Every draft cycle, there are prospects who, because of age, slip in the draft. The idea of drafting younger players with more potential to grow because of their lesser experience is usually the right idea. But sometimes, really good basketball players translate to the NBA despite their higher-end experience level, and at some points of the draft, they make a lot more sense to take. I want to bring you through a few guys in this year’s class who will translate in the NBA and should be drafted higher than their projection.

Alijah Martin 6’2″ G Florida

A player who’s nowhere to be seen on many draft boards is Alijah Martin from Florida. Two prominent reasons for this are that Martin will turn 24 during his potential rookie season and is more of an off-ball guard despite being 6 foot 2. The overlooked part about Martin is that he’s simply awesome at basketball and has several good-to-elite tools that will translate him to NBA success. 

Martin has been tasked as the Gators’ lead point-of-attack defender this season. He’s a built and athletic 6 foot 2 defender who can navigate screens, move his feet well, and guard multiple positions despite his lack of size. His defense should translate to the NBA, and he could serve as a point-of-attack defender next to another guard who may struggle on that end. 

Martin is featured in Florida’s fast-paced offense as a floor spacer and an extra ball handler. He has taken 865 threes in his collegiate career, making 36.5 percent of those looks. He’s also averaging 2.4 assists to 1.4 turnovers per game this year at Florida. Despite being undersized, he has 27 dunks on the season, which is an extreme number for a player as big as him. He’s a monster in transition and a good rim finisher in general. 

Martin doesn’t present all-star upside in any way, but he has skills to be useful on both ends of the court in the NBA and could be a real rotational player for some teams. He should be drafted in the second round, and I would expect him to return value on that draft pick.

Vladislav Goldin, 7’1″ C Michigan

Another player who’s not commonly on draft boards but I think will get a second contract in the NBA is 7-foot-1 big man Vladislav Goldin from Michigan. Goldin is another player who will be undervalued because of his age; he will turn 24 this May. 

Goldin dominated for the Wolverines down the stretch of the season, having five 20-point double-doubles in the team’s last 13 games. Goldin doesn’t present a supermodern skill set, attempting just 33 threes in his 154-game collegiate career. However, there are not many players in the NBA who possess the size, coordination, and conditioning that Goldin has.  

Goldin is a good bet to become a backup big in the NBA who can give at least 15 minutes a night of interior scoring, rebounding, and rim protection. Goldin was one of the best players in college basketball this season, finishing at the basket and making over 70% of his shots at the rim. The most impressive part about Goldin is his coordination. I find it pretty hard not to have some level of NBA success with the touch, coordination, and size Goldin brings. It’s hard to contain someone of this size without fouling them. That’s something we saw at a high level this year, with Goldin attempting 5.9 free throws per game and making them at a solid 73 percent clip. 

Again, Goldin doesn’t present all-star-level skills but is someone who can very projectably fill a needed NBA role on a super small contract. You can argue about Goldin’s upside, but the upside of getting a rotational player in the second round on a minimum contract is so valuable, especially with the new CBA.

Johni Broome 6’10” Big Auburn

The last player I want to bring up for now is someone who’s definitely gaining draft buzz, and for good reason: it’s Auburn big man Johni Broome. I believe Broome should be a sure-fire first-round pick, but that’s not the case yet. Broome is going to finish in the top 2 in the Wooden Award this season; he’s been arguably the best player in college. Because of age, Broome is another guy who will probably fall a little deeper into the draft than he should, as he turns 23 this July. 

Broome was an elite offensive engine for Auburn this season. He was almost unguardable this season due to his ability to dribble, pass, and shoot a little. Broome had a lot of success at the rim and working in the post. He’s generally a solid passer and can get out of double teams, which will be very helpful in the NBA. Despite the high usage, he averaged just 1.5 turnovers this past season. He has the ability to shoot and space, but only to an extent, with his 28% from 3 on almost three attempts per game. He shot much better the season before at 35% on the same volume. My biggest concern was the free throw shooting, which was below 60%. But Broome has produced enough to get closeouts and have some respect from deep.

Broome, at the very least, has the ability to be a good offensive option, potentially leading some units as the main guy. He protected the rim at a high level and was a plus defender for Auburn. A question is if his foot speed can increase for real NBA success on that end. Broome is an exceptional basketball player who shouldn’t be overthought because of his age.