A Royal Pain
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Sacramento Kings: 8 draft prospects to watch during March Madness

By Jonathan Roberts

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 02, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 02, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – MARCH 5: Tennessee Volunteers guard Admiral Schofield (5) takes a shot over Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Robert Woodard (12) during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 5, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – MARCH 5: Tennessee Volunteers guard Admiral Schofield (5) takes a shot over Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Robert Woodard (12) during a college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 5, 2019, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Admiral Schofield, Small Forward, Tennessee (South #2 seed)

Season Averages: 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 56.O TS%, 5.8 BPM

Admiral Schofield should be the top target for the Sacramento Kings come draft day. That’s not an exaggeration either.

Schofield is a plus-shooter from deep (career 38.3 3PT%, 41.1 3PT% this season) on plenty of volume (5.9 3PA per-40 minutes). He’s also a strong player who can score in the post with ease and has a high-basketball IQ. He’s also OK defensively, meaning he shouldn’t be dominated on defense when he does come into the league.

His major flaws are almost all connected to a perceived lack of elite athleticism, those were also concerns scouts had about Luka Doncic and look how that turned out. Not to say Schofield will be anything near Doncic, but he’s an NBA-ready player who will likely be available in the second round. He’s also a bit foul prone (4.3 PF per-40 minutes), but he’s cut down on his fouls every year in college. Speaking of college, Schofield is a senior who will be 22-years-old when he’s drafted, meaning he isn’t far from reaching his peak, which can be a negative.

Still, Schofield is a solid player who could be extremely productive if given the right situation. With the Sacramento Kings, he’d project as a small forward, albeit a bit undersized at 6-6. Still, he could be a perfect fit for this Kings team, especially as a bench scorer for a team that’s already sixth in the NBA in bench points per game.

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Schofield wouldn’t be likely to start, but if Harrison Barnes were to walk in free agency this summer (highly unlikely) the Kings would at least have somebody to slot in if absolutely needed. Schofield will need some development as a ball-handler and facilitator, but with Sacramento there’s almost no situation where he’d be required to handle the ball a ton.

Schofield’s UT team is the South Region’s #2 seed, and his team could very well go all the way. Regardless, fans should have plenty of opportunities to watch Schofield play and Sacramento Kings fans should pay particularly close attention.

At the start of March Madness, Schofield’s average big board rank is 36th overall, though that’s subject to change if he has a strong performance throughout the tournament. Currently, the Sacramento Kings are projected to have the 40th, 43rd and 60th overall picks, so a trade may be necessary to grab Schofield.

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