Should we be worried about Kanon Catchings? When the four-star recruit flipped his commitment from Purdue to BYU, most expected his path to a first-round selection was nearly certain. Ten games into the season, however, and the stretchy, athletic wing may be further from a finished product than first hoped.
Maybe we’re overreacting. After all, ten games is a small sample size, and Catchings isn’t alone in struggling to keep pace with Coach Young’s drumbeat. Inconsistency is to be expected for a freshman under the tutelage of a first-year head coach, and I don’t mean to imply Kanon looks like a bust–quite the opposite.
Kanon’s ball skills are undeniable. With a surprisingly tight handle, and explosiveness that could alert the National Guard, the Brownsburg, Indiana native displays NBA-caliber athleticism in every contest. On the defensive end, he uses his length and lateral quickness well to do everything you’d want in a 3-and-D type player on the next level.
OK KANON 🫢
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— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 15, 2024
Here’s the holdup: his flashes of brilliance reveal an undeniably NBA-quality prospect, but we need to see that elite-level hooping in greater abundance. Several times in-game, Kanon will pull out an immobilizing dribble move or throw down a nasty slam only to become invisible as the game progresses.
His jumper’s high-release point is undefendable at the collegiate level, and he’s comfortable stroking a 3-pointer off the catch. The form is smooth and replicable, but the reliability is still lacking–hitting under 30% on the year to this point–and that could cause NBA scouts to shudder.
This is far from a doom and gloom tale of missed potential, however. One aspect that may go underrated in Kanon’s toolkit is his connective passing ability. It’s hard to see on the stat sheet when a player simply “moves the ball” well, as the pass before the pass or the pass that keeps the offense flowing is a rarely-heralded attribute in modern basketball.
Watch in this clip how Catchings processes the floor and makes a rapid-fire decision to kick to Richie in the corner, rather than fight for what would be a heavily-contested attempt at the rim. Many have praised Egor (and rightfully so) for his feel for the game, and ability to manipulate defenders to open up his teammates. With a hard dribble in the direction of the basket, Kanon sucks in the help defenders to open up the corner 3.
movin’
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— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 12, 2024
It’s subtle, but these are the things good players can do.
Kanon does plenty on the floor that may go overlooked by the casual fan, but the goal for BYU’s freshman wing is to validate the “NBA Boot Camp” narrative that Kevin Young and his staff have pushed all year.
That goal is satisfied when Kanon hears his name on draft night, 2025. Anything less could be damaging to the program’s aspirations. Preseason mock drafts sat Catchings in the late first to very early second-round range, but let’s catch up on the most recent sketchings of the draft landscape.
Kanon Catchings Mock Draft Projections
Sports Illustrated: 32. Charlotte Hornets
Bleacher Report: 33. Minnesota Timberwolves
NBA Draft Room: 42. Sacramento Kings
CBS Sports: Undrafted
NBADraft.net: Undrafted
Quotables:
“A vastly underrated prospect who has the size, length, and ball skills to be a high-level NBA wing. He flies above the rim and can bring the house down with his dunking ability.” -NBADraftRoom.com
“Kanon Catchings is a versatile 6’9″ forward with the size, skill set, and scoring ability to excel as a modern NBA wing. As a three-level scorer, Catchings is particularly effective at creating his own shot off the dribble and thrives in transition, where his athleticism and quick decision-making shine.” -Babcock Hoops
Though several sources seem unaware of Catchings entirely, he’s seemingly slid from favoring a late first-round selection to an early second-round slot. However, one consensus is clear among those with Catchings on their radar: the 6’9″ wing has all the tools to become an effective NBA contributor. The impetus is now on him to assemble the set.
If he can improve with the increased exposure of Big 12 competition, we may see Kanon shoot up draft boards.
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