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  4. title => "2019 NBA Draft Big Board 4.0: North Carolina's Coby White, Indiana's Romeo Langford heading in opposite directions"
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  6. article_body => "<p>Ideally, the Washington Wizards get lottery lucky.<\/p>\n<p>There is the basketball and business dream only Zion Williamson's supernatural gifts could fill.<\/p>\n<p>Murray State\u2019 Ja Morant would provide an electric charge with the injured John Wall idling.<\/p>\n<p>Those fantastical visions, while tangible, do not reflect reality.<\/p>\n<p>Targeting North Carolina scoring dynamo Coby White with their projected slot does.<\/p>\n<p>The 6-foot-5\u2019s rise up draft boards began during the college basketball season. It continues even weeks after the Tar Heels\u2019 campaign concluded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like White a lot,\u201d is what an NBA scout told NBC Sports Washington this week. The sentiment reflects an overwhelmingly positive view on the freshman from league-wide sources.<\/p>\n<p>The Wizards, who enter the May 14 NBA Draft lottery with the sixth-best overall odds of landing the first selection, need to jump up for those Williamson and Morant. There is a 37.2 percent chance of landing a top-four selection. Simply having stronger asset capital would help the yet-to-be-determined general manager.<\/p>\n<p>Landing White seems more and more like a viable fallback.<\/p>\n<p>The all-time leading scorer among boy\u2019s high school players in the state of North Carolina, White averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 35 games for the Tar Heels while shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n<p>With his lead guard skills and size to play on the wing, there is a positional case that White is a better fit for the Wizards long-term than Morant. White could play alongside Bradley Beal and John Wall whenever the five-time All-Star returns from his Achilles injury.<\/p>\n<p>The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Morant is strictly a point guard, but also the higher-projected talent. Passing on him, even with Wall\u2019s presence,&nbsp;<a data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/ja-morant-turning-hell-yeah-nba-draft-option-if-wizards-get-lottery-lucky\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">would be the wrong approach<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Duke guard R.J. Barrett joins Williamson and Morant as the consensus top three selections more than a month out from the June 20 NBA Draft. There is little agreement with prospects 4-8, though the draft lottery will certainly help shape the order. Based on the new draft lottery rules, the Wizards could pick 1-4 or 6-10 depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce.<\/p>\n<p>Texas Tech\u2019s Jarrett Culver, Virginia\u2019s De\u2019Andre Hunter, Duke\u2019s Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt\u2019s Darius Garland and White typically make up the pool of players immediately outside the top three. White\u2019s insurgent freshman campaign thrust him into the tier.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe there becomes a point where White\u2019s rising rank leads to some brush back. We\u2019re not there yet.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/wizards-tipoff\/episodes\/15a4bd6b-0ca0-48a8-9944-2363b5278d50\">Check out more discussion on White, Zion Williamson and the 2019 NBA Draft on the latest episode of the \"Wizards Talk\" podcast.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;*Texas\u2019 Jaxson Hayes, Gonzaga\u2019s Brandon Clarke, Oregon\u2019s Bol Bol, and international prospect&nbsp;Sekou Doumbouya are the current best bets to enter the 4-8 discussion. Bol\u2019s truncated freshman season factored into a diminished evaluation, but there\u2019s a turnaround in play, a Western Conference scout told NBC Sports Washington&nbsp;<a data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/2019-nba-draft-big-board-lovehate-relationship-possible-wizards-target-bol-bol\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">even after out previous love-hate relationship article on the 7-foot-2 forward<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>*Indiana shooting guard Romeo Langford entered the NBA Draft pool following his freshman season. The sense from scouts is he\u2019s exiting lottery selection talk. One scout told NBA Sports Washington Langford is \"dropping.