Few, if any, projected lottery picks have aided their stock during March Madness as much as Culver, who joins Duke’s R.J. Barrett in the top tier of wing prospects. After scoring 29 points in the opening round against North Kentucky, he rebounded from an off shooting night against Buffalo to drop 22 points against Michigan in the Sweet 16. Then, in a tense Elite Eight victory over Gonzaga, Culver posted a team-high 19 points, six rebounds and three steals.<doc-sep>Jarrett Culver absolutely lit up Northern Kentucky in Texas Tech’s 72-57 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. He somehow found a way to increase his draft stock even more, adding onto an already decorated sophomore season to kick-off March Madness. Culver finished with 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting from deep, along with eight rebounds, seven assists, a steal, a block and just one turnover. It was the first 25-point, five-rebound, five-assist game in Texas Tech Tournament history. The Big 12 Player of the Year is one of the most well-rounded players expected to enter the NBA this summer, and Culver showcased every facet of his game to push the Red Raiders into the Tournament’s Round of 32. He can finish at the rim Culver is listed as 6’5” but he looks like he could pass for 6’7.” He can put the ball on the floor, and when he does, he’s not scared of attacking the rim. Culver displayed that ability multiple times while dominating Northern Kentucky on Friday. He showed he can finish at the rim whether it’s taking his man off the dribble or cutting off-the-ball before finding his way to the rack. Jarrett Culver is taking whatever he wants#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/65Q7mi9JXe — Bleacher Report CBB (@br_CBB) March 22, 2019 Jarrett Culver with the smooth ACROBATIC finish through traffic. pic.twitter.com/Fj7q713POJ — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2019 More people need to jump on the Jarrett Culver as the 2nd best player in the 2019 NBA Draft train. pic.twitter.com/AhQzF0bhUE — Basketball Society (@BBallSociety_) March 22, 2019 He can shoot the 3 Culver’s three triples against Northern Kentucky wasn’t a fluke. He’s been doing this all season. He might be shooting a modest 32 percent from downtown, but Culver has 11 games with multiple made threes this season. More importantly, he shot 38 percent from three as a freshman, with the drop-off in efficiency likely attributed to an increased workload on offense. Culver is also hitting threes from well beyond the college three-point line, which suggests he shouldn’t have much of a problem adjusting to the 24-foot NBA line. This is who Jarrett Culver is. Not flashy, but always knows where to be. He has 9 of Texas Tech’s first 14. pic.twitter.com/pJ93OYMCvd — The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) March 22, 2019 He has solid court vision Just look at this bullet. What a freakin' pass from Jarrett Culver pic.twitter.com/bBk9GVaqcq — Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) March 16, 2019 Culver has an ability to make passes many wings just aren’t capable of. He might not be Ben Simmons or LeBron James, but he’s able to orchestrate the pick-and-roll, where he’s shown poise in finding the roll man this season. Jarrett Culver and Tariq Owens with a nice PnR here. Culver uses the screen , turns the corner on Jaxson Hayes, and follows that up with a perfect pocket pass to Tariq Owens for an easy dunk pic.twitter.com/EIHVUdzMMW — Zach Milner (@ZachMilner13) January 13, 2019 That passing ability will be imperative. Teams at the top of the draft will be in search for a playmaker who can get his teammates involved. Culver is an offensive Swiss army knife. If it translates to the next level, and it should, he could be a gem in a top-heavy draft class. So how high will he be drafted? Culver’s averaging 18.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He had a 26-point game in the Texas Tech’s Big 12 Tournament loss to West Virginia and a season-high 31-point night (on 63 percent shooting) in a win over Iowa State. Culver has 12 20-plus-point games this season. His production isn’t a fluke. He’s the real deal. Mock NBA Drafts don’t know where to place him. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have Culver going seventh behind Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell has him going fourth-overall (so does Tankathon.com), and NBADraft.net has him outside the top-10 at pick No. 11. No one knows where anyone except Williamson will be drafted in June. The only thing that’s certain is Culver’s rising stock, so long as he plays the way he has this season.<doc-sep>By far the leading scorer for the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders, Jarrett Culver has shot up NBA mock drafts in his sophomore campaign and looks poised to be a potential lottery pick heading into the NBA draft. An athletic shooting guard with great size (6’6″) and athleticism for the position, Culver has a crafty offensive game and projects to be a very effective scorer at the next level. Jarrett Culver with the smooth ACROBATIC finish through traffic. pic.twitter.com/Fj7q713POJ — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2019 Culver is a plus shooter from all levels of the court and his three-point percentage has taken a hit due to the fact that he is extremely confident in his shot and happily pulls the trigger on contested three-pointers. Shot selection is something that can be taught but the fact remains that Culver has the intangible skills to be an elite NBA shooting guard. Jarrett Culver NBA Draft Profile: Latest Mocks & Projections Jarrett Culver’s upside and strong play have not gone unnoticed by NBA executives and mock drafts have him going towards the top of the first round. NBAdraft.net has him going 11th to the Orlando Magic, while ESPN has Culver going off the board even earlier at 7th to the Atlanta Hawks. Culver also profiles to be an above average defender at the NBA level, adding to his intrigue of becoming a potential two-way star at the next level. Although he does display questionable defensive IQ at times, he has the benefit of playing for a loaded Texas Tech defensive unit and usually has some help available. Jarrett Culver NBA Player Comparison Jarrett Culver’s game is similar to that of Will Barton’s, with the exception that Culver is a better natural scorer with a much higher ceiling. Both primarily shooting guards but can easily switch and defend every position on the perimeter, they also find ways to chip in outside of the scoring column by moving the ball well, defending, and hitting the boards hard. Will Barton GLASSED Josh Hart ✋ pic.twitter.com/LKv6Ll4zFS — ESPN (@espn) March 7, 2019 The pure scoring ability of Culver is really the biggest factor that sets the two apart as Culver can create his own shot while Barton is more reliant on playing alongside the Nuggets multitude of unselfish playmakers to get him his open looks. Barton was a second-round pick in 2012 but has far outplayed his expectations and looks to be a player that will stick around the league and contribute quality minutes at both ends of the floor for years to come. Expect the same future out of Jarrett Culver except for Culver to score considerably more points at the NBA level and possibly develop into an all-star at some point down the line.