9 College Kids NBA Teams Will Tank For

California Golden Bears forward Ivan Rabb (1) dunks the basketball against the USC Trojans in the first half at Haas Pavilion.

Team: Cal

Class: Sophomore

Projected in the Draft: NBADraft.net: 10, Chad Ford (ESPN): 10, SI.com: 7

If 40 is the new 30, then sophomore is the new upperclassman. Rabb is the only non-freshman on this list, and probably could have been a lottery pick over the summer had he opted to leave. He’s a 6'11" power forward who’s capable of playing well on both sides of the ball. Rabb’s play in the paint kind of resembles Serge Ibaka, even if he doesn’t have much of an outside game. A teammate of Celtics lottery pick Jaylen Brown last year, he said he stayed at Cal to work on several aspects of his game, including shooting. 

Team: Kentucky

Class: Freshman

Projected in the Draft: NBADraft.net: 20, Chad Ford (ESPN): 10, SI.com: 6

Kentucky is always one of the most fun teams to watch. And if Monk is anything near what he’s advertised to be, that will hold true again this season. Monk’s a bit undersized at 6’3” and under 200 pounds, but if he were a bit taller he might just be the most sought-after guard in the nation. He plays with a reckless abandon that few players do, leading to authoritative dunks and unmatched baseline-to-baseline speed. Kind of like a better Nate Robinson. 

Team: Kentucky

Class: Freshman

Projected in the Draft: NBADraft.net: 6, Chad Ford (ESPN): 11, SI.com: 11

John Calipari once again produces one of the best freshman recruiting classes in the country. I’d assume these players chose the Wildcats for academic reasons. Right?

Between Fox and Monk, Kentucky is going to have one of the best backcourts in college this year. Fox was the consensus No. 3 overall recruit in the nation this year, and is going to draw a lot of attention from NBA scouts. He could be the best point guard they’ve had since John Wall, giving the Wildcats a chance to win their second championship under academically-concerned Calipari's watch. 

Team: Duke

Class: Freshman

Projected in the draft: NBADraft.net: 8, Chad Ford (ESPN): 5, SI.com: 4

Watching Tatum’s high school highlights immediately channel memories of another former Duke star: Grant Hill. Both are lanky small forwards with an excellent mid-range game and a tendency to throw it down. Duke is lucky enough to have two potential top 10 picks on its team, so Tatum’s season could be drawing attention deep into March. Shockingly, the Coack K led Blue Devils will be one of the best teams in the country and is considered the favorite to cut down the net.

Team: Washington

Class: Freshman

Projected in the Draft: NBADraft.net: 3, Chad Ford (ESPN): 2, SI.com: 3

Fultz was the breakout star of FIBA’s U18 basketball championships. And he may very well be the most athletic college player in the country. Fultz isn’t a great shooter, but he’s able to rely on that athleticism to get to the rim on a consistent basis—kind of like Derrick Rose. If he develops a jumper this season, he will be in the conversation for No. 1 overall pick—and probably still will be anyway if he doesn’t.