NCAA analyst says Hannah Hidalgo, Lauren Betts, JuJu Watkins have all been better than Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers is one of the biggest names in college basketball. The Hopkins-born guard has been viewed as a generational prospect since joining the UConn Huskies and has mostly lived up to expectations. However, the typically consistent guard has suffered a dip in form in the past three games.

Her struggles were laid bare in the Huskies' game against the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday, as she mustered just 14 points in a surprise loss. She had a 31.3 field goal percentage and 33.3 three-point percentage in the defeat.

NCAA analyst Robin Lundberg had something to say about Bueckers' recent performances.

"Thus far, she's far from the best player in college. Obviously, Hannah Hidalgo has been better, Lauren Betts ain't a guard, but she has been better, and JuJu (Watkins) has been better," Lundberg said (3:20 mark) in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Friday.

"You know there's more. I can keep going on about players that have been better than Paige Bueckers".

It begs the question: Will Bueckers' slump in productivity affect her draft stock if she decides to declare for the WNBA draft at the end of the collegiate basketball season?

Is Paige Bueckers' draft stock plummeting in 2025?

While Paige Bueckers could perform significantly better than she has, it's unlikely that her draft stock will take a hit. The three players mentioned by Robin Lundberg are awesome talents, but there's a reason why Bueckers remains the consensus best player of her class.

Hannah Hidalgo is a phenomenal guard talent, soaring with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, she's still in her sophomore year and won't be eligible for the 2025 WNBA draft. Furthermore, Bueckers remains a better passer than Hidalgo at this point in her career.

Lauren Betts is in her junior year and will be eligible for this year's WNBA draft. However, as the analyst pointed out, Betts is not a guard but a center. Hence, she's incomparable to Bueckers and possesses a significantly different skill set.

Furthermore, the first three teams in the upcoming draft are more concerned with picking up an elite guard rather than an All-American center.

Then there's JuJu Watkins, a player many consider to be the next face of the NCAA. Watkins is a guard talent with great potential and a polished game in her sophomore year. She's a superstar in the making, but she's not eligible for this year's draft.

Hence, Paige Bueckers' draft stock is not under threat. She'll need to turn in a generational run of bad performances to be considered lower than the first pick in the upcoming draft. Furthermore, the UConn Huskies coaching staff will be hard at work to ensure their star player is back to form and in record time.