<doc-sep>If the Chicago Bulls manage to fall a ways in the 2019 NBA Draft lottery, looking the way of Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver isn’t the worst idea ever. Some of the showings we’ve seen from the top talent rolling through the NCAA Tournament thus far was very impressive and gave some encouraging signs to teams with a lottery pick like the Chicago Bulls. Players that are sticking out right now like the Texas Tech Red Raiders standout wing Jarrett Culver are becoming more and more attractive 2019 NBA Draft targets for the Chicago Bulls. Up to this point in the NCAA Tournament, Culver and Texas Tech present one of the more pleasant surprises. Culver led the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight after a fantastic performance to dominate the Michigan Wolverines by the final score of 63-44 in the Sweet 16. Culver is one of those NBA Draft prospects that was already considered to be a lottery pick, but he could rise up draft boards even higher here in the next few weeks. His stock is soaring after the way he showed out in Texas Tech’s last two NCAA Tournament wins over Michigan and the Buffalo Bulls. He also put on a show in the Elite Eight victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. ESPN’s NBA Draft Big Board now has Texas Tech’s Culver up to No. 6 among the best prospects available in general in this class. His stock will continue to rise if he plays the way he did up to the point of the Final Four. Here’s a look into the three reasons why the Chicago Bulls could be wise in selecting the Texas Tech Red Raiders sophomore guard/small forward Jarrett Culver in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.<doc-sep>
The star and leading scorer for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Jarrett Culver has enjoyed tremendous success in his sophomore campaign and looks poised to be a top 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. With fantastic size (6’6″) and plus athleticism at the two guard position, Culver has a crafty offensive game and uses his natural gifts well when attacking the basket. Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver flirts with a triple-double in first round winJarrett Culver posts 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Texas Tech's first round victory over Colgate in the NCAA tournament. Watch highlights, game recaps, and much more from the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament on the official NCAA March Madness YouTube channel. Subscribe now to be updated on the latest videos:… 2019-03-22T19:52:12.000Z Beyond just being adept at attacking the basket, Culver is a scorer from all three levels of the court. While his three-point percentage is lacking a bit, that is mainly due to the fact that he is an extremely confident shooter on a team without many scoring options and often gets stuck with the ball as the shot clock is ticking down, resulting in tons of contested threes. That issue shouldn’t be as prevalent in the NBA where he should have plenty of scoring help. Jarrett Culver NBA Draft Profile: Latest Mocks & Projections Jarrett Culver’s incredibly strong sophomore season have caught the attention of NBA executives and Analysts alike. Especially in both the conference and NCAA tournaments, Culver has been exceptional. Most mock drafts have him going at the very top of the first round. Our own mock draft by Jonathan Adams has Culver pegged as the 7th overall pick to the Hawks. NBAdraft.net has him going 11th to the Orlando Magic, while ESPN also has Culver going off the board even at 7th to the Atlanta Hawks. Beyond his promising upside as a scorer, Culver has the skills and size to be an elite defender at the position as well. While he shows mental lapses from time to time on that end of the ball now, those mistakes are coachable and he has shown to be an extremely effective communicator within Texas Tech’s elite team defense this season. Jarrett Culver NBA Player Comparison Jarrett Culver plays a lot like Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets, except that Culver is a far superior offensive talent with a MUCH higher ceiling than Barton. That being said, they do have quite a few similarities in that both are nominally shooting guards but can effectively slide and cover anyone on the perimeter from 1-3. More than defensively, both Culver and Barton find ways to contribute away from the scoring column and are great rebounders along with willing passers. Nuggets SG Will Barton 2017-2018 Season Highlights ᴴᴰHighlights from Nuggets SG Will Barton's 2017-2018 season. Get your SportzCases here! – sportzcases.com?aff=304 Promo Code for 10% off: SkyDesigns Twitter: @SkyDesignsgfx 2018-05-31T20:27:05.000Z The fact that Culver is an elite scorer from all three levels is the main differentiating factor between the two. Although Barton gets his buckets, most of them come on plays where star big man Nikola Jokic collapses a defense and finds Barton either open from three or slashing to the rim. Compare that to Culver who has shown an ability to create space and make shots for himself. Despite Barton’s production at the NBA level, he wasn’t the highest ranked prospect coming into the league and fell to a second-round pick in 2012. Having safely far outplayed his draft position, Barton looks to be a quality contributor on offense and defense in the NBA for years to come. Look for something similar from Culver, except that he should be much better at scoring the basketball and has the potential to develop into an All-Star one day.