\" Another said he would be flabbergasted if his organization considered the 6-foot-6 guard with a wonky jump shot in the top 10-14 selections. Langford averaged 16.5 points per game, but shot 28 percent on 3-pointers. Individual workouts and the upcoming NBA Combine offer chances to turn heads and momentum.<\/p>\n<p>*Maryland sophomore Bruno Fernando officially kept his name in the NBA Draft pool this week. According to a source, the 6-foot-10 center signed with Priority Sports and Entertainment, the same agency that represents Wizards\u2019 Bradley Beal and Jabari Parker. Fernando finished his Maryland career ranked second in program history in field goal percentage (.595) and 10th in rebounds per game (8.7).<\/p>\n<p>1.&nbsp;Zion Williamson, PF, Duke<\/p>\n<p>2.&nbsp;Ja Morant, PG, Murray State<\/p>\n<p>3.&nbsp;RJ Barrett, SG, Duke<\/p>\n<p>4.&nbsp;De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia<\/p>\n<p>5.&nbsp; Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech<\/p>\n<p>6.&nbsp;Cam Reddish, SF, Duke<\/p>\n<p>7.&nbsp;Coby White, SG, UNC<\/p>\n<p>8.&nbsp;Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;9.&nbsp;Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga<\/p>\n<p>10.&nbsp;Bol Bol, PF, Oregon<\/p>\n<p>11.&nbsp;Sekou Doumbouya, PF, International<\/p>\n<p>12.&nbsp;Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas<\/p>\n<p>13.&nbsp;PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>14.&nbsp;Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC<\/p>\n<p>15.&nbsp;Nassir Little, SF, UNC<\/p>\n<p>16.&nbsp;Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>17.&nbsp;Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga<\/p>\n<p>18.&nbsp;Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>19.&nbsp;Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>20.&nbsp;Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Va. Tech<\/p>\n<p>21.&nbsp;Cameron Johnson, PF, UNC<\/p>\n<p>22.&nbsp;Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana<\/p>\n<p>23.&nbsp;&nbsp;Goga Bitadze, C, International<\/p>\n<p>24.&nbsp;KZ Okpala, SG. Stanford<\/p>\n<p>25.&nbsp;Ty Jerome, SG, Virginia<\/p>\n<p>26.&nbsp;Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland<\/p>\n<p>27.&nbsp;Carsen Edwards, SG\/PG, Purdue<\/p>\n<p>28.&nbsp;Eric Paschall, PF, Villanova<\/p>\n<p>29.&nbsp;Luguentz Dort, SG, Arizona State<\/p>\n<p>30.&nbsp;Louis King, F, Oregon<\/p>\n<p><strong>Next up:<\/strong> Matisse Thybuille, SF, Washington; Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State; Admiral Schofield, SF, Tennessee; Daniel Gafford, C; Arkansas; Shamorie Ponds, G, St. John\u2019s<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>MORE WIZARDS NEWS:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Other Guys?:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/espns-brian-windhorst-teases-possibility-other-guys-running-wizards-gm-job\">Brian Windhorst hints at 'other guys' in running for Wizards GM position<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Lottery Simulator:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/2019-nba-mock-draft-lottery-simulator-30-would-zion-lakers-produce-hollywood-ending\">What could the future hold for the Wizards?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>A Chance at Zion:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/how-draft-lottery-changes-could-help-wizards-and-give-them-decent-shot-zion-williamson\" target=\"_self\">Lottery changes give Wizards hope<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>GM Search:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/wizards-gm-search-latest-raptors-gm-masai-ujiri-wild-card\">Raptors GM Masai Ujiri a wild card?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div class=\"video-filter art19-player-iframe\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/699721b3-e735-466d-ba23-f02d0d6b6893\/episodes\/15a4bd6b-0ca0-48a8-9944-2363b5278d50\/embed?theme=light-blue\" width=\"100%\" height=\"250px\" class=\"video-filter video-art19 vf-699721b3e735466dba23f02d0d6b6893 vf-15a4bd6b0ca048a899442363b5278d50embed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Art19 Player\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\n"
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NCAA

