D-II to the NBA: Amir Hinton Enters the 2019 NBA Draft

CIAA player of the year Amir Hinton makes for a rare breed in comparison to his fellow D-II student-athletes. The 6'5" guard recently expressed his desire to enter his name in the 2019 NBA Draft in hope of being the first D-II player to make it big-time since 2005 (Robert Whaley, Walsh University, #51 to the Utah Jazz).

Hinton and the Shaw Bears' season came to an end in a 77-66 loss to Virginia State in the CIAA tournament championship game. Hinton capped off the game with a stellar 34 points, 5 boards, 3 dimes and 5 steals. Despite the loss, it was all worth the effort as 12 NBA scouts were in attendance for his impressive final outing.

Not only does Hinton himself have confidence in his NBA prospects, so do several scouts around the association. Shaw University coach, Joel Hopkins, claims that all thirty NBA teams have been in town to see Hinton live in action.

"Some scouts have told me I am a top-three guard in this class"

Hinton currently sits as the 49th best prospect for the 2019 NBA Draft according to ESPN's top 100. NBA Scouts sparked Hinton's monstrous rise up the big board after informing ESPN of their widespread intrigue for his combination of size, athleticism and shot-making ability at 6'5".

Here's a quick rundown on who Amir Hinton is:

29.4 ppg | 4.9 rpg | 4.0 apg | 2.3 spg | 3.6 tpg
48.8 FG% | 34.0 3P% (1.2/3.7) | 89.4 FT% (11.1/12.4)

The 6'5" 190 lb guard prospect out of Shaw University boasts a versatile offensive playstyle while ranking in the 93rd percentile in overall offense. Hinton has a natural knack for getting to the free throw line as he attempts 12.4 charity line shots a game. What is equally impressive is his 89.4% shooting on high volume at the line.

Hinton's shot creation is what draws pro-level appeal to him as a prospect. Off the dribble, Hinton shoots a great 37.4% and is able to get to his shot regardless of whether there's a hand in his face or not. Hinton is a flame thrower on catch-and-shoot jumpers shooting a blazing hot 46.3% in these situations.

"I will be hiring an agent. I am ready. I am going to try and be a lottery pick."

While being a lottery pick seems like a long-shot at this stage, Hinton could surely make a run for consideration first-round if given an invite to the NBA Draft Combine in May.

"Getting invited to Chicago is one of my goals"

A successful outing in Chicago would move the needle significantly for Hinton and could be the difference between guaranteed money in the first-round and going undrafted. The scrimmages in May will be key to Hinton rising up team's draft boards and it isn't unreasonable to think that he could, especially after Kyle Kuzma's stand-out combine performance and rise to the back-end of the first round in 2017.

"That's a perfect place to get exposure, go in and do what I do. I want to play against the pros."

The recent addition of two-way contracts and the year-to-year expansiveness and value of the NBA G-League will benefit prospects like Amir Hinton greatly. Teams will be more willing to risk a pick on this div-two stud. Thankfully for Hinton, due to rule changes to the NBA draft prospect put in place last year, he will be able to return to school if he happens to go undrafted come June.