NBA Draft Preview: Time, TV Schedule, and Aggie Prospects

With the NBA Finals over, the basketball world turns its attention to tonight’s NBA Draft.

How to watch the NBA Draft

Date: Thursday, June 23

Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

TV: ESPN

Online: WatchESPN

#AggieHoops has a handful of draft hopefuls seeking a second round selection, so you’ll want to make sure you keep tabs on the evening.

Aggie Prospects

Alex Caruso (#84 overall DraftExpress prospect)

At 6-5, Caruso has excellent size for a point guard. [...] he's an excellent passer, with his 7.0 assists per 40 minutes pace adjusted ranking sixth among top-100 prospects. He has the height to see over the top of the defense, and the fundamentals required to make every type of pass a point guard needs to make.

Caruso is a tenacious defender... has instances when he gambles too often, but his 2.7 steals per 40 minutes pace adjusted rank third [among] all NCAA prospects. His lateral quickness improved as a senior and [...] he has supremely quick hands that help him intercept passes for easy transition baskets. His instincts on the defensive end are great but he gets distracted on occasion when defending off-ball. He gobbles loose balls at an eye-popping rate and forces jump balls regularly.

Overall, Caruso has the size and skill-set to succeed as a backup or third string point guard at the next level. He needs to cut down on his turnovers and continue to improve his shooting to carve out a niche as a big, steady, reliable backup in the pros. Still, he's a player almost any coach would love to have and he has an impressive knack for making winning plays.

Caruso is easily the kind of player who could find his way onto a NBA roster and stick for a few years if he's able to catch the right breaks.

Danuel House (#87 overall DraftExpress prospect)

[...] House was named by the Associated Press to the Honorable Mention All-American team as a senior. He led Texas A&M to the top of the SEC standings and a surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen. The Texas native even averaged a career his 15.6 points per game and came up huge in the Aggies' improbable comeback win over Northern Iowa. Despite all that, he shot just 28% from beyond the arc after the end of November on almost 9 attempts per-40 minutes pace adjusted, losing much of the steam he had gained in the eyes of NBA scouts as concerns about his efficiency and ability to spread the floor reemerged.

House had a very good senior season as measured in terms of wins and accolades, but he remains an average prospect from an NBA perspective. Role players on the wing have to be able to knock down shots, and House's senior season offered more questions than answers to whether he can be that kind of player as a pro [...] he must prove to scouts that he can seamlessly transition from a top option at the collegiate level to a role player who will be willing to leave it all on the floor, night after night, in the NBA

Jalen Jones (#53 among graduating seniors, not listed in Top 100)

At 6'7 and with a strong 223-pound frame, Jones has the look of an NBA wing [...] he's impressively long yet maintains a muscular frame, which enables him to bruise with big men in college. Offensively, he doesn't overwhelm with his skill-level or feel for the game, but – at the college level – his strength and athleticism makes him quite a handful for collegiate power forwards to handle. While he's a competent scorer, he doesn't really bring much else to the table offensively besides of his efficient play around the basket. He tends to watch the ball offensively and, too often, waits for the play to find its way to him.

On the other end of the floor, Jones theoretically has the perfect combination of length and strength to be an elite defensive player [...] he positions his hands extremely effectively and bothers his opponent without fouling. Still, he lacks obvious defensive fundamentals with stance and footwork. His crouch is inconsistent and unconvincing, as he often stands upright or even hunches over when defending on ball.

Overall, Jones certainly has the physical profile of an NBA player but is lacking in areas where competency is a requirement at the next level at his position, such as perimeter defense and 3-point shooting. With his build and athleticism, NBA teams will certainly give him a look.

Best of luck tonight, guys.