Colorado freshman Cody Williams viewed as the top prospect ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft
With March Madness right around the corner, it also means discussions surrounding the NBA Draft are ramping up.
With this draft class not being considered the strongest, there have been quite a few different variations of how the top few picks will go. According to On3's college basketball insider, Jamie Shaw, the top NBA prospect in college basketball is Colorado's Cody Williams. The former five-star recruit is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Jalen Williams, and is viewed as someone who can do a little bit of everything while still having some skills to work on.
Shaw broke down what makes Williams stand out from the rest of the pack:
The frame sticks out immediately with Cody Williams, listed at 6-foot-8 with a reported 7-foot-2 wing span. The counting numbers he has put up this season have been good, along with the percentages, 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three. This season, Williams has not been asked to do much initiation with the play of KJ Simpson. However, in high school and EYBL play, he played primarily on the ball and showed comfort in making decisions and delivering on target and on time. He is a crafty finisher at the rim but not super bursty. The three-point shooting is on small volume this season, and he has not shown much as a mid-range jump shooter that is the swing skill for him.
Complimented by Williams along with KJ Simpson and Tristan Da Silva, the Buffaloes have compiled an 18-9 record and are oh-so-close to being viewed as a tournament team. ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Colorado slated to be in the "first four out".
They are currently three games back of the top spot in the Pac-12, and have four games remaining. Making it to the NCAA Tournament could give Williams maximum exposure, and could also help out his draft stock. As it stands right now based on recent CBS Sports and ESPN mock drafts, Williams is expected to go in the 4-6 range with a couple of International prospects headlining the class.
