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The 2022 NBA Draft is just a day away and the options for the best selection for this year’s event are still very much in the air.
Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Duke’s Paolo Banchero are among those who could be in first place overall when the Orlando Magic kicks off on Thursday.
A former NBA scout believes Purdue’s outstanding Jaden Ivey is the best player in the draft.
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“I think the guy I would select at No. 1 is Jaden Ivey,” Michael Vandegarde, who worked as an explorer for the Philadelphia 76ers for 18 years, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Purdue Boilermakers No. 23 Jaden Ivey dribbles the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at the Fiserv Forum on March 20, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photos by Ben Solomon / NCAA via Getty Images)
“Jaden Ivey is everything (guard of the Memphis Grizzlies). Ivey … and he shot it – much better this year. He drastically improved every aspect of this game. I absolutely love it.
“I would consider it at number 1, and I would be excited to take it, obviously in the top five, but if I stick to number 1 I would consider it 100%. And if I had to choose today, I would say Jaden Ivey “If I’m looking at (No. 2) 2 or 3, I could be selected there. to be absolutely the best player on both ends of the court, and he is the most dynamic athlete on this draft bar. “
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Morant # 12 of the Memphis Grizzlies faces the Golden State Warriors in the second half of the third game of the semifinals of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at the Chase Center on May 7, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
Ivey was a second-team All-American consensus and a first-team All-Big Ten Conference in 2022 after his second season with the Boilermakers. He played in 36 games and averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists before deciding to become a professional.
Holmgren, Smith and Banchero also had a solid career for their respective schools.
Holmgren, 7, was the 2022 West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year with an average of 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. It is classified at the head of some simulated drafts.
Smith was named the winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award for being the most outstanding first-year men’s basketball player in 2022. He finished his only year at Auburn averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Jurd Ivey, the 23rd of the Purdue Boilermakers, celebrates with assistant coach Terry Johnson after defeating the Texas Longhorns 81-71 in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Fiserv Forum on March 20, 2022 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
Banchero was the 2022 rookie of the ACC. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for Duke
Vandegarde added that he thought Shaedon Sharpe could become a formidable NBA player. He was a five-star shooting guard when he soon graduated to play in Kentucky. However, he did not play in the Wildcats and decided to become a professional.
“There are some very high level guys,” he told Fox News Digital. “I would even go down to Shaedon Sharpe. I’ve seen him for the last three years. He’s a bit of a wildcard. But I’ll tell you what, when I saw him two years ago and did a little exploration. “What I saw most about Kobe Bryant when I was a high school student in high school. I absolutely love him. But there are some important question marks. We haven’t seen him play at the highest level.” but I absolutely love this kid. “
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As a possible selection for the underdogs, Vandegarde mentioned Caleb Houstan as a possible solid selection later in the first round. He played 34 games as a freshman in Michigan, averaging 10.1 points and 4 rebounds per game.
“He’s not an elite athlete,” Vandegarde said of Houstan, “but he was a high school shooter for many years. of these guys who were amazing in high school became .to be much better players. “
Kentucky Wildcats No. 21 Shaedon Sharpe watches half-time against the Florida Gators at the Rupp Arena on February 12, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
The draft will begin at 8 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, home of the Nets. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN.
Although Vandegarde has been out of basketball for a while, he has joined the handful of former coaches who have joined CoachTube. The digital platform offers online sports training and education by experts in their respective fields.
Vandegarde told Fox News Digital that he has received many good comments from those who use him.
“It’s been wonderful. I think coaches really like getting their name out there. Obviously the world has changed in the last eight or ten years. You used to have to sell Walmart videos on the shelves, and now it’s all over. has moved into the digital age and the feedback has been wonderful, “he said.
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“I think for someone who lives in a certain part of the world or even in a certain part of the United States, you don’t have access to gym facilities and elite training. And CoachTube, I think, really fits that void. “
Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to Ryan.Gaydos@fox.com.