NBA Comparison: Johnathan Mobley

Strengths: Tomlin is a gangly 6’9 205 PF/C with a massive 7’2 wingspan and very good run-jump athleticism and quickness for a frontcourt player … Runs the floor like a gazelle and is tailor-made for an up-tempo system with his rangy strides, great hands and quick feet … Can snag passes away from his body without breaking stride in the open court … Modern style frontcourt player; prefers facing up as opposed to playing in the post with his back to the basket … Nice ball-handling skills for a PF/C prospect; has a particularly impressive hesitation dribble that, in combination with his quickness, can stun slower opposing big men when he takes them off the bounce in space … A finisher who gets plenty of dunks and is a threat to chip in easy points off lobs and dumpoffs from slashing guards; doesn’t need plays drawn up for him to contribute (60 FG% as a Sr., career 65 FG% inside the arc) … Decent activity level and quick 2nd jump make him a reasonably effective offensive rebounder (career 2.2 ORPG) … Uses his length to alter shots and make some rejections, at times emphatically (career 1 BPG) … Upped his 3-point shooting accuracy in limited attempts as a Sr. (40 3FG% on 53 3FGA), which along with his solid FT numbers (77 FT% on 3 FTA/G), which can be seen as encouraging groundwork for continued development … Plenty of defensive upside; has the length and athleticism to switch and be able to contain and smother smaller players in space while also having a presence at the rim … Late bloomer who started playing organized basketball after HS and is more of a high upside prospect than you’d typically see for someone who would turn 24 during his rookie season …

Weaknesses: Needs to continue to get stronger, particularly in his lower body, as he tends to get outmuscled when trying to box out or fight for position as a 205 lb player, leading to him giving up more offensive rebounds in his area than he should given the wide catch radius that comes with his long wingspan (3.6 DRPG) … Has the tools to be a versatile defender but is still learning nuance; instincts and awareness are behind his size and athleticism at the moment … A bit jumpy and foul prone; tends to put himself in uncompromising situations by falling for pump fakes and getting himself out of position (career 3 FPG, fouled out of 8 games in the last 2 seasons) … Good shooting numbers and increased confidence at Memphis, but was wildly inconsistent at KState and the 21 game sample size in ‘23-24 is less than ideal to determine if the improvement was fools gold…Puts himself in position to produce and play off others in the halfcourt, but generally seems more comfortable and effective in transition than in a set offense … Will flash some underrated timing as a passer, but doesn’t always show the decision-making needed to be trusted with the ball for extended time … Could have to answer questions about his dismissal from KState for an arrest just days before the 23-24 season, which derailed the momentum he was building as a prospect prior to the season…An older prospect, but a green prospect nonetheless who maybe isn’t the sum of his parts …

Overall: One of the more interesting draft stories is the unique path Nae’Qwan Tomlin has taken to be in the 2024 NBA Draft class…After experiencing a growth spurt during his HS years in Harlem that saw him go from 5’9 as a Fr. to 6’9 as a Sr., Tomlin only played basketball as a hobby with his friends and not for his school before getting a chance to play JC ball in 2019 after he graduated…He emerged as one of the best prospects in the JUCO ranks in 2022 where he was discovered by Jerome Tang and his new coaching staff at Kansas State, eventually committing to the team in June of that year…Though he was largely an unknown with mild expectations as a raw prospect with a skinny build coming in, Tomlin emerged as a Day 1 starter, fan favorite and key contributor as an 11 PPG, 6 RPG 1 BPG, 1 SPG player that was a real x-factor for a Kansas State team that made an unexpected run to the Elite 8…The expectation was that Tomlin would be the best player and NBA prospect on the ‘23-24 KState team until a bar fight just days prior to the teams opening night game against Southern Cal led to Tomlin being suspended, and later dismissed from the team altogether weeks later by the schools president…Tomlin would eventually land back on his feet with Penny Hardaway and Memphis just before Christmas 2023, where Tomlin made appearances off the bench at the beginning of his time with the Tigers before playing his best basketball of the season when he was placed in the starting lineup (18.8 PPG 6.1 RPG on 67 FG% his last 9 games)…Tomlin brings great length, athleticism, energy and potential as a defender and finisher near the basket, but occasionally shows flashes of perimeter skills as a passer, handler and shooter that make him intriguing as a talent…He is a work in progress both on and off the court clearly, but one worth taking the time to mold given his production despite only playing organized ball for only around 5 years…He has had a strong offseason too; after being a standout at the G-League Draft Camp, he parlayed that into an NBA Combine invite, and is someone to keep an eye on as a flier for the 2nd round or as an undrafted Summer League invite who could work his way on a roster unconventionally once again

Notes: Measured: 6′ 8.25” barefoot, 205 lbs, 7′ 2.50” wingspan, 9′ 1.00” standing reach, 27.5 standing vert, 32.5 max vert at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine … Measured 6′ 8.50” barefoot, 8′ 11.00” standing reach, 205.8 lbs, 7′ 0.00” wingspan, 27.5 vertical at the 2024 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament …

Jorrye Nixon 6/18/24