Charlotte Hornets: Early NBA Draft writers round-table discussion

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Oklahoma St. Cowboys Cade Cunningham. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /

Who is the best player in college basketball?

Giovanni Spillman: A lot of people will agree with me on this, but Cade Cunningham is clearly the guy who is #1 in this year’s draft. The point guard posses elite size and can score at will from anywhere on the court. He’s ready for the league and has the basketball IQ to make many GMs happy. He will be a player to watch next season.

Shawn Simmons: How can you not answer Oklahoma State’s, Cade Cunningham? He is the guy; the consensus number one pick in this year’s draft and I do not think it is close. He has the size at 6-foot-8, physical tools, and basketball IQ to be a special player. His mid-range and three-point shooting need to be more consistent and he needs to limit turnovers, but he has also had to carry the load a lot for his Oklahoma State team. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do at the next level surrounded by superior talent.

Josh Anderson: I think the best player in college basketball is Jared Butler, and it’s convenient that he would fit the Hornets’ need of a pure shooter. Butler is in his third year at Baylor and with each year he plays his three-point percentage has gone up. This year, he is averaging 44.6% from three.

Reilly Biller: The best college basketball player to me right now is Luke Garza from Iowa. He’s putting up almost 27 ppg, while shooting 62.5% from the floor and 47.9% from 3-point range which is unreal. Although Garza has been spectacular this college basketball season, he has not been reliable on the defensive end.

The most NBA talented player in college basketball would be Evan Mobley of the University of Southern California. He has a Karl-Anthony Towns kind of game to him. He’s a 7-footer who has the skills of an NBA center.

Anthony Boscia: Luka Garza. The problem is his skill set. I do not think it will necessarily transfer over to the NBA, he just lacks the basic defense and athleticism that a big would need to make the transition over to the NBA. He will probably end up a late second-round pick if anything, that’s if a team decides to take a gamble on his pure talent and ability to score the rock.

Josh Flenniken: This is a bit of a loaded question. In terms of the biggest impact toward winning right now, I’d have to say Jared Butler. He does it all for Baylor and currently has the most complete game, and he seems totally in control of the offense. In terms of current skill and potential, Jalen Suggs.

Tyler Reed: It’s hard not to choose somebody from Gonzaga because they have been so fun to watch. I really enjoy watching Corey Kispert. However, Luka Garza continues to shine at Iowa. While Garza isn’t the three-point threat Kispert is, Garza still can be a threat from long distance. I think Garza wins the Naismith Player of the Year award in a landslide.

Emmett Ball: There’s certainly good competition, but in my opinion, Jalen Suggs has my pick. He is an explosive guard on a star-studded Gonzaga team. However, he makes such a big impact on the team in so many different ways every night. He’s pretty efficient from the field and gets it done on the board and on the assists side. That bag of tricks gives him the edge for me. He is also great on defense.