3. Nick Ward returns, excels in the post
Some believe Nick Ward has no intention of returning to East Lansing for his junior year, which may be correct, but he could be dealt a heavy dose of reality throughout the draft process.
Truth of the matter is that he doesn’t have a jump shot in his arsenal to set him apart from other 6-8 big men nor does he play sound defense consistently. He has conditioning issues and has trouble staying out of foul trouble, too.
Ward is one of the better collegiate big men and he makes shots at a historically accurate clip. In fact, he shot about 65 percent from the floor as a sophomore, but he needs to improve other areas of his game.
It’s definitely realistic to expect Ward to return after getting advice and tips from NBA scouts who evaluate his game, but he’s going to be on a mission if, and potentially when, that does happen.
As a junior, he’s going to dominate the post in the Big Ten and finally figure out how to counter double-teams. He’s got a great back-to-the-basket game and he’s going to become an even more aggressive rebounder with Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. gone.
Expect Ward to take that next step we all expected prior to this season and become a potential All-American.