After the Iowa Hawkeyes finished a 19-15 overall season with a 10-8 Big Ten conference record, all eyes turned to their star shooting guard Peter Jok. The Iowa senior capped a stellar season with all First Team All-Big Ten honors, following his Second Team performance in 2016. Jok solidified his reputation as an outstanding shooter as he finished the year averaging 19.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Jok was a four-year player for Iowa, who improved his scoring, rebounding, and assist averages each season. He produced great moments for Hawkeyes fans in 2017, highlighted by a 42-point outburst against Memphis in November and a 35-point barrage in an overtime win against Indiana in late February.

Jok was a great scorer during his career at Iowa. Let’s take a look at some of his strengths, weaknesses, and where he fits in today’s NBA.

-Player Strengths:

Anunoby has the perfect NBA guard frame at 6-foot-6 and 205 lbs. His 6’8” wingspan and 8’6” standing reach are also assets to his jump shooting ability. Jok was a true versatile collegiate scorer that produced elite numbers across the board.

In the 2016-’17 season, Jok shot 38 percent from three-point range and an incredible 91.1 percent from the free throw line. Jok shot more than 150 free throws this season which is a large enough sample size is validate the percentage. Looking back on his sophomore campaign, he also shot above 90 percent from the foul line.

As almost a 20 point per game scorer in the Big Ten, Jok brings as strong a guard resume from a college production standpoint as any comparable player in the draft.

As mentioned in the post combine discussion by Sam Vecenie of the Sporting News:

There is always a place for a shooter in the NBA, and Jok could be a good match. Big Ten players like Denzel Valentine spent most their first year simply serving as catch and shoot players, which are roles they may not be accustomed to playing. Jok could serve that role perfectly and would be very much in character. His shooting ability fits perfectly in an NBA that thrives off passing out of the double team.

-Player Weaknesses:

The major question for Peter Jok is whether he has the type of scoring ability that will translate to the NBA game. Throughout the season, Jok struggled against teams with longer and quicker athletes. These are exactly the type of defenders he will face in the NBA.

Let’s take a look at the toughest defensive teams Jok faced this past senior season as the lead scoring option for his Hawkeyes. He faced Virginia in November and suffered through a five for 14 performance, scoring only 13 points. Jok followed that up with a four of 20 shooting performance just four nights later against Notre Dame. Facing Matt Farrell, Steve Vastoria, and Rex Pfluger all night proved too difficult for Jok.

Later in the season, Jok struggled against Michigan State, finishing two of 11 from the field and missing all five of his three-point attempts. The length of players like Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston caused Jok to again underproduce.

-Potential Best Fit:

Whether Peter Jok can find sustained success at the NBA level will completely depend on the proper landing spot.

Successful NBA teams that need a spot up shooter would be ideal for Jok. Teams like San Antonio, Atlanta, Boston, and Utah could all use a floor stretcher that can make free throws late in the game. All of these teams draft late in the second round, which is where he would potentially be drafted.

Overall:

Overall, Peter Jok had a fantastic career at the University of Iowa. Multiple All-Big Ten accolades were supported by his versatile scoring ability. But whether that skill set can translate to the NBA remains the huge unknown.

Jok is an accomplished 23 year old shooter, but needs the right NBA fit in the late second round to truly maximize his ability to stretch the defense from long range.