No. 9 – Vernon Carey Jr. (Freshman, Duke)
Much like Isaiah Stewart, Vernon Carey Jr is built very strongly for his age. Maybe that comes from his father, who was a professional football player in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. Carey Jr was a five-star recruit and will be headed to play for the legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke.
Carey is an intriguing prospect who will likely be a lottery pick in 2020. He’s got more of an old-school game, but he does possess skill that fits in today’s NBA. His shooting touch is expanding, his handle is decent and he does have good athleticism despite his bruiser frame.
He’s another center, and that’s a position of need in Charlotte. While I am a firm believer in the best player available approach when it comes to drafting, targeting a center wouldn’t surprise me, especially considering this class will likely have a nice talent pool of big men.
I think Carey is going to have a really strong freshman year at Duke. I hope to see him continue expanding his game, but he’s certainly on the right path. I’m personally not as high on him compared to others in this class, but he’s going to have a successful career.