Temple may have propelled themselves to a 2013 NCAA Tournament berth following a crucial upset victory over #21 VCU on Sunday.
Leading the way for the Owls today was shooting guard Khalif Wyatt who scored 30 points in the win and whose contributions were key in the victory over the Rams.
This is nothing new for the Norristown, Pennsylvania product as Wyatt has proven himself to be one of the best pure scorers in college basketball this season, averaging 19.5 PPG this year, good for the 20th best average in the nation. Wyatt is also very dependable as he is shooting 42 percent from the field, as well as a solid 34 percent from three-point range. He is also an 83 percent free throw shooter and can always be counted on to come up big in the clutch for Temple.
The senior has an extensive offensive arsenal as he can be used as a spot-up shooter and is excellent in isolation at creating his own shots. For these reasons, his repertoire is comparable to Damian Lillard, the starting point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers and likely NBA Rookie of the Year winner.
I consider Wyatt’s defense to be average, although he has quick hands and anticipation on defense, proven by his 1.6 steals per game average this season.
One element of Wyatt’s play that could be improved is his ball handling and decision-making at times because he has a tendency to attempt risky, unnecessary passes, resulting in him averaging 3.1 turnovers per game.
Also, there could be some off the court concerns for Wyatt following his September 2012 arrest for engaging in prostitution and resisting arrest.
However, Wyatt has avoided trouble with the law since and could be worth the risk for teams in the late second round or in free agency after the draft in need of a shooter. Wyatt has a high ceiling and is a very high reward/relatively low risk player.
Despite Wyatt’s 2012 arrest, he could still be a valuable addition to an NBA team off the bench and it looks as if he has turned the corner after his arrest.
Khalif Wyatt is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2013 NBA Draft with one arrest in his past, however if there is one player in the draft to take a gamble on, it would be Wyatt.