Name: B.J. Young
Age: 19 (will be 20 by draft)
Height: 6-foot-3
Position: Shooting Guard
School/Country: Arkansas
Latest Stats: 15. ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.4 apg 0.7 spg
Arkansas combo guard B.J. Young has made the decision to enter his name into the 2013 NBA Draft after flirting with the idea a year ago. Young is forfeiting his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility for the hopes of making an NBA roster. Despite the early entry, Young is looking like an early-to-mid second round selection, but he will get the opportunity to prove himself and any chance of first round potential in pre-draft workouts.
Young is an intriguing prospect, having played a lot of point guard early on in his career at Arkansas. Young is entering the draft as a shooting guard, but it somewhat comes as a bonus given his ability to run the offense, if necessary. Young had a great freshman season, but he never really took the next step forward in 2012-13. Young averaged a tenth of a point below his average from 2011-12, scoring 15.2 points per game this season. Young is a talented guard and given the right niche could certainly come into his own in the coming years.
Strengths: Young is a proven scorer, having averaged over 15 points in each of the two seasons he spent at Arkansas. His attributes in the back court feature some great athleticism and a sense of quickness and explosiveness. Young took advantage of those characteristics in making the instant splash that he did for the Razorbacks over the past two years. Can he build off these strengths and become a formidable guard in the NBA?
Weaknesses: Young can score, but he needs to improve on his shooting. He regressed in his offensive efficiency his past season, shooting just 22.7% from beyond the arc as a sophomore. Young needs to prove his ability to make shots at the NBA level.
Draft Projection: Early-to-Mid Second Round
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