What NBA Draft analysts are saying about Brown, Hodge

There weren’t many players in college basketball more productive than Kobe Brown this season. The forward averaged 15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a senior, leading Mizzou to a 25-10 record this year and a second-round appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Brown ranked in the top 500 among all Division I players of almost every advanced metric. Yet, through the grand majority of the season, Brown appeared to be off the NBA Draft radar. Most sites that cover the draft had Brown ranked outside their top 80 of the best players available, let alone their top 60.

It’s one of the reasons Brown drew the attention of Maxwell Baumbach, a writer for NoCeilings.com.

“Guys that produce that way at the high major level always play in the NBA,” Baumbach said. “It’s not a guarantee that you’ll stick around, you’ll be a starter or you’ll have a decade-long career. But if you produce like that, generally, you’re going to play in the NBA at some point. So to me, it’s just like, ‘Hey, this guy is hiding in plain sight. This is clearly a guy who will be on an NBA floor at some point in time, so it’s time to start talking about him.’”

Baumbach penned a prospect overview on Brown in late February, analyzing how Brown might fit if he were to make the leap to the NBA. Brown’s stock has steadily improved since then — most draftniks now have him being selected at some point in the second round, including Baumbach.

The same goes for Matt Babcock, a senior analyst for Draft Digest, which is published by Sports Illustrated. In his most recent Big Board released on Saturday, Babcock has Brown ranked as the No. 49 prospect.

“I’m curious how many early entrants decide to stay in the draft or return to school. That could potentially affect Brown’s draft status quite a bit,” Babcock said. “However, regardless, I see him as a solid option for teams selecting throughout the second round.”

There are a few factors working against Brown. One is his age — Brown was born on Jan. 1, 2000, meaning he’s currently 23 years old and will turn 24 next season. Baumbach pointed out most players don’t get significantly better after age 26, limiting Brown’s developmental runway. It’s the reason why the bulk of lottery picks are typically 19-year-olds who’ve played just one season of college ball.

Another is Brown’s 3-point shot. Brown made 55 of his 112 attempts this season, which Babcock notes “doesn’t happen by accident.” It was, however, the first time in Brown’s career that he shot above 30% from deep. He made more 3s in his senior season than he did in the past three years combined.

Having that dramatic of a shooting spike late in your career is uncommon but isn’t…