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Los Angeles Lakers: Top Pac-12 players available in 2018 NBA Draft

By Shereen Rayan

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors attend the NBA Draft Combine Day 1 at the Quest Multisport Center on May 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors attend the NBA Draft Combine Day 1 at the Quest Multisport Center on May 17, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 10: De’Anthony Melton #22 of the USC Trojans looks on supporting his team against the Colorado Buffaloes during a PAC12 college basketball game at Galen Center on January 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 10: De’Anthony Melton #22 of the USC Trojans looks on supporting his team against the Colorado Buffaloes during a PAC12 college basketball game at Galen Center on January 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

USC, Utah, Washington and Washington State

USC (2)

  • De’Anthony Melton, PG, sophomore, USC (Agent)
  • Chimezie Metu, F/C, junior, USC (Agent)

Both Melton and Metu played in the Drew League last summer and did pretty well helping their teams make the playoffs. Melton’s team, made up of some NBA players such as Delon Wright, made it to the finals. Both proved they can play with men and are ready for the NBA. USC played Arizona in the finals in the Pac-12 tournament and lost, but they were the second-best team in the conference. Melton was wrapped up in the FBI NCAA investigation and sat out his senior year over a technicality, he was found innocent, but still, the NCAA wouldn’t budge.

Metu is 6-foot-11, 225 pounds. He is a local product from Lawndale, California. As a junior, Metu played in 34 games and started in all but one averaging 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Metu is NBA Read after testing the waters last year.

Utah (1)

  • Sedrick Barefield, G, junior, Utah (no agent, can go back to school)

Will probably go back to school, or maybe can ride the coattails of Kyle Kuzma, his former teammate.

Washington (1)

  • Noah Dickerson, PF, junior, Washington (no agent, can go back to school)

Washington has a relatively new coach, not the coach that Dickerson chose to commit too. That would be Lorenzo Romar who was the Associate Coach at Arizona last season and is now the Pepperdine Head Coach. Dickerson may want to be done with Washington, but Washington needs a seasoned senior this year and he could return to school. Voted first-team All-Pac-12, Dickerson increased his averaged points per game to 15.3 (+3) from last season. That’s a pretty great stat.

Washington State (1)

  • Robert Franks, SF, junior, Washington State (Agent)

As a Pac-12 fan, I have to admit when I saw the notification that the Lakers were trying out Duke’s Grayson Allen this week, I felt a bit wheezy. We don’t want a dirty player with an attitude, do we? Please, no! There are many options in the field of players.

Next: Lakers tryouts continue with LiAngelo Ball

My advice, take Rawle Alkins, and if Reid Travis comes out, he is a sleeper as a free agent for summer league. Trier will help the Lakers if they need help shooting and making free-throws. The Lakers need a vocal player, a crowd pleaser, and Alkins has LA LA Land as well as Lake Show written all over his personality. UCLA’s Aaron Holiday and USC’s De’Anthony Melton are two solid choices as well. Picking up Welsh and/or Ristic on a two-way and have them available for Summerleague. That would be golden.

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