Atlanta Hawks: 6 Under-the-Radar Players in 2019 NCAA Tournament
By Dallin Duffy
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Virginia Tech
Similar to Ty Jerome before, Alexander-Walker is a do-it-all star. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 4.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 34.4 minutes per game as a sophomore this year.
Because of his sharp play Walker has already been a steady riser in the mock draft scene, making it as high as even the top 15. We left him on the list for now as he’s still fairly unknown among mainstream CBB fans and is flying in well below the radar.
He can transition into either a one or two guard as a pro, and has great size (6’9 wingspan) for someone who can create shots from himself and others.
If the Mavericks’ pick drops to anywhere in the 8-12 range (god forbid) and transfers over to the Hawks, Walker could easily be on Atlanta’s draft board.
His shot is as pro ready as they come, as he shot 48% from the field on 12 attempts per game while making 38% of his threes as well. These are comparable to Kevin Huerter’s college days, who shot 46% and 39% during his 2 year stretch at Maryland.
His combo of play making and scoring abilities will likely translate well to both the pros and to Tournament play and if Virginia Tech is able to rattle off some wins, Nickeil’s draft stock might climb even higher.