5 NBA Draft prospects that could help Spurs' abysmal shooting

DJ Horne

In the last several years in NCAA basketball, an increasingly common trend has been older players sticking around in college and playing additional years due to the COVID eligibility rules. These guidelines have allowed many athletes to elongate their playing years at the college level and prepare for potential professional careers.

DJ Horne is one player who fits in this category. Playing his fifth collegiate year at NC State after two years each at Illinois State and Arizona State, he has built himself into a solid NBA prospect. It is these newfound rules and older college players like Horne that bring back memories of the old days of the NBA draft.

Before one-and-dones became the norm for NBA prospects in college, many of the best players selected in the draft were four-year players that had taken ample time to hone their skill and become the best versions of themselves. Now, a player like DJ has the chance to be drafted when he would have in all likelihood not been afforded that opportunity had he chosen to enter the draft after a season or two in college.

This year while playing for the Wolfpack, Horne has hit the eighth-most threes in a single season in NC State history. He is shooting 42.9% from outside the arc on season, and is proving he could be worth a gamble with the Spurs' second-round pick.