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Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre was able to defeat Texas power forward Myles Turner to round out the top ten of LB's Community Big Board.
Oubre certainly didn't have the freshman year many envisioned for him. Viewed by many (including myself) as the top wing player in the draft coming into the season, the 19-year-old played sparingly at the beginning of the season, and finished with averages of 9.3 points in just 21 minutes per game. Oubre flashed some potential of future NBA superstardom, but really just wasn't given the amount of playing time to do it on a consistent basis.
However, he was able to showcase a real solid shooting stroke, absurd athleticism, and real good defensive play in the limited amount of action he saw. While many were probably disappointed with his single year at Kansas as a whole, most of that was out of his control, and he's certainly a top 10 talent. I imagine he slips even latter into the lottery, and some team ends up with a real solid pro.
(Side note to future college basketball wings who all obviously read Liberty Ballers: please stop playing for Bill Self. He has no idea how to incorporate talented swingmen into his offense. Self is just not the guy you want to play under at all, especially if you're a one-and-done type looking to help your draft stock.)
Turner finished with 32% of the votes for his second place finish. He's a freakishly athletic big man with some serious range in his offensive game, but I have my concerns. He plays like a hunchback (so he's not using his size to his advantage), and Turner has had a real slew of injuries throughout his young career. Not sure how comfortable I'd feel taking him this high with some safer players on the board, although I do acknowledge he's a talented guy.
Also earning votes are Kentucky's Devin Booker, Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, and UCLA's Kevon Looney. For the next round of voting, they'll be joined by Kentucky's Trey Lyles, who should become the odds on favorite to win the 11th overall spot.
1. Karl-Anthony Towns - Kentucky Wildcats
2. D'Angelo Russell - Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Jahlil Okafor - Duke Blue Devils
4. Mario Hezonja - Barcelona (Spanish ACB)
5. Emmanuel Mudiay - Guangdong (CBA)
6. Justise Winslow - Duke Blue Devils
7. Kristaps Porzingis - Baloncesto Sevilla
8. Stanley Johnson - Arizona Wildcats
9. Willie Trill Cauley-Stein - Kentucky Wildcats
10. Kelly Oubre - Kansas