Jordan Mickey — SF, 6-8, 220
Freshman, 19 years old
Season (32 mpg): 12.7 PPG, 8 RPG, 1 APG, 3 BPG, 0.6 SPG
53% FG, 0-4 three-point
Hometown: Dallas, TX
From “Revisiting ‘Under the Radar’ College Freshmen”
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Jordan Mickey | LSU
SF, 6-8, 220
19 years old
Season (32 mpg): 12.7 PPG, 8 RPG, 1 APG, 3 BPG, 0.6 SPG
53% FG, 0-4 three-point
9.6% block percentage (46th nationally)
Trending: Up
Outlook: Before the season, I wrote: Some believe Mickey’s NBA prospects are far off, and should be revisited down the line. From my perspective, though, Mickey is “on the cusp”; he’s not that far away. Right now, he is a bouncy athlete with tenacious rebounding instincts and on-ball defense. He projects to continue improving, and if he can tighten his ball handling and extend his jumpshot, he has a chance to be an NBA player. I believe Mickey is a jump shot away from cementing himself as a first-round draft pick.
Mickey delivered on those preseason expectations, and then some. He averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds on 53% shooting, and recorded the 5th-most blocks in all of college basketball. His NBA-level athleticism, defensive prowess, and the ability to finish above the rim (in transition and half court) have solidified him as a potential first-round pick next season. Mickey has the athleticism to defend both 3s and 4s, as he can block shots 1-on-1 or from the weak side.
But the missing piece is his jump shot. Mickey doesn’t have the post skills to survive as an undersized back-to-the-basket player; he needs to extend his range to make the defense respect him, which in turn will open driving lanes. Only 19% of Mickey’s attempts this season were jump shots, compared to an aggregate 79% of attempts around the basket. He flashed a mid-range game (11-24 on the season), which is encouraging, but Mickey must show consistency next season. His confident gather and high release leave me optimistic, but he’s yet to prove he can shoot it with consistency.
Mickey didn’t possess any mid-range skills entering college, so these early strides are encouraging. He just needs to tighten it up, and hopefully extend his range to the 3-point line. So yeah, there’s work to do, but you simply can’t ignore the impact he’s already been able to make.
Mickey is a bouncy 6-8 athlete who scores below the foul, rebounds with a purpose, and protects the rim. Early signs of a jump shot are there, but his consistency next season will be the biggest indicator. If he can extend his range—and that’s no easy task—I think he’ll be in the running for SEC Player of the Year, and should end up as a first-round Draft pick.
Video
Blocks
Transition
Finishing Around the Basket
Rebounds (Put-backs)
Shooting Struggles
Mid-Range Makes
From “‘Under the Radar’” College Freshmen
Jordan Mickey | LSU
F, 6-8, 220
Quick Thoughts: Mickey will probably spend at least three years in Baton Rouge, and will need to improve in several areas. Some believe Mickey’s NBA prospects should be revisited down the line. From my perspective, though, Mickey is “on the cusp” of breaking through.
Right now, Mickey is a bouncy athlete with tenacious rebounding instincts and excellent on-ball defense. He (sort of) reminds me of Andre Roberson – a tenacious defender with high activity and an energy level that never wanes. He projects to continue improving, and if he can tighten his ball handling and extend his jumpshot, he has a chance to be an NBA player. I believe Mickey is a jump shot away from cementing himself as a first-round draft pick.
He needs a better jump shot, but Mickey has NBA athleticism, a strong motor, attacks the rim with a purpose, and has great defensive instincts to track down shots in the open floor.
He and Jarrell Martin will be fun to watch next year, and at some point Mickey should crawl his way into the NBA conversation.
How He Fits:
Projected Starting Lineup
F — Johnny O’Bryant (Jr)
F — Jarrell Martin (Fr)
F — Shavon Coleman (Sr)
G — Andre Stringer (Sr)
G — Anthony Hickey (Jr)
This is difficult to project. Coach Johnny Jones will certainly let his freshmen compete for playing time (Martin will start), but I’m not sure where Jones will play Mickey this year. Is Mickey ready to play on the wing? Will Coach Jones let the 6-8 Mickey play exclusively down low? Maybe he’ll use Mickey on the baseline, or on the bottom of a 2-3 zone, utilizing his activity and athleticism to make things happen and create transition opportunities.
My take is: Mickey’s simply too talented to sit on the bench. But Jones will take it slow, gradually increasing Mickey’s minutes, as there’s no rush on this veteran-laden team.