Draft Watch 2016

Jonquel Jones

George Washington

Jonquel Jones is a 6-foot-6 forward who plays for George Washington University. Jones led the Colonials to their second consecutive, and sixth overall, Atlantic 10 conference title after averaging 17 points and 15 rebounds in her senior season.

Jones delivered a season high of 27 points on November 17 against American University, in which she also tallied 17 rebounds. Jones set a program record by totaling 26 rebounds against Iowa (11/27) and recorded a 16-game streak of 10 or more rebounds in games spanning from November 21 to January 20. She is now second in program history in total rebounds (978), third in scoring average (16.0) and fifth in total blocks (171).

In her junior year, Jones was awarded Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, as well as Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player. She was also named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Watch List, the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team, the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team and the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team.

As a member of the Bahamian National Team in 2015, Jones carried her native team to fifth place in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation Senior Championship with an average of 17 points and 14 rebounds through five games.

With her size and skill set, Jones will be a solid prospect in the forward position.

*George Washington fell to Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Tiffany Mitchell

South Carolina

Tiffany Mitchell, a 5-foot-9 guard for the University of South Carolina is one of the program’s most decorated players with her numerous accolades. She is third in program history in most free throws made in her career (439) and fifth in total career points (1843).

She averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as the Gamecocks went 28-1 on the season and 16-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Mitchell propelled South Carolina to its second straight SEC tournament title with a season-high 24 points and was honored as the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Mitchell, a three-time candidate for the Wooden Award, is the first player in program history to be selected as a finalist for the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy and the Wade Trophy in the same year. Mitchell is also a two-time SEC Player of the Year and received the Dawn Staley Award in 2015. She has also gained international experience while in college by participating in the 2014 FIBA 3×3 World Championship, in which she won a gold medal.

Mitchell is a dynamic guard and leader with a winning mentality. She can be expected to hold her composure and be effective with the ball in crunch time.

*South Carolina was eliminated by Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen.

Morgan Tuck

UConn

Morgan Tuck is a 6-foot-2 forward for the top women’s college basketball program in the nation, the University of Connecticut. UConn went undefeated in the regular season and looks to claim its fourth consecutive NCAA title behind the leadership of Tuck.

For the season, Tuck is averaging 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
She recorded a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds, both season highs, over the University of South Florida on January 10.

During her time at UConn, Tuck earned the 2016 American Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award and was selected to the All-Conference First Team for the second time. After a stellar run in the 2015 NCAA tournament, Tuck was named to the All-NCAA Tournament Team.

Although Tuck endured several knee injuries and had knee surgery early in her collegiate career, she remains a threat on both ends of the court. Tuck is a versatile forward with the ability to score in the paint as well as score from beyond the three-point line.

*UConn won the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Aerial Powers

Michigan State

Aerial Powers is a 6-foot forward for No. 16 Michigan State University. She is averaging 21.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in 32.4 minutes this season.

In 19 games this season, Powers has scored 20 or more points, including a streak of six games (2/18-3/5). Her career high in points came on February 21 when she scored 40 points against Minnesota. Powers is ranked second in all-time scorers with 1,776 career points and is five points shy of becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer.

She ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference this season in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles (11) and led the Spartans to the Big Ten title game, in which they fell to No. 5 Maryland.

Powers has been recognized for her remarkable feats in her MSU career. She became the first freshman in program history to earn First-Team All-Big Ten honors, after she broke the MSU record for most free throws made as a freshman (107). This season, Powers was unanimously voted by Big Ten coaches and the media as a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. She is the only Spartan to receive the honor three times.

In addition to her conference recognition, Powers has been chosen as a 2016 Wooden Award Finalist and has also been named to the 2015-16 Wade Watch list.

*Michigan State was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Mississippi State.

Ruth Hamblin

Oregon State

Ruth Hamblin, a 6-foot-6 center from Oregon State University is a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and 2015-16 Senior CLASS Finalist.

Hamblin is the first player in program history to be awarded Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and is the third Pac-12 player to receive the award multiple times. With 412 career blocks, Hamblin is the conference’s all-time leader in blocks and has scored 1,269 points in her career. On the season, she is averaging 11.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game.

The Beavers’ top defensive threat led Oregon State in defensive rebounds this season, collecting a total 229 defensive boards. Hamblin also paced the team in blocked shots; she has totaled 117 blocks in 34 games. Her dynamic post play on offense and her defensive abilities will increase Hamblin’s stock in the 2016 draft.

*The Beavers fell to UConn in the Final Four on Wednesday, March 30.

Adut Bulgak

Florida State

Adut Bulgak is a 6-foot-4 center from Florida State University. She is averaging 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

This season she made the All-ACC Team, making her the 10th Seminole to accomplish this feat multiple times. Bulgak was voted to the 2016 All-ACC Second Team and is a 2016 Senior CLASS Award Finalist. Prior to the start of her senior season, Bulgak was added to the 2016 Naismith Trophy Watch List, John R. Wooden Preseason Top 30 and 2015-2016 Preseason All-ACC Team.

*Florida State fell to Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Imani Boyette

Texas

Imani Boyette is a six-foot-seven center from the University of Texas. On the season, Boyette is averaging 11.3 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game.

She leads the Longhorns in both rebounds and blocked shots. She has grabbed 10 or more rebounds 15 times this season, including two 17-rebound performances on January 6 and January 17. She is known for being a solid rim defender, averaging 3.0 blocks per game. Boyette recorded her season-high seven blocks on January 6 and tied it on January 23.

Additionally, Boyette is the top shot-blocker (101 total blocks) in the Big 12 this season and is ranked third in the conference in average rebounds.