NCAA

Ideally, the Washington Wizards get lottery lucky.

There is the basketball and business dream only Zion Williamson's supernatural gifts could fill.

Murray State’ Ja Morant would provide an electric charge with the injured John Wall idling.

Those fantastical visions, while tangible, do not reflect reality.

Targeting North Carolina scoring dynamo Coby White with their projected slot does.

The 6-foot-5’s rise up draft boards began during the college basketball season. It continues even weeks after the Tar Heels’ campaign concluded.

“I like White a lot,” is what an NBA scout told NBC Sports Washington this week. The sentiment reflects an overwhelmingly positive view on the freshman from league-wide sources.

The Wizards, who enter the May 14 NBA Draft lottery with the sixth-best overall odds of landing the first selection, need to jump up for those Williamson and Morant. There is a 37.2 percent chance of landing a top-four selection. Simply having stronger asset capital would help the yet-to-be-determined general manager.

Landing White seems more and more like a viable fallback.

The all-time leading scorer among boy’s high school players in the state of North Carolina, White averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 35 games for the Tar Heels while shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc.

With his lead guard skills and size to play on the wing, there is a positional case that White is a better fit for the Wizards long-term than Morant. White could play alongside Bradley Beal and John Wall whenever the five-time All-Star returns from his Achilles injury.

 

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Morant is strictly a point guard, but also the higher-projected talent. Passing on him, even with Wall’s presence, would be the wrong approach.

Duke guard R.J. Barrett joins Williamson and Morant as the consensus top three selections more than a month out from the June 20 NBA Draft. There is little agreement with prospects 4-8, though the draft lottery will certainly help shape the order. Based on the new draft lottery rules, the Wizards could pick 1-4 or 6-10 depending on how the ping-pong balls bounce.

Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver, Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter, Duke’s Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland and White typically make up the pool of players immediately outside the top three. White’s insurgent freshman campaign thrust him into the tier.

Maybe there becomes a point where White’s rising rank leads to some brush back. We’re not there yet.

Check out more discussion on White, Zion Williamson and the 2019 NBA Draft on the latest episode of the "Wizards Talk" podcast.

 *Texas’ Jaxson Hayes, Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke, Oregon’s Bol Bol, and international prospect Sekou Doumbouya are the current best bets to enter the 4-8 discussion. Bol’s truncated freshman season factored into a diminished evaluation, but there’s a turnaround in play, a Western Conference scout told NBC Sports Washington even after out previous love-hate relationship article on the 7-foot-2 forward.

*Indiana shooting guard Romeo Langford entered the NBA Draft pool following his freshman season. The sense from scouts is he’s exiting lottery selection talk. One scout told NBA Sports Washington Langford is "dropping." Another said he would be flabbergasted if his organization considered the 6-foot-6 guard with a wonky jump shot in the top 10-14 selections. Langford averaged 16.5 points per game, but shot 28 percent on 3-pointers. Individual workouts and the upcoming NBA Combine offer chances to turn heads and momentum.

*Maryland sophomore Bruno Fernando officially kept his name in the NBA Draft pool this week. According to a source, the 6-foot-10 center signed with Priority Sports and Entertainment, the same agency that represents Wizards’ Bradley Beal and Jabari Parker. Fernando finished his Maryland career ranked second in program history in field goal percentage (.595) and 10th in rebounds per game (8.7).

1. Zion Williamson, PF, Duke

2. Ja Morant, PG, Murray State

3. RJ Barrett, SG, Duke

4. De'Andre Hunter, SF, Virginia

5.  Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech

6. Cam Reddish, SF, Duke

7. Coby White, SG, UNC

8. Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

 9. Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga

10. Bol Bol, PF, Oregon

11. Sekou Doumbouya, PF, International

12. Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas

13. PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky

 

14. Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC

15. Nassir Little, SF, UNC

16. Keldon Johnson, SF, Kentucky

17. Rui Hachimura, PF, Gonzaga

18. Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky

19. Grant Williams, PF, Tennessee

20. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, Va. Tech

21. Cameron Johnson, PF, UNC

22. Romeo Langford, SG, Indiana

23.  Goga Bitadze, C, International

24. KZ Okpala, SG. Stanford

25. Ty Jerome, SG, Virginia

26. Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland

27. Carsen Edwards, SG/PG, Purdue

28. Eric Paschall, PF, Villanova

29. Luguentz Dort, SG, Arizona State

30. Louis King, F, Oregon

Next up: Matisse Thybuille, SF, Washington; Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State; Admiral Schofield, SF, Tennessee; Daniel Gafford, C; Arkansas; Shamorie Ponds, G, St. John’s

MORE WIZARDS NEWS: