If the projections are reasonably accurate, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the only player standing between the Pac-12 and a hefty dose of ignominy Thursday evening in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The versatile UCLA forward is considered the only likely first-round selection for a conference that typically produces a handful of them and hasn’t been shut out of the opening round entirely since 1988.
The last time it generated just one first-rounder? When Washington’s Quincy Pondexter went 26th to Oklahoma City in 2010.
Jaquez’s perch atop the draft class is somewhat unexpected and highly instructive.
The Southern California native was a four-star recruit who spent four years in Westwood developing his game. In that regard, he’s a warning and lesson for the conference. He’s a symptom of what ails the collective and a reflective view of the creeping rot.
Not long ago, in fact, the Pac-12 was basking in its draft successes:
— In 2017, it produced the top two picks, Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, and six first-rounders in all.
— The following year, it generated the No. 1 pick again: Arizona’s Deandre Ayton.
— In 2020, it accounted for one-fifth of all the first-rounders; and in 2021, it produced four of the top-24 picks.
This spring, the Pac-12 cannot claim a No. 1 pick and has no lottery-level talents. The closest thing to a first-round lock is Jaquez, who’s projected for the late teens or 20s.
Sure, someone else could provide an upside surprise. Perhaps UCLA wing Amari Bailey, who’s slotted for the middle of the second, will sneak into the end of the first. Maybe a team gambles on Washington State’s Mouhamed Gueye, a raw talent projected for the late second round.
But none of the other top players from the 2022-23 season are within a half-court heave of the first round. Not high-scoring Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis. Not UCLA’s sensational perimeter defender, Jaylen Clark, who’s recovering from an Achilles injury. Not USC…
Read the full article here
