time finishing at the rim. But he does have a quick first step and he makes good decisions with the ball (1.7 t/o's), so there is potential if he keeps working on his game. Defensively, he is not good. He loses focus, is out of position too often, and doesn't fight through screens (on the ball or off the ball). He will need to greatly improve this aspect of his game.

Comparisons: Ray Allen (stretch), Roger Mason

Bottom Line: Ellington needs another year in college to help develop his game, but if he leaves this year and has some really good workouts, he could sneak into the end of the first round. If he stays, next year he could be a top 10 pick if the rest of his game develops.