What is Anthony Black’s draft projection? Exploring Arkansas’ 6’7” guard’s chances to make it into NBA

The NBA draft is rapidly approaching, and the teams sitting outside the playoff picture have shifted their focus towards this. The draft lottery, which decides the order for the 14 teams that don't make the playoffs, is May 16, with the draft on June 22.

Among the players expected to hear their names called early on in the draft is Anthony Black. According to ESPN, Black is the No. 8 prospect after averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game in his lone season at Arkansas.

The 6-foot-7 point guard is known as one of the best defenders in this draft class after helping the Razorbacks to a 22-14 record.

What is Anthony Black's draft projection?

Black has been among the top prospects in this class for the past few seasons. He was the 15th-ranked recruit coming out of high school, according to ESPN, and has done little to change this outlook. The Texas native is a lock to hear his name called in the lottery, with most expecting him to be within the top 10 picks.

While his raw numbers looked good, Black did have some issues with his efficiency. He shot 45.3% from the field overall and just 30.1% from beyond the three-point arc. Black has a high basketball IQ and flashed his ability to make the right play but does not look on track to becoming a go-to scorer at the NBA level.

If he can improve as a shooter, it will increase his NBA ceiling in a major way. However, there is still plenty to like about Black even without this being the case. At 6-foot-7, he can create some interesting matchup issues and possess some sneaky athleticism.

Black can be relied on to effectively run an offense and excel in the fastbreak. He has shades of Josh Giddey in his game and will be a solid complementary piece on a contender. As the NBA continues to shift into a more portionless style with size at a premium, there are plenty of teams that will be attracted to Anthony Black as a result.

There are a number of exciting prospects in this year’s draft class so it will be interesting to see Black’s outlook as the pack begins to separate over the next couple of months. Count on him to remain in the mix for a high lottery pick and don’t rule out him being a draft riser due to his size, skillset, and versatile style of play.