In her collegiate career she has had her fair share of accolades which include being named to the All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Tournament Team as a junior, being named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team as a freshman, and also receiving Big 12 Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman Team honors.

*The Longhorns lost in the Elite Eight to UConn on March 28.

Courtney Williams

South Florida

Courtney Williams, a five-foot-8 guard from the University of South Florida, has developed into one of the top guards in the nation. In her final season with the Bulls, Williams averaged 22.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 34 games.

She has scored 20 or more points in 21 games this season; including five 30-plus point games. This season, Williams collected 10 double-doubles. On November 13th against Jacksonville, she scored 34 points to go along with 18 rebounds.

With 763 total points, Williams set USF’s single season scoring record. She is the only player in the American Athletic Conference to score more than 700 points in the 2015-16 season.

Williams has twice received AP All-America Honorable Mention recognition and is the first player in program history to receive the nod. She has also been honored as a Finalist for the Wade Trophy and named WBCA All-Region 3 Team.

Williams is a rare talent. Her tenacity is evident as she is the smallest guard ranked top ten in the country in rebounding.

*USF was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by UCLA on March 21.

Rachel Banham

Minnesota

The University of Minnesota’s Rachel Banham is one of the most decorated Gophers. The 5-foot-9 guard is Minnesota’s career leader in field goals attempted (1806), three-point field goals made (235) and three-point field goals attempted (594). She is also the second-leading scorer in program history, totaling 2,179 points in her five years.

This season, Banham tied the NCAA scoring record when she recorded a career-high 60 points against Northwestern on February 7. On February 21, she scored 52 points while shooting 9-for-13 from beyond the arc. The twice-named team Most Valuable Player broke the WNIT record for most points scored in a game after she posted 48 points over UW-Milwaukee on March 16.

Banham, who averaged 28.6 points per game, is the Big Ten Conference’s top scorer this season and second-leading scorer in the country. She broke her own season scoring record this season after accumulating 914 points (previous record was 750 after 2013-14 season). Banham was nominated as the Big Ten Player of the Year and, for the second time in her career, unanimously selected to the First Team All-Big Ten.

Banham’s talents have garnered her recognition, not only in the Big Ten Conference but in the nation, as well. After leading the NCAA in field goals made (315), she was selected to the AP All-America First Team, the espnW All-America First Team and chosen as a finalist for the Wooden Award.

Banham is a relentless scorer from the three-point line with the build and skillset to knock down a pull-up jumper and finish over a defender in the paint.

*Minnesota fell to South Dakota in the second round of the WNIT on March 20.

Jillian Alleyne

Oregon

Jillian Alleyne is a 6-foot-3 forward from the University of Oregon. Prior to the start of the 2015-16 season she was listed No. 16 on the espnW Preseason Top-25 list, in addition to being Preseason All-Pac-12. She averaged 19.0 points and 13.6 rebounds per game this season.

The 2016 Pac-12 co-Player of the Year ended her senior campaign as the top rebounder in the conference and second in the NCAA. She recorded the highest field goal percentage in the country this season (.585) and was named to the 2015-16 Senior CLASS Second Team All-America.

Alleyne has totaled 2,151 points in her four-year career, and with 1,712 total rebounds she is Oregon’s all-time leading rebounder. She is second all-time in career points and also sixth in school history with 147 total blocked shots. Alleyne holds the Oregon record for most rebounds in a season (519 in sophomore season). She is also one of three NCAA players to record back-to-back seasons with 27-plus double-doubles (2013-15).

Alleyne suffered a season-ending knee injury in February 2016, which could affect her draft stock. However, Alleyne is a skilled post player with a strong build.

*Oregon was eliminated by South Dakota in the WNIT Semifinals on March 30.

Moriah Jefferson

UConn

Moriah Jefferson, a 5-foot-7 point guard, helped UConn conclude its undefeated season with its fourth consecutive National Championship. She averaged 12.6 points, 5.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game during the 2015-16 campaign.

The Huskies’ senior floor general shot a team-best 43 percent from the three-point line this season. She ends her career as the all-time assist leader (659) and second in school history in career steals (353).

Jefferson was selected as the 2016 Dawn Staley Award winner; she is the first player in program history to receive the honor. She also earned the 2016 Nancy Lieberman Award. Additional awards that Jefferson has received over the course of her four years at UConn include: American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2016), WBCA Defensive Player of the Year (2016), AP All-America First Team (2016) and WBCA All-American Team (2015, 2016).

Projected to be drafted in the top three, the swift point guard will bring leadership to any WNBA team.

*UConn won the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Breanna Stewart

UConn

Breanna Stewart, a 6-foot-4 forward from the University of Connecticut, is one of the nation’s decorated players. She led the three-time American Athletic Conference Champions this season in scoring with 19.4 points and 8.7 rebounds averaged per game. She is third in the country in total blocks this season (126) and seventh in blocked shots per game (3.4).

Stewart capped her collegiate career as a four-time NCAA Champion and four-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. UConn is the first team in women’s basketball history to win four consecutive NCAA titles; Stewart is the only player to receive the Most Outstanding Player award four consecutive years.

The 2016 Naismith Trophy winner, Stewart is the second female college athlete to be awarded three years in a row (Cheryl Miller, 1984-86). She is the only player to win the award four times, her first which was won in high school. On top of that, Stewart was awarded the Wade Trophy for the second straight year. She was crowned AP Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and was named to the 2016 WBCA All-American Team.

Stewart is best at the power forward position due to her ability to post-up, however she is a skilled shooter, particularly from the three-point line. Stewart is a versatile player who can dominate in the post area.

*UConn won the 2016 NCAA Tournament.