Getty Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after taking a second half charge while playing the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Michigan guard Jordan Poole was a cocky freshman entering the Round of 32 last March against No. 6 seed Houston. The 37 percent shooter from 3 scored just 6 points a game last year. Wolverine fans only care about 3 of those, in particular.
As Beilein noted afterward, the Milwaukee native has an “overdose of swag.” Poole has carried that into his sophomore season.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder has averaged 12.9 points, 3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He cans 37.8 percent of his triples and is one of the most creative shot-makers on Michigan’s top-20 efficiency offense per Ken Pomeroy.
Entering Saturday night’s trip to Michigan State (8 p.m. EST, ESPN), he’s looking to boost his draft stock in front of a national television audience. At the moment, his projections vary wildly from late first-rounder to undrafted free agent.
Let’s take a dive into his prognostications, as well as mock drafts and big boards.
Jordan Poole NBA Draft Projections & Mock Draft
Bleacher Report has Poole going as high as No. 23 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Poole isn’t for everyone, but the Sixers could be drawn to his shot-making skills (40.8 3PT%). An advanced shot-creator and streaky scorer, he projects as an instant-offense weapon—though his shot selection and playmaking are suspect.
This reads similarly to former Michigan Wolverine and longtime NBA veteran guard Jamal Crawford.
Our own Jon Adams left him off his most recent NBA Mock Draft. Jeremy Woo of SI.com originally had Poole going in the late second-round.
As Michigan’s national profile has exploded, Poole’s game has made positive gains in his second year. He’s shot the ball extremely well from distance, but is beginning to show he’s more than a catch-and-shoot player, making some nice passes and plays off the bounce and also taking a step forward defensively. Although Poole is still learning and has maturing to do, based on the way the Wolverines are trending, it’s totally possible he steps up big in March, tests the waters and forces the issue.
In Woo’s January update, he docked Poole 13 spots to knock him to undrafted status. He calls him a “catch-and-shoot” guy that needs to learn how to “slash” into the lane more.
Jordan Poole NBA Draft Big Board Rankings
Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype pegs Poole as the No. 76 prospect in his aggregate mock draft. This includes Bleacher Report and SI.com’s high projections but notes that The Athletic and NBA Draft left him off their lists entirely.
ESPN’s Draft Board has him as the No. 14 shooting guard and No. 66 player overall.
One of the biggest areas of improvement is his defense. Basketball Society noted this in their scouting report.
Jordan also struggles off-ball on defense. More often than not, you can find him ball watching on defense. This is far too common especially during the times when his man is hovering around the ball handler. He’s a willing help defender, but it doesn’t always help his team when he leaves his man one pass away.
This is especially relevant tonight in East Lansing. Poole was one of the weak links in a 77-70 home loss to the Spartans, as the usually stout Michigan defense allowed 1.24 points per possession.
Despite limited involvement, Jordan Poole left a *lot* to be desired on defense against Michigan State:
At this juncture, Poole needs another year of tutelage under John Beilein and “defensive coordinator” Luke Yaklich. Given Beilein’s track record (Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Caris LeVert), expect Poole to get there in 2020.