Of the three Bears headed to the 2012 NBA Draft, Baylor's Perry Jones III looks like the sole first round candidate, and a Top 15 pick at that. In Tom Ziller's latest post-Lottery mock draft at SB Nation, Jones is predicted to go eighth overall to the Toronto Raptors:
Perhaps more than any other player in the lottery range, Jones The Third desperately needs a coach who can teach him the game and work with him closely to help him achieve his potential. I believe in Dwane Casey to do that. He also happens to be a much-needed defender (assuming Casey can smooth out the rough edges on that end).
Yahoo's updated Draft Express mock (also adjusted for last night's Lottery selections) has Jones a little further down, headed to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 12:
After trading Andrew Bogut to Golden State, and with Ersan Ilyasova an unrestricted free agent, Milwaukee is woefully thin in the frontcourt. While the Bucks could certainly use some more mass in the paint, they might have a tough time passing up a prospect as talented as Jones, who was projected as a top-five pick just a year ago.
Draft Express makes mention of Jones' once-lofty projections - entering last fall, he was thought to be a Top 5 pick, and some scouts still think he's got the talent of a Top 5 guard.
For more on the 2012 NBA Draft, be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA page. Baylor Bears news and updates can be found at Our Daily Bears.
