On Thursday morning, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie released his fourth NBA Mock Draft of the season, which included Pitt forward Justin Champagnie going un-drafted.
This comes just under a month after a mock draft from Sports Illustrated had Champagnie going No. 43 to the Toronto Raptors. Around the same time, ESPN released its own mock draft that had Champagnie going un-drafted.
Champagnie initially announced that he would be testing the NBA Draft waters back on March 23.
“After talking it over with Coach Capel, my other coaches and my family, I have decided to test the NBA Draft process,” he said. “The feedback I will gain from meetings, workouts, and outside evaluations will shape the final decision on whether to remain in the draft or return to the University of Pittsburgh for my junior season. This process will only help my development and allow me to become a better player at Pitt or in the NBA.”
In his stellar sophomore season, Champagnie averaged 18 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for the Panthers en route to earning First Team All-ACC honors. He scored in double digits in every single game of the year, while also racking up 20+ points in seven games. His season high came against Duke, when the Brooklyn native lit up the score sheet for 31 in the win.
Tough to call …. i guess it comes down to whether JC is ok with being a low 2nd-round or not. Lots of competition this year with guys coming out. I think he should come back and improve his game a tad.
Come back to the burgh for one more year to improve your game for the next level. Take your Pitt team too the next level and see your opportunities grow and then grab your bag of gold.
I am not surprised that JC’s game is
not fully appreciated by NBA insiders.
Anyone watching him play was impressed
with his inside scoring and rebounding,
but there is more to offense than just
that.He appears to be uncomfortable
handling the ball outside under the basketball where many scoring plays
develop. As the team’s most closely guarded player, there are many opportunities to find an open man.If
he can work on this part of his game
during the summer,it will make Pitt a better team and will make him more suitable for NBA play.