by Daniel Olsen
With the culmination of the NFL Draft, the attention now turns to the NBA. The Utah State Aggies have had players selected in the last two NBA Drafts. Who are the prospects this year in the Beehive State? It’s time to find out.
Justin Bean
Justin Bean has a shot to make the NBA, but it would be most likely to come in the form of a second round pick or contract as an undrafted free agent according to most draft projections.
Bean has been nicknamed the Dennis Rodman of the Mountain West. He is second all-time in USU history with 1027 career rebounds. That is a skill that could really help him at the next level.
His weakness at this point is his athleticism, so that is something he will have to prove scouts wrong on as he works out. He was named to the PIT all-tournament team and had a highlight slam dunk. He is preparing for what hopes to be a successful NBA combine.
If Bean does get drafted, expect it to be near the end of the draft. Former Aggies Sam Merrill and Neemias Queta were selected 60th and 39th respectively in the previous two NBA Drafts.
Alex Barcello
Alex Barcello finished his NCAA career as one of the purest shooters in BYU history. As a transfer from the Arizona Wildcats, Barcello tallied 1468 career points in college while shooting 42.9 percent from three, 47.2 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free throw line.
While his shooting is an asset, Barcello’s size at just 6 foot 2 might be the one deterrent that keeps him from being drafted. Guards that size usually have to have stellar athleticism to do well in the NBA. It will be interesting to see how he measures out at the NBA Combine in the coming weeks.
Expect to see Barcello fight to make an NBA roster as an undrafted free agent. He would be one of many talented BYU players to make his mark overseas if he can’t play in his first choice league which is the best in the world: the NBA.
Koby McEwen
This four star recruit out of Wasatch Academy started and ended his career in Utah with a stint at Marquette in between. He started his career at Utah State where he was the Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West. After his sophomore year, a coaching change was made and he decided a change was in order too.
He finished with 2080 career points. That would have ranked high on career points with either Weber State or Utah State had he played his whole career in one place. He was one of the highest scoring freshman in Aggie history.
Koby has plenty of NBA skill, but one thing he needs to work on is his outside shooting. In the modern NBA, guards need to be able to shoot closer to 40 percent from downtown. Koby shot well from three in his first and final seasons, but shot between the high 20s to low 30s in the seasons in between.
Expect McEwen to play well wherever he ends up. He could see some time in Summer League and even the G-League in the NBA. If it isn’t for him, the Canadian could do well overseas.
Featured image courtesy Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal via Associated Press