It’s been an active time for the Raptors on Day 2 of the NBA Draft.
Toronto selected Houston guard Jamal Shead 45th overall in the second round after a trade with the Sacramento Kings earlier in the day netted them the pick.
Shead, 21, was one of the best defenders in the country in his senior year at Houston, helping turn the Cougars into the second-best defence in the country per KenPom.
He played all four of his collegiate seasons at Houston and earned a magnificent 120-18 record on the way.
Despite his small stature, standing just over six feet tall and possessing a 6-foot-3 wingspan, he’s a hound on that end and excels as a point-of-attack defender because of his high effort and motor.
He’s a decorated college athlete, earning spots on the All-Big 12 team, Consensus All-America team, and was a finalist for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award as the best player in college basketball last season. He was also named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, as the best defender in college basketball.
He earned that recognition by notching 2.2 steals per game and 0.5 blocks per game in his senior year while putting up an 89.2 defensive rating and 3.2 defensive win shares, the most in the Big 12.
Overall, he averaged 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season while helping the Cougars to a No. 1 seed at the NCAA Tournament. He shot 40.9 per cent from the field and 30.9 per cent from 3-point range.
Though his offensive game might not be up to snuff, particularly his scoring, he’s a solid playmaker and floor general, capable of leading a second unit at the next level. He did a lot of his work from the pick-and-roll and showed an affinity for manipulating defenders to create open looks for the rest of his team.