The Lakers’ front office staff had a working holiday, as they spent Memorial Day evaluating six more draft prospects.
Bryce Alford | PG | UCLA | 6’3 | 185 | Sr.
No one in UCLA history let it fly from deep like Alford, who hit a program-record 329 3-pointers. The First Team All-Pac-12 selection was especially dangerous in his final year, leading the conference in both 3-point percentage (43.0) and made triples (116).
“I know my ticket’s my shooting ability,” Alford said. “That’s the way the league’s going. If you can shoot the ball, there’s always a spot for you. That’s what everybody tells me. That’s what coaches have told me. That’s what GMs have told me.”
Dwayne Bacon | SG/SF | Florida State | 6’7 | 220 | So.
A Second Team All-ACC honoree, Bacon find his scoring stride in his second year at FSU, averaging 17.2 points on 45.2 percent shooting. His 6-foot-10 wingspan projects to be an asset at the next level.
“I feel like I’m getting a lot better on defense as far as guarding,” Bacon said. “I’m working on that. …But definitely my scoring ability [and] finding a way to win [are my biggest skills].”
Jordan Bell | PF | Oregon | 6’9 | 225 | Jr.
The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year left a mark on that end of the floor, ranking fifth in the NCAA in win shares (3.0) and 10th in defensive rating (89.0). Bell ranked among the Pac-12’s top four in blocks for the past three years and stepped it up for tournament time, earning NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.
“I think defense wins games,” Bell said. “I always want to focus on that, but understand basketball is an offensive and defensive game.”
Amida Brimah | C | Connecticut | 7’0 | 229 | Sr.
Brimah sent back more shots than anyone in 2015, leading the NCAA in blocks (121) en route to AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He hasn’t stopped adding to his rejection total, ranking 10th in the country in swats averaged last year (2.6).
Kennedy Meeks | C | North Carolina | 6’10 | 260 | Sr.
The Tar Heels’ path to the championship was largely paved by Meeks, who wound up on the NCAA All-Tournament Team after his strong showing on college basketball’s grandest stage. He was a spark plug all season long, hauling in the nation’s second-most offensive rebounds (152).
Derrick Walton | PG | Michigan | 6’1 | 190 | Sr.
Walton had his hands on just about every play for the Wolverines, placing eighth in the Big Ten in scoring (15.5), fifth in assists (4.9) and second in steals (1.8). He also took his game to a higher level in the postseason, receiving the distinction of Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.