NBA Draft Watch: "On the Scene Team", Six College Basketball Players Who Stood Out on Saturday, February 2nd

A super Saturday schedule in college basketball showcased several games for fans to filter their attention to throughout the day, beginning at noon and up through the strike of midnight. A few matches of ranked vs. ranked teams took place, as well as numerous games offering a nationally ranked team against a formidable opponent featuring a talented prospect with an NBA future for them to have to contend with.

In the following segment are six of the players whose performance — on a day the featured plenty prospects who have the potential to play professionally — stood out amongst their peers. Offering not just a peek and appreciation at what they're doing presently, but also assessing how each player projects moving forward.

• Jordan Bone, Tennessee 

Holding the number one ranking in the country, Tennessee often has plenty of attention paid to All-American candidates Admiral Schofield and reigning SEC Player of the Year, Grant Williams. 

Be that as it may, Jordan Bone has been a consistent contributor at the point guard position and invaluable for the Volunteers. Of his positive performances throughout the season, proving Tennessee worthy of being considered the top team in college basketball, Bone was never more consistent in his play than he was on Saturday in the 93-76 win against Texas A&M, on the road.

The junior guard was excellent scoring 18 points, shooting a perfect 7-7 from the field, including sinking four 3-point shots, adding five rebounds and 10 assists, while turning over the ball just twice. 

Playing with poise as a passer and self-confidence as a scorer, the 6'3, 180 pound point found teammates around the perimeter for in rhythm 3's, while making the most of his attempts from deep himself. He also was able to craftily manufacture his way into the middle of the Texas A&M defense, dishing off to teammates for easy dunks and layups, in addition to finding his form on a few mid-range jump shots. 

With another year of eligibility left, Bone may likely return to school for his senior season. Though should he continue with his consistency and efficiency as he exhibited on Saturday, he may decide to entertain the pre-draft process following the season — and possibly lead Tennessee to a title in the process. 

• Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga

Wooden Award candidate Rui Hachimura had an outstanding showing on Saturday as Gonzaga won 85-69 playing against a tough West Coast Conference competitor in San Diego. 

Finishing with 32 points and seven rebounds, Hachimura scored 20 of the Bulldogs 40 points in the first half as they established an early lead in large part due to his effective aggressiveness. 

Shooting 11-15 from the field, the 6'8, 230 pound big played the part of his position, filtering between face-up opportunities where he exhibited tremendous triple-threat ability to rise for 15-20 foot jump shots or take the opponent off the dribble. Hachimura also wielded his way in the post while accepting contact with power and finishing at the rim.

In drawing fouls due to his determined disposition when driving to or positioned in the paint, Hachimura shot 14 free throws, sinking nine, while also draining his sole three point attempt on the evening. 

He also exhibited his versatility as a defender extending his off-ball denial out beyond the three-point line in coming away with a steal and slam, as well as adding two blocks during the game.

All told, Hachimura stepped up to the challenge against another talented player in San Diego's Isaiah Pinero, putting forth a performance to look the part of a projected lottery pick. 

• Zion Williamson, Duke

I'll be honest in saying you almost have to look for reasons not to recognize Zion Williamson and his zeal for the game — or look away from the game altogether. 

While his high-ranging hops that lead to highlight reel, rim-rattling ramming of the basket are what fans crave — for which he provided a handful of those moments in the 91-61 blowout victory against St. John's — it's how the 6'7, 285 pound 18-year old phenom applies his otherworldly athleticism that allows him affect the overall game in ways no other player at the college level can. 

Finishing the game with 29 points (shooting 13-17 from the field), while also adding six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks, the man-child who already is known on a first name basis in the basketball orbit, was beyond impressive on both ends of the floor. 

On defense, the dominant force displayed his dexterity using tremendous timing and boundless bounce to serve effectively as a rim protector, applying annoying pressure to St. John's players handling the ball out on the perimeter, and anticipating passes and penetration as a help defender to come away with steals, which led to him taking lift-off on the opposite end. 

On offense, in addition to the breakaway dunks that drew delirium from the Duke fans, Williamson also displayed his ball-handling ability on a few decisive dribble-drive contested finishes at the basket, went up to grab three offensive rebounds — one which led to a putback slam —, sunk a three, and went up high to slam home an alley-oop from point guard Tre Jones. 

Safe to say on Saturday he showed why he is somewhere near a 99.9 percent certainty to be selected as the first overall pick in 2019 NBA Draft. 

