2024 NBA Draft: Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski highlight best available college players following night 1 (2024)

2023-24 stats: 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

Bossi's take: One of the most athletic big men in the draft, Adem Bona had mostly been considered a fringe first round talent, so it isn't a huge surprise that he's available on Day 2. He shouldn't last too much longer, though, because of his combination of size, quickness, bounce and power. He's battled through some injuries, but he has a lot to offer in terms of a big who can provide minutes off the bench. Also, he won't need to develop any strength to play on the interior in the NBA.

2023-24 stats: 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Bossi's take: If you are looking for second round value, then there is a lot to be had with Cameron Christie. In fact, he's a guy thatthe author of this article had going in the twenties on night one. A four-star, albeit a bit of an underrated one, prospect coming out of high school, Christie has good size at 6-foot-5. For a shooting guard, he has real feel as a passer whichmakeshim a danger to overzealous closeouts. However, what makes him a potential steal in this draft is that he has a very projectable role as a jump shooter. Per Synergy, he ranked in the 84th percentile of all college players on points per jump shot and he's just scratching the surface of what he can do off the dribble. His below average numbers finishing at the rim are a concern that will have to be addressed, but Christie looks like a sniper from deep in training. We are also talking about a kid that won't turn 19-years-old for almost another month. And despite his youth, he's got some maturity and carries himself like an older player.

2023-24 stats: 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Bossi's take: In speaking to NBA sources headed into the draft, there were growing questions about exactly where Kyle Filipowski fits on the NBA level. That and some concerns over his health are what ultimately led to him sliding out of the first round.Wednesday's first round slide, could beThursday's second round find because Flip does have plenty of positives. He's got the skill and size to play as a stretch five man in the NBA and he's proven to be a very productive player during his two seasons at the college level. A Second Team All-American and First Team All-ACC pick during his sophom*ore year, Filipowski should be able to find a home relatively early onDay 2. He has all of the tools to develop into an effective backup big who can help to spread defenses while still providing help on the glass.

2023-24 stats: 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

Bossi's take: Johnny Furphy dropping out of the first round was arguably the single biggest surprise on Wednesday night. Then again, 12 months ago it would have been crazy to imagine him being a one-and-done prospect. The Australian seemed to come out of nowhere last summer to establish himself as a coveted prospect in the high school class of 2024 before reclassifying to join Kansas as a highly regarded four-star prospect. Furphy had received strong reviews from NBA teams and was expected to go in the late teens to early 20's of this year's draft. That didn't happen. Now, here we are and Furphy is widely believed to be the best available prospect on the board headed into Day 2. He needs to add a bit of strength before he's ready to make a real impact on an NBA game, but he's got size, can shoot it from deep and has improved at a rapid rate. Years from now, there's a good chance that the narrative will be more about how *smart insert-team-name-here* was to pick him in the second round.

2023-24 stats: 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Bossi's take: Headed into Wednesday night, we had heard that Harrison Ingram could sneak into the back end of the first round. That didn't happen. But, the forward who transferred from Stanford to North Carolina for his junior year shouldn't be panicking. A former McDonald's All-American and five-star prospect who showed some real versatility and toughness playing for Hubert Davis, Ingram has previously displayed playmaking ability and has become an improved shooter from deep. His work ethic and character have received high marks from league sources. And when teams are looking for players to round out their rosters, he checks a lot of boxes due to his ability to play multiple styles and internal drive.

2023-24 stats: 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game.

Bossi's take: Outside of Furphy and Filopowski, Tyler Kolek was probably most unlikely college player to be left on the board after round 1. The country's leader in assists as a senior, Kolek is a two-time First Team All-Big East selection and was the conference Player of the Year as a junior. He really improved as shooter from deep during his final two seasons of college and has a lot of leadership qualities. He processes the game at a high speed, doesn't make many mistakes and is a better defender than it seems. It won't be a surprise to see him sign one of the better guaranteed contracts of any second-round pick. Kolek far outplayed expectations coming out of high school and likely sees slipping into the second round as more of an opportunity to prove himself, again, than some type of setback.

2023-24 stats: 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

Bossi's take: While the NBA doesn't mind rolling the dice on an unproven player, there were probably a few too many questions about Jonathan Mogbo for a team to spend a first-round pick on him. While he's plenty athletic and has tremendous instincts on both ends of the floor, the fact that he's bounced around a bit, did is damage for a mid-major and is still a bit rough around the edges made him a risky pick. Whoever drafts him is likely to assign him to their G League affiliates for stretches of the season so that he can develop. In the proper situation, his athletic gifts and natural instincts give him a real chance for success and to end up being a second-round steal.

2023-24 stats: 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Bossi's take: A solid showing at the combine in Chicago helped to build KJ Simpson some buzz early in the process. But, the reality is that he's always been headed towards being picked on Day 2. After all, he's a bit of a tweener guard who is more of a scorer than true point guard at 6-foot-2. That's ok because there's lots of room for him to grow and provide value as he carves out his niche on the next level. A four-star prospect in high school who initially committed to Arizonathen switched to Colorado after Sean Miller was let go, Simpson showed steady improvement during his three seasons at Colorado. A natural scorer at heart, Simpson is an explosive point guard who has legitimate untapped potential as a playmaker and great athletic upside despite his less-than-ideal size.

2023-24 stats: 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

Bossi's take: An injury during the NCAA Tournament probably hurt any chances thatJamal Shead had of going in the first round. That being said, he has several admirers in the NBA and there are multiple teams that are willing to overlook the question marks about his shooting and scoring because of everything else that he does. Pound-for-pound, you won't find a tougher player than the Big 12 Player of the Year. He is the embodiment of what Kelvin Sampson looks for in a player. A total pit bull on defense who became a trusted scorer, vocal leader and consistent producer, Shead turned himself into a college star. Considering that he arrived on Houston's campus as a relatively unheralded three-star recruit, he's already proven that he's ready to put in the work and that he isn't going to let anybody else's opinion put a limit on what he can accomplish.

2023-24 stats: 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Bossi's take: Had Jaylen Wells elected to hit the college basketball transfer portal, there's not much doubt that he could have commanded a pretty handsome deal from NIL collectives. After some early talk that the late-blooming wing (remember he played his first two seasons at Division II Sonoma State after being overlooked coming out of high school) could work himself into the first round, the most recent consensus had him being picked in the second round. His size, ability to move and near 42% shooting from behind the three-point line make him a really intriguing second-day option. He still looks to have a pretty significant upside as he adjusts to playing higher level competition. At a minimum, his ability to make shots from deep gives him a shot at finding a clear role at the NBA level as a spot-up shooter.