Alex Sarr Named ESPN's No. 1 2024 NBA Draft Prospect; Isaiah Collier Down to No. 8
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVJanuary 2, 2024
French forward Alex Sarr moved up to No. 1 on the 2024 NBA draft board for ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"Sarr's continued improvement this season, overall consistency and outstanding NBA fit playing a similar role to the likes of Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren makes him a safe choice currently as the potential No. 1 pick," Givony wrote.
Givony and ESPN colleague Jeremy Woo listed USC guard Isaiah Collier atop their 2024 mock draft in November, with Sarr projected as the No. 2 pick. Collier now sits eighth in the newest ranking.
Here's Givony's updated top five:
- Alex Sarr, PF/C, Perth Wildcats
- Zaccharie Risacher, SF, JL Bourg
- Cody Williams, SG/SF, Colorado
- Ja'Kobe Walter, SG/SF, Baylor
- Nikola Topić, PG, Red Star
In their November mock, Givony and Woo wrote how "it appears the competition for No. 1 could potentially play out up until draft night in June with an ill-defined top group of prospects garnering mixed reviews around the NBA as players enter the thick of their seasons."
That's reflected in the rankings published Tuesday. Colorado wing Cody Williams moved up from 10th to third, while French forward Tidjane Salaun and Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham are in the top 10 after sitting 15th and 16, respectively.
Collier's slide dovetails with the fortunes of his team. USC is 6-7 after dropping six of its last eight games, and the 6'5" playmaker averaged 12.0 points and 4.3 assists during that span.
"The allure to Isaiah Collier is fading behind his free-falling three-point percentage (30.3 percent, 3.0 3PTA), a sky-high turnover rate (4.1 per game) and too many USC losses," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote in December. "It's becoming difficult to make a No. 1 overall or top-five case for a point guard who isn't a shooter or strong decision-maker."
The Trojans are only two games into their Pac-12 schedule, so there's still time for Collier to re-establish himself as a top-five prospect. Wednesday's game against 4-9 California would be a great place to start.
