Brandon Clarke’s defense alone is worth a top-5 draft pick

Clarke’s incredible combination of athleticism, defense, and natural feel for the game give him superstar upside — even if he doesn’t fit the usual mold of a top-5 pick

ONE YEAR AGO, FEW BASKETBALL FANS HAD EVEN HEARD OF BRANDON CLARKE. Clarke was not a major recruiting target and began his career at San Jose State, where he started only three times as a freshman for a terrible 9–22 team. The following season Clarke moved into a starting role. The Spartans still finished below .500 but Clarke put up 17 points, 9 boards, and almost 4 stocks (steals + blocks) a game. That summer he decided to transfer and sat out all last season, practicing each day against Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie as he watched his new Gonzaga teammates lock up a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament before a disappointing early exit.

This year, Brandon Clarke finally got his turn on the big stage, and he did not disappoint. Clarke was arguably the second best player in college basketball this year, and by the numbers, he was closer to Zion Williamson than the rest of the field. Clarke matched the 17 and 9 he put up at San Jose State, adding 4.4 stocks a game and hitting an absurd 69% of his shots. He literally blocked more shots than he missed this season. Clarke improved his shooting and finished the year with insane efficiency metrics, including 70% true shooting. He blocked over 11% of opponent twos —…