Wooden Watch: NBA scouts dish on nation's best

ByC.L. BROWN
January 26, 2017, 10:21 AM

— -- The winner of the Wooden Award might or might not go on to have a great NBA career. Trying to project success at the next level is not what the award is about.

That said, the pro scouts have been watching these players throughout their careers. We asked several of them, speaking on the condition of anonymity, to discuss the five players on the Wooden Watch this week.

Here's a sampling of what they said:

Josh Hart, Villanova Wildcats

Hart is a 6-foot-6 guard, but he shoots a higher percentage of 2-point shots than some post players (63.4 percent). Providence had no answer for Hart on Jan. 21, as he converted eight of 14 attempts inside the arc and finished with 25 points.

Scout's take: "He knows how to play and plays hard. He's kind of similar to a Malcolm Brogdon. Not great at anything in particular but good. Everything for Josh Hart comes hard. He's not the natural, elite-level athlete. He's blue-collar."

Lonzo Ball, UCLA Bruins

Ball flirted with a triple-double in UCLA's 102-80 win over Arizona State on Jan. 19, with 10 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. He couldn't lift the Bruins past Arizona in their 96-85 loss on Jan. 21, despite scoring a game-high 24 points with eight assists and only one turnover.

Scout's take: "Elite-level passer. He's got some athleticism. He has a funky-looking shot, but he can get it off. He still has to work on being able to get to a spot in the half-court situation. He's not going to break you down to get there. But in transition, where he has more open floor, his handle is more conducive to getting wherever he needs."

Frank Mason III, Kansas Jayhawks

Mason didn't have the best shooting night in the Jayhawks' 85-69 loss at West Virginia on Tuesday. His 6-for-16 performance from the field was highlighted by the fact that he didn't attempt a free throw for just the second time all season, and he has just three attempts in his past three games.

Scout's take: "Frank Mason has gotten better. Last year, the year before, he was just thirsty to score the ball. He didn't care who was open. Now he's shown some maturation. The little dude is going to keep coming at you too. He's hard to keep out of that lane. They're winning because of his play."

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue Boilermakers

Swanigan scored a team-high 25 points -- including a career-high three 3-pointers -- and had a game-high 17 rebounds in Purdue's 84-73 win over Michigan State on Tuesday. Turnovers are about the only hole in his game. He had seven against the Spartans, which marked the fifth game this season in which he had five or more.

Scout's take: "I'd just give the award to him based on what he's overcome. I take my hat off. His game has flourished on top of that. He shot a step-back, one-leg jumper [against Michigan State], and I was like, 'wow.' And he did it like, 'I know what I'm doing' too. He's a very intelligent kid too."

Johnathan Motley, Baylor Bears

Motley makes his debut on the list as one of the most efficient players in the nation. His 32-point, 20-rebound outing in the Bears' 74-64 win over Texas on Jan. 17 is one of the crown jewel individual performances this season. It was the first 30-20 game in the Big 12 since Oklahoma's Blake Griffin recorded one in 2009.

Scout's take: "He's got some tools to work with. Most of those Baylor guys don't really pan out. He's got some left. He can face up and shoot some. My thing with him is just motor, just running high on a consistent basis."

Honorable mentions

On the radar