Kendall Marshall, Sophomore, Point Guard, North Carolina
Overview:
Missing the final contests of North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament trip was not ideal. However, Kendall Marshall did enough in the games he did play in to mark himself as the very best point guard in college basketball. He does not have the foot speed to be a perfect NBA prospect as he will not be able to guard many NBA point guards one on one. He also does not have a great outside shot, although he was improving on that as his sophomore year was winding down, taking and making many big shots for the Tar Heels. What he does excel at is passing: the ultimate point guard skill. He sees the floor (cliché alert) two steps ahead of everyone else. He is great at pushing tempo and making long passes to streaking teammates. Just ask Tyler Zeller. With the recent influx of scoring guards in the NBA like Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, Marshall is a prospect back in the mold of a “classic” PG: one who will look to get 15 assists before 15 points. His leadership skills are also impeccable as evidenced by the complete collapse of North Carolina’s offense in his absence.
Final Projection:
If he lands on a team with a two guard who can play great defense, all the better, but Kendall Marshall should be a fantastic facilitating guard at the next level no matter his final destination. If his jump shot falters and he turns into a less athletic version of Rajon Rondo, it is not a terrible contingency plan. Thus, Kendall will most likely be taken in the lottery of the NBA draft, perhaps as the first Tar Heel off the board: a highly unlikely development as recently as the beginning of the season.
5/31/12 Update by Dan Levine
Marshall broke the ACC record for assists last season. His value to the Tar Heels cannot be understated. When he was injured, North Carolina was not the same team. In a weak point guard class, Marshall appears to be the best facilitator of the bunch. His shooting needs to improve, but his passing is top-notch. He is not particularly fast, so he might drop in the draft. He should go late in the lottery or between picks 20-25.
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