Evan Mobley – 7’0”, 215 lbs – PF/C – Freshman – USC
Projected to be one of the top picks in the draft coming out of high school, Evan Mobley is the nation’s top big man and one of the best center prospects to come out of college in a while. The 7-foot center has dominated his opponents all season long not only because of his length and large frame, but because of his elusiveness and extremely high IQ for being a center.
You could easily make a case that Evan Mobley is the best player in this draft class and for good reason. He is fast, he is agile and he is extremely crafty with the ball in his hands, making him virtually impossible to stop offensively, especially in the low-post. He has excellent footwork and touch around the rim and he is an elite-level rebounder.
Evan Mobley is not a “big bruiser” center like Andre Drummond or Dwight Howard, but there are some similarities between Mobley’s game and that of both Julius Randle and a young LaMarcus Aldridge. It is tough to find a true, spot-on comparison for Mobley because his size, mobility and skill for a big man is something we have not really seen before in the NBA.
His 7’4” wingspan allows him to contest virtually any shot and while he is not a bulky center, he plays physical defensive and is always aggressive going up for rebounds on either end of the court. There really are no weaknesses to Evan Mobley’s game, which is why he is one of the most intriguing prospects entering the NBA.
Evan Mobley’s biggest weakness is his perimeter shooting, but he does so many other things better than anybody else, so that is something that can be worked on and come in time, much like many other centers in today’s league developing an outside jumper.
One of the main reasons why USC is in the Elite-8 this season is because of Evan Mobley and what he has done to this point in the season. In 32 games, Mobley has averaged 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 3.0 blocks and has shot 58.2% from the floor.
Given his athleticism and the energy he brings to the court, there is no doubt that he is going to be a Top-5 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a young player that is going to make a big difference for a team in the frontcourt. With the way he plays well above the rim and the way he uses his athleticism to his advantage being 7-feet tall, Evan Mobley is going to enter the NBA and immediately become a mismatch and a problem for many teams around the league.
