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NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Markelle Fultz

By Lukas Harkins

Jan 25, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dribbles the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dribbles the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Sun Devils won 86-75. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

Strengths

One of the most exciting players in all of college basketball, Markelle Fultz is the projected first overall pick in this summer’s draft. On top of being an outstanding scorer, which I will get to shortly, one of the most underestimated parts of Fultz’s game is his ability to create for his teammates.

On the season, Fultz averaged nearly six assists per game and was close to a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Given the fact that Fultz held a usage rate of 31.4 percent on the season, those numbers are indicative of a player who is comfortable handling the ball, creating for others, and is capable of putting up his own buckets, as is obvious with his versatility on the floor.

As Jonathon Givony put it in his article with DraftExpress, Fultz has a plethora of skills that make him one of the most exciting players coming out in this year’s draft class:

"“Fultz is a tantalizingly gifted shot-creator, sporting an extraordinary combination of body control, ball-handling, footwork and pace. He changes speeds, directions and uses both hands innately, spinning off opponents, splitting ball-screens frequently, and finishing with euro-steps. He combines his ability to get wherever he wants on the floor with outstanding shot-making prowess off the dribble, making 42 percent of his pull-up jumpers on the season, with his 1.02 PPP ranking second best among draft prospects.”"

Although Washington did not make the NCAA Tournament with him on the team, this was not the fault of Fultz. Time and time again, Fultz dazzled scouts and college basketball fans everywhere with his ability to shoot and get to the basket. He is ridiculously quick and can finish in traffic thanks to terrific body control in addition to his already solid size.

Listed at 6’4″ and still under the age of 19, this kid is a star in the making who could easily be the top pick in the upcoming draft. It is hard to imagine a player of his caliber dropping out of the top-5, so get ready to hear his name called very quickly.

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