When you look at NBA All-Rookie First Team, you might notice a trend. Aside from Paolo Panchero of the Orlando Magic, the other four on the prestigious list have attended college for more than two years.
Keegan Murray, No. 4 from 2022 NBA DraftHe spent two years at Iowa State, after a graduate year at Florida. Benedict Mathurin played two seasons in Arizona before imploding as a sophomore. Walker Kessler spent one year at North Carolina before transferring to Auburn for his breakout season. Jalen Williams spent three seasons in Santa Clara before becoming a lottery pick and emerging as one of the best rookies in the NBA.
Single players account for the majority of lottery picks over the past decade, but there are still many examples of older players who entered the league and immediately made an impact. Christian Brown spent three years at Kansas and made an immediate impact as a starter during the Denver Nuggets Championship. Brown and Murray led all rookies in every playoff statistic in the postseason.
Jalen Brunson and Draymond Green are two more examples of high profile seniors who spent more time in college before making the jump. Bronson has just led the New York Knicks to the Conference Semifinals, and Green has been a key part of four championships with the Warriors.
There are no top lottery picks expected in Thursday’s 2023 NBA draft, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have a career like the aforementioned players. Here are eight CBS Sports Big Board seniors who could make an impact for years to come.
Chris Murray, P, Iowa
age: 22 | Big CBS Sports Panel Rating: 20
Chris isn’t quite the athlete his twin brother is, but they both play a similar style. Chris will make an immediate impact as a mixed forward, and his shot should translate directly into the league. Keegan broke the rookie record last season for most three-pointers in a season, and Chris should get a good amount of long-distance shot attempts in his senior season and beyond. Chris shot 33.5 percent from long distance last season and ranked 91 percent in post-follow scoring, according to Synergy Data. His wingspan will give him the tools to be an extra defender at the next level, and his age/experience should give him an edge to be immediately ready to play for whatever team drafts him.
Jaime Jacques Jr., G, UCLA
age: 22 | Big CBS Sports Panel Rating: 25
Jaquez is one of the oldest first round prospects in this draft. He can jump into the spin instantly and make an impact because of what he brings to the table. Jaquez is not a great athlete in general but he is very cunning and can score anywhere on earth in a variety of ways. He showed flashes of being an elite scorer during his college career which may or may not translate to the modern NBA game. He’s a plus-sized defender with a high drive, and these are the qualities that could make him a staple in the NBA for years to come. Jaquez may not have the roof of fellow UCLA player Amari Bailey, but the floor makes him a viable option for a opposing team in need of a depth piece.
Andre Jackson Jr., G, Okun
age: 21 | Big CBS Sports Panel Rating: 26
Jackson is one of the better defensemen in this recruiting class. That alone will help him stay in the league no matter where he gets picked on draft night. He has great size and height for the position, and his basketball IQ has been described as one of his greatest strengths as a player. Jackson’s biggest concern is shooting, which is very unreliable. If he were to shoot in the draft, there’s no doubt that he’d be a sure pick in the lottery. Only his athleticism and defensive flair alone would make him a potential first-round pick. If he can move into the right stance and improve his jump, the sky’s the limit.
Trace Jackson Davis, F, Indiana
age: 23 | Big CBS Sports Panel Rating: 29
Jackson-Davis is one of the better linebackers in this class, and due to the lack of big man talent in this draft, he was likely drafted higher than the ranking of the big plate. He is an elite athlete for his size and can play all four or be a small ball center at the next level. He has shown the ability to protect the young wingers on the perimeter while switching due to the athletic strength he possesses. His biggest concern going forward is his inability to stretch the floor and be a modern four-person stretch. Despite his shortcomings as a shooter, he has all the other qualities that enable him to thrive as a great leader who can finish around the edge and defend at a high level.
Olivier Maxence, Prosper, F, Marquette
age: 21 | Big CBS Sports Panel Rating: 30
Maxence-Propsper’s stock has risen steadily since last month’s NBA Combine thanks to his size and athleticism. He was a second-round drop and even a candidate to go back to school for another season and test his luck during the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s shown that he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact on the game, however, and can use his defense and pure athleticism to make his presence known on the ground. He is another player who would benefit greatly from improving his shooting. He’s improved during each season he’s been in college, but he’ll need to prove he can drop shots from outside the arc at a consistent rate to take the next step.
Colby Jones, G, Xavier
age: 21 | CBS Sports Big Panel Rating: 33
Jones went from shooting 29.2% from 3-point land at 2.1 tries per game as a sophomore to a respectable 37.8% as a junior at 3.4 tries per game. Jones shot 33.3% from long distance as a freshman at Xavier and will have to continue to show that last season he wasn’t one surprise. Jones has an impressive size of attitude with an NBA-ready frame. He has the upside as a defender and has shown the ability to smash glass hard for the keeper. These are all qualities that could make him a stickler for an NBA roster.
Julian Strother, G, Gonzaga
age: 21 | CBS Sports Big Panel Rating: 34
Once an elite recruit, Strather would have been an odds-on candidate coming out of high school. It ended up being the case. Strother stayed for three seasons with the Vigs and showed improvement each season. He has a quick and mechanically sound shooting movement, which helped him become a quality shooter last season. He doesn’t have the fastest first step and his lateral speed can be a concern defensively, but Strother has the opportunity to play a role in the NBA as a shooter.
Galen Wilson, Kansas
age: 22 | CBS Sports Big Panel Rating: 45
Wilson has a chance to be like Brown, his former teammate at Kansas. Wilson isn’t as exceptionally athletic as Brown, but he has a high drive and an awkward game for opposing teams because of his size. He is too fast for the senior guards who guard him and too strong for the smaller guards who take up the challenge of defending him. One of his greatest strengths is rebounding with an 8.3 board average last season with the Jayhawks. Wilson comes from championship DNA with Kansas and will prove himself in the league if he improves his long-distance shooting.