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The Michigan State Spartans are poised to have a strong showing in tonight's NBA Draft.
Not many schools ever get to claim they have a player drafted in the lottery, which is the first 14 picks of the draft. Even fewer ever see two players drafted in the same lottery, but that's a possibility for MSU.
ESPN's Chad Ford put out his final mock draft, the final projection of how tonight's draft will play out. The first Spartan he has coming off the board is freshman forward Deyonta Davis, who sneaks into the top 10 by way of the Bucks.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Deyonta Davis
The Bucks really need shooting, but there really isn't a wing in this range that makes sense. Expect them to swing for a player with high upside.
Davis has the physical tools to be a defensive star. He is bouncy, blocks shots and moves his feet well. His offense is still a work in progress, but the Bucks would like to get more athletic at center after the Greg Monroe experience last season. Point guard is another long-term need, and Dejounte Murray has impressed them in workouts.
There's no question Davis is a very raw prospect who probably could have used another year in college, but his potential to be a great NBA big is there. His floor may be low given how inexperienced he is, Davis has as high of a ceiling as just about any player outside the first 3-5 picks. That speaks more to how weak this draft class is, which has a guy like Davis poised to be drafted much higher than he would in most years.
As for the second and final Spartan to be drafted, Ford has senior star Denzel Valentine being the final lottery pick, going No. 14 to the Bulls.
14. Chicago Bulls: Denzel Valentine
We've had Baldwin here for a few weeks, and it feels even more right since the team has traded Derrick Rose to the Knicks.
However, on Wednesday night, sources said the Bulls are getting comfortable enough with Valentine that they may take him instead. Malik Beasley, Malachi Richardson and Furkan Korkmaz are also in the mix.
While this would be a good situation for Valentine, I'm not so sure the Bulls take anything other than a point guard here.They don't exactly have on right now, thanks to their mini blockbuster deal Wednesday that sent Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP, to the New York Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon.
While Grant and Calderon play point guard, neither is the kind of guy capable of leading an NBA team to the playoffs. The Bulls need a point guard they think can be their future, and it looks very likely that will be their pick at No. 14, but Ford seems to think Valentine is very much in play here.
And it's not like Valentine isn't capable of playing the point for limited stretches in the NBA. He ran the offense a lot in college, so maybe he makes sense here after all. If nothing else, Valentine is someone the Bulls, or any team for that matter, can play Valentine at the 1-3 spots, which could make him tantalizing for anyone in need of a point guard, shooting guard or wing.