Tennessee’s men’s basketball program had three players participating in the 2019 NBA Draft Combine last week and over the weekend. That tied them with programs like North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Virginia, Kentucky, and Gonzaga for the most participants from one school.
So, how did UT’s players perform at the combine?
Grant Williams, Jordan Bone, and Admiral Schofield all ran through drills and were tested in various areas to see how they measured up to the other participants at the combine. Both Williams and Bone also participated in scrimmages at the combine.
Here’s a look at how all three Vols performed at the 2019 NBA Combine along with analysis of how their performances helped or hurt their draft stock.
All measurements and test results are via NBA.com
Grant Williams
Standing Reach – 8′ 8.5″
Body Fat Percentage – 5.4%
Hand Length – 9 inches
Hand Width – 10.5 inches
Height without Shoes – 6′ 5.75″
Height with Shoes – 6′ 7.5″
Wingspan – 6′ 9.75″
Standing Vertical Leap – 26.0 inches
Max Vertical Leap – 31.5 inches
Shuttle Run – 3.27 seconds
Lane Agility – 10.83 seconds
Three Quarter Sprint – 3.33 seconds
Max Bench Press – 20
Although the consensus seemed to be that Grant Williams didn’t perform well during scrimmages, the two-time SEC Player of the Year did better than expected with his measureables and testing (though he still didn’t stack up all that great compared to others at his position).
Williams had the best bench press of all the participants at the NBA Draft Combine. It’s worth noting that not all of the players invited participated in all the tests (such as Zion Williamson, Bol Bol, and others), bur Williams’ 20 reps on the bench press were still highly impressive. Williams’ hand width was one of the longest among all the forwards at the combine, and he had the sixth-best time in the lane agility testing among all forwards.
As for the downsides, there were several. Williams’ wingspan wasn’t impressive, nor were his measurements in both vertical leaps. His shuttle run and three quarters run times were both on the slower side, too.
Overall, it appeared by most people’s analysis who were at the combine that Williams might’ve slipped down draft boards ever so slightly, but he’s still likely a first-round pick, though there’s still some argument there. His supposed slippage makes his decision to remain in the draft a little more perplexing, but it’s also worth noting that he probably couldn’t improve on many (if any) of his deficiencies with another year of college.
Here’s what Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated had to say about Williams’ performance at the combine:
“Williams was the highest-profile college player to participate in scrimmages, and while that decision was admirable, it didn’t really move the needle in the end. He has rightfully earned praise for his intangibles and basketball feel, and he’s a rock-solid, active competitor who can make a positive impact in several ways. But NBA executives I’ve spoken with remain skeptical, noting that he stands 6’7” in shoes with a wingspan a hair under 6’10”, and that his top-heavy body type limits his mobility. Williams is limited off more than two dribbles, and will be best suited at power forward. But the big question is how much efficient offense he’ll be able to supply, noting his troubles finishing against bigger, longer defenders, and an inconsistent three-point shot that will ultimately make or break him. Bottom line, he’s the type of potential role player who seems to make more sense on a two-year guarantee than on a first-round contract. With his physical limitations, Williams’s ceiling is only so high.”
Jordan Bone
Standing Reach – 7′ 11″
Body Fat Percentage – 5.0%
Hand Length – 7.5 inches
Hand Width – 9.25 inches
Height without Shoes – 6′ 1.5″
Height with Shoes – 6′ 2.75″
Wingspan – 6′ 3.25″
Standing Vertical Leap – 36.0 inches
Max Vertical Leap – 42.5 inches
Shuttle Run – 2.78 seconds
Lane Agility – 9.97 seconds
Three Quarter Sprint – 3.08 seconds
Max Bench Press – 7
NBA Break Left Shooting Percentage – 100%
NBA Break Right Shooting Percentage – 40%
NBA Corner Left Shooting Percentage – 60%
NBA Corner Right Shooting Percentage – 40%
NBA Top Key Shooting Percentage – 100%
On the Move Fifteen Shooting Percentage – 61.8%
Off Dribble Fifteen Break Left – 75%
Off Dribble Fifteen Break Right – 50%
Off Dribble Fifteen Top Key – 50%
Tennessee’s starting point guard was considered by many in attendance at the NBA Combine to be one of the standout performers due in large part to how he did in testing.
Bone’s lane agility time of 9.97 seconds was the fastest at this year’s combine, and it was the second-fastest ever in the history of the NBA Combine. Only Jamison Brewer ran it faster, recording a 9.65-second time in 2001. Bone also finished with the best shuttle run time, recording an impressive time of 2.78 seconds, and he recorded the best standing vertical leap with a 36-inch mark. He finished second among all competitors with a 42.5-inch max vertical jump and finished fourth in the three quarter sprint (3.08 seconds). He was also the only player to make 100 percent of his shots during the break left portion of the shooting drills.
In scrimmages, Bone didn’t have the greatest overall performances, but he didn’t do anything to hurt his stock there either. Overall, the same knocks on his game still remain (lack of consistent three-point shooting, sometimes below average defender), but his biggest positives also remain the same (at times shows elite awareness and passing ability, high assist-to-turnover ratio).
All in all, Bone probably helped his stock at the combine, but it remains to be seen if he’ll keep his name in the draft pool. He plans to make an announcement one way or the other on May 29th.
Admiral Schofield
Standing Reach – 8′ 6.5″
Body Fat Percentage – 6.8%
Hand Length – 8.75 inches
Hand Width – 9.00 inches
Height without Shoes – 6′ 4″
Height with Shoes – 6′ 5.25″
Wingspan – 6′ 9.75″
Standing Vertical Leap – 30.0 inches
Max Vertical Leap – 34.0 inches
Shuttle Run – 2.87 seconds
Lane Agility – 10.77 seconds
Three Quarter Sprint – 3.37 seconds
Max Bench Press – 15
In terms of measureables, Admiral Schofield didn’t wow anyone at the combine, but he also didn’t hurt himself in the same way that Grant Williams did in that regard.
Despite measuring several inches shorter than Williams, Schofield had the exact same wingspan and had a better vertical leap. Schofield finished with the best shuttle run of all the forwards at the 2019 NBA Combine with a recorded time of 2.87 seconds, and that ended up being the fourth-fastest time in the entire combine. Schofield also had the fifth-best lane agility time among all forwards, finishing the drill in 10.77 seconds — .06 seconds better than teammate Grant Williams. He also tied with Reggie Perry for the fourth-most bench press reps.
Schofield didn’t participate in any scrimmages that I could find, but his testing in drills likely did enough to slightly boost his stock. He showed off some explosiveness and better athleticism than someone of his build usually has.
