No. 13 overall: Kanaan Carlyle, from Stanford
The scoop: Plenty of freshmen struggled to put up numbers in an ultra-old, college basketball landscape this past season. Kanaan Carlyle was immune to that problem. The top-50 freshman immediately inserted himself as one of the top options in Stanford’s backcourt. Carlyle averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.
The efficiency wasn’t always there, but the upside is obvious. Carlyle is one of the ballyhooed young guards near the top of every transfer portal wishlist.
Carlyle is a complete menace off the bounce, jitterbugging his way across the court and in and out of the lane with ease. He moves defenders, not vice versa. Carlyle’s decision-making has to improve and that will come with time and seasoning. He had a sky-high 22% turnover rate during Pac-12 play. But refining when to uncork his jumper will be a major key. Carlyle’s tape is littered with terrific moves to create space and then tough, low-percentage jumpers. Carlyle is a better shooter than his percentages indicate. He splashed nearly 40% of his 53 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, but he shot just 10-for-46 (21.7%) on off-the-dribble 3-pointers which sank his overall ratios. He also shot just 46% at the rim. That number has to improve.
But all the tools are there for Carlyle to be a total star one day.
Indiana has jumped to the top of the pack for Carlyle. If Mike Woodson’s latest transfer portal addition (Washington State’s Myles Rice) can create more catch-and-shoot opportunities for its next potential addition (Carlyle), the Hoosiers could be back in business.