• Chris Clemons, Campbell

Counting 39 points in his previous game against Radford — where he scored five points in the final ten seconds, including drilling a pull-up three from thirty feet deep at the buzzer to give Campbell the win 68-67 — Chris Clemons entered the the game Saturday as the country's leading scorer at 29.2 points per game. He would maintain his standing as the top scorer in college basketball, while also making history in the process, as the 5'9 senior guard went for another 39 points, this time in a 83-62 victory over Longwood. 

During the game Clemons surpassed both Tyler Hansbrough and Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list in college basketball, becoming the highest scoring player in the state of North Carolina and moving into 13th place overall with 2,875 points. 

Drilling 10 three pointers on the night (tying a career-high), Clemons revealed his deadly rapid release when receiving passes and handoffs from teammates, in addition to breaking down the defense with quick crossovers, step-backs, and other creative ball-handling to generate enough space to get off his own shots on a few occasions. 

On his other two made field goal attempts on the evening that weren't a 3, Clemons was able to defeat the defense off the dribble and convert a layup, as well as exhibiting exhilarating leaping ability in rising for a two-hand jam on a timely backdoor cut. Not just solely a scorer, he added four rebound and found teammates for five assists against just one turnover on the evening.

While the senior has yet to receive the acclaim across the country that one might assume to come with his compilation of stats, Clemons could become a value pick for a team that decides to draft or arrive to the NBA and unearth a spot on one of the 30 teams as undrafted free-agent.  

• Dedric Lawson, Kansas

Consistently performing as one of the most competent big men in all of college basketball throughout the season, Lawson levied another positive performance on Saturday as 11th ranked Kansas took down 16th ranked Texas Tech, 79-63, at home. 

Averaging 19.5 points and 10.9 rebounds, the 6'9, 235 pound transfer from Memphis achieved his 15th double-double in 22 games on the season, putting up 25 points and 10 rebounds in his performance on Saturday. 

On defense Lawson displayed both discipline and authority in the paint, remaining patient on opponent's pump/shot-fakes and reacting at the right time to swat away shot attempts as he delivered two blocks. Both of his blocks led to opportunities in transition for Kansas on the opposite end, including one where he trailed the play superbly to receive and sink an in rhythm straightaway three from out past the top of the key. 

While he made his mark in the painted area with some tough finishes near the rim, tipping in a couple of baskets with multiple bodies battling for the ball off the rim, Lawson offered an encouraging aspect of his game, showing a stately soft touch on his shot, as he sunk all three of his 3-point attempts and went 4-5 from the free throw line. 

A Wooden Award candidate, the redshirt junior looked like someone who may justifiably be in their final season of college basketball, as he continues to solidify himself as a no-doubt player to be taken in the upcoming draft — possibly as a first round pick — should he choose to declare after the season. 

• Cody Martin, Nevada

On a team that features an all-senior starting lineup, including fellow future NBA-talents in Jordan Caroline and twin, Caleb, Cody Martin is the person often in possession of the ball performing as the point guard for the Wolfpack. 

On Saturday, the 6'7, 200 pound senior put forth a performance proving why he is one of the best all-around players in the country in the 93-73 win over Boise State. 

Controlling the game with a confidence and composure, Cody had a stretch between the 6:46 and 5:31 mark of the first half where he drained a jump shot off a feed from Caleb, then came down on the following possession and created his own look in backing down the defense from out near the three point-line before turning and flipping in a one-hand shot over his left shoulder which accounted for his 1,000th career point in college. 

He then completed the 75 second stretch in returning the favor to his brother Caleb, finding him for an open three-point attempt, as he accounted for the assist. 

Cody would then again go on to make another series of plays in approximately 75 second span as the second half began, throwing an accurate alley-oop from half-court that was converted on the other end by Caleb, once again, for a two-hand slam. He would then follow with a dime to big man Trey Porter for an easy dunk and on the next possession pulled up into and sunk a three-point shot, as Martin accounted for another seven points in-between the 19:13 and 17:59 mark. 

At the end of the game, Cody Martin would finish with 21 points, four rebounds, seven assists against only one turnover, and added four steals. He shot a highly efficient 8-11 from the field, including 2-3 from beyond the arc, and made 3-3 free throw attempts, in exhibiting his ability to score from all the levels of the floor, while also performing positively as a playmaker and distributor. 

With his all-around affirmative action on the court, Martin continues to display factors of his game which will make it difficult for teams to ignore come the latter part of the first round during the upcoming NBA Draft.