Almost every year, the NBA Draft features a prospect who catches fire and starts shooting up draft boards in the weeks leading into draft day.One of the names generating serious buzz in 2022 is Bennedict Mathurin, the Canadian guard who became a household name in the NCAA Tournament, putting on a show to lead Arizona to the Sweet 16.At 6-foot-6, 195 pounds with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan, Mathurin has the size, length, strength and quickne s to hold his own against any perimeter player in the NBA. Oh, and he's still only 19 years old.Here's a closer look into why Mathurin could hear his name called earlier than expected on draft day.TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS: | | What separates Mathurin as an NBA prospect is his ability to knock down jumpers in a variety of ways, more than comfortable shooting off the bounce but also willing to play off-ball and come off of screens and cuts to free himself up for open Roberto Alomar Jersey looks.Mathurin's jumpshot is clean and confident. He has a quick and high release and doesn't get phased by defenders challenging his shot. He's always looking to stop on a dime and pull up for a jumper almost to a fault at times, forcing contested looks but he's a tough shot-maker.He has the "it" factor, wanting the ball in his hands in big moments, which we saw on this pull-up off the dribble with his team's season on the line in the second round of the NCAA tournament.Mathurin's knockdown jumper plays to his advantage as he's already advanced attacking closeouts. From there, he does not shy away from contact at the basket and uses his elite athleticism and body control to finish amongst the trees. He'll go right at anyone standing between him and the rim, but he has also developed a reliable floater to Keegan Akin Jersey keep rim protectors gue sing.As a playmaker, Mathurin is capable of making simple reads off of the dribble, always willing to take what the defense gives him. If there is too much focus on his ability to score, he shows patience to let plays develop before finding the best way to feed an open teammate.And for how smooth he can be as a scorer with the ball in his hands, it's his work off of the ball that impre ses me the most.Mathurin is incredibly active with a high motor, always moving or cutting Richard Bleier Jersey , making him a headache for opposing defenses. Because he is strong, athletic and physical when he attacks the basket, he has no problem making cuts that lead to tough finishes.We saw that when he threw down the dunk of the tournament against TCU. The finish rightfully turned heads but it all started with his off-ball movement, anticipation and acute awarene s.It's more than just that one play, though. He's always finding open spaces off the ball. Whether it's or , Mathurin is just as much trouble without the ball as he is with it.Even though he projects as a combo guard, I see Mathurin thriving at the next level as more of a shooting guard than a point guard. His ability to create without the ball makes him easier to build around and also elevates his floor should he not hit as a No. 1 option. Mathurin has the tools to be a lockdown perimeter defender but isn't always dialed in. He tends to get too relaxed, coming out of his defensive stance ( ). It has more to do with effort than an actual inability to defend, which could be seen as a pro or a con.When Mathurin is going toe-to-toe with some of the prolific scoring guards in the NBA, he'll have no choice but give it his all in defending at a high level. He can be pesky and annoying on-ball and takes some risks off-ball, but he has a long way to go when it comes to defending endle s pick-and-rolls at the next level.Offensively, he's improving as a pa ser but he still has to fine-tune his handle, as he is more reliant on his first Joey Rickard Jersey step and strength to get by defenders than he is a quick-twitch reactive dribbler to shake his man.I have little doubt about Mathurin's all-around offensive game translating and developing in the NBA, whereas, his defense could be what determines his ceiling as a pro. At the NBA Draft Combine, Mathurin told me he watches a lot of Devin Booker and Zach LaVine on offense and Mikal Bridges and Jrue Holiday on defense. If he comes anywhere close to matching that combination, we're going to look back five years from now and wonder why Mathurin wasn't in serious contention for the No. 1 overall pick.I think Mathurin has shades of LaVine and Celtics guard Jaylen Brown in his game. LaVine has blo somed as an elite crunch-time scorer and is the crown jewel of this summer's free agent cla s. Brown meanwhile is showing off his two-way game as either second or at time first option in the NBA Finals.There's a long history of the best player from a draft emerging from outside the top five. While probably more risky than some of the players projected to go higher than him in the draft, Mathurin oozes star potential and there's a world in which Rio Ruiz Jersey he evolves into the best player in this draft.Would I predict that or bank on it happening? No.Would I be surprised if it did? No.