3 First-Round Picks Sidy Cissoko will be better than this season

2.) Brandin Podziemski

Brandin Podziemski is a 6-foot-5 point guard from Santa Clara University who declared for the draft following an outstanding sophomore season at Santa Clara. He shared conference player of the year honors with Drew Timme and averaged 19.9 points per game. Before his breakthrough campaign, Podziemski transferred from Illinois, where he only logged 69 minutes as a freshman despite being their highest-ranked high school recruit.

Though Podziemski excelled in his lone season as a Bronco, he may take some time to get comfortable in the NBA. Leaving a Power Five program for a mid-major school like Santa Clara put him in a position to play a more significant role and make strides on the court. However, the West Coast Conference is unquestionably a step below the competition of the Big 10.

Cissoko has already matched up against grown men in the G League, and that experience gives him an advantage over Podziemski. The rookie forward has seen the speed and handled the physicality of professional basketball over the last year, which should have him prepared for whatever curveball the NBA throws at him. The adjustment period for Podziemski may not be as smooth.