Noah Vonleh: Lottery Pick Lock?

This season's Indiana Hoosiers didn't live up to expectations: no NCAA Tournament, no NIT, a loss in the first round of B1G Tournament, and another in the only game with rival Purdue. There will be one positive memory for the fans in Bloomington though, watching Noah Vonleh live up to the billing and earn B1G FOTY. Vonleh led the conference in double-doubles and was the only reliable inside presence for Tom Crean's team.

Noah is likely a power forward at the next level and is seen as a good player with tremendous upside. His rebounding ability has been on display all season long, ending the season with 9 per game and the B1G rebounding title. Already an amazing athlete and solid defender, Vonleh's biggest weakness is his offensive consistency. Until he develops his skills on that end of the floor, Vonleh could struggle to score against NBA-level competition. Scouts are excited about his potential and he has drawn favorable comparisons to Chris Bosh.

Where Noah ends up will largely depend on how he performs in pre-draft workouts. Vonleh will be competing with other one-and-done players Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon, as well as sophmore Montrezl Harrell and senior Adreian Payne, to be the top power forward in the draft. Vonleh may be the most physically-gifted of the group with his 7' 4" wingspan and strong lower body, but he will need to show that he can contribute immediately if he wants to climb to the top of that talented group.

Most current projections have Vonleh slotted between the 4th and 12th pick in the draft. I think 4 is likely his ceiling, unless something severely damages the draft stock of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid or Jabari Parker. On the other hand, if Vonleh really disappoints in workouts, I can see him slipping to the middle of the first round behind Payne and Swiss product Clint Capela in the power forward rankings. Either way, Vonleh has the potential to develop into an All-Star level player at the next level. Something Hoosier fans can take pride in, even if he was only around for one tournament-less season.