Getty Jarron Cumberland of the Cincinnati Bearcats, who despite winning AAC player of the year is not on any NBA mock drafts
A junior guard out of Cincinnati, Jarron Cumberland has made a name for himself as one of the top two-way guards in the NCAA this season. The AAC Player of the Year, Cumberland saw his scoring average jump up to 18.8 points per game and became a much more consistent threat from the three-point line. A high-IQ defender with great size for a guard (6’5″), Cumberland is capable of guarding the one through three and offers the Bearcats considerable versatility on the defensive end.
Jarron Cumberland Latest NBA Mock Draft Projections
Coming into the year many analysts speculated that Cumberland’s size, length, and scoring ability would possibly make him an NBA draft target for 2019 NBA draft. However, despite leading the Bearcats to a 28-6 record and flashing improvement across the board, Cumberland finds himself lost in the shuffle and not included in any major mock drafts for either the 2019 or 2020 season.
Part of this is due to Cumberland’s age and the NBA’s infatuation with younger players. However, Cumberland has produced at every level he has played at and has the size, skills, and motor to eventually become a very solid member of any supporting cast in the NBA. Already 21 years old, Cumberland is much older than the swarms of teenagers that are dominating current mock drafts. H
Jarron Cumberland NBA Draft Profile & Player Comparison
Jarron Cumberland looks to have a fairly similar skill set and draft profile compared to Josh Hart of the Los Angeles Lakers. Hart was the beneficiary of playing on loaded Villanova teams (not that he wasn’t an integral part) that received a ton of exposure in the tournament while Cumberland plays for Cincinnati, which hasn’t advanced past the second round since Cumberland arrived.
Although Hart was a bit more of a pure natural shooter and rebounder, Cumberland shoots a respectable 39% from behind the arc and actually dishes out more assists than Hart. Both players also bring hard-nosed defense to the table and although Hart averaged slightly more steals, Cumberland’s relentless pressure on opposing guards routinely forces his man into taking terrible shots.
I’m sorry Josh Hart…I promise this effort does not go unnoticed.
Hart’s championship pedigree and national profile got him in the door with NBA teams who saw the results he could produce despite not being the most athletic guard in the draft and coming out after his senior season. Although Cumberland likely will not have that (barring an epic Cincinnati run to the championship), his play alone will give him the ability to prove himself in the NBA summer league.
An opportunity is all that Cumberland should need and despite being an undervalued asset now, could turn out to be one of the biggest gems of whichever draft class he chooses to leave in. Although his ceiling isn’t extraordinarily high, Cumberland could be a very serviceable two-way role player in the NBA one day.
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