Taurean Prince
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
School: Baylor
For the four seasons he played at Baylor, Prince came into the draft known well for a singular quote. After being eliminated in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament in a 5-12 upset by Yale, Prince was asked how his team was outrebounded. His literal answer went viral.
"It comes up a lot,” Prince said after his workout with the Sixers in May. “I just say [to teams] it was a response I would give to a normal friend, so I just took as such."
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Away from the podium and on the court, Prince is a versatile forward who has been moving up the draft boards following a solid showing at the pre-draft combine. There he measured a wing span of 6-feet-11-and-a-half-inches and a standing reach of eight-feet-six-inches.
Prince enters the NBA after averaging 15.9 points (43.2 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three), 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior.
Strengths
Prince will bring versatility to an NBA roster. He began his high school career as a center and transitioned into a perimeter player. Prince looks to be effective on both ends of the court. He is able to play in transition and use his size to create mismatches.
Weaknesses
One area Prince has been working to improve is his decision making. When it comes to his own shot selection, there were times at Baylor when he rushed to drive or pulled up for a contested shot with more than enough time on the clock. He also worked on his ball handling and finding his teammates. Prince averaged 2.7 turnovers as a senior.
How he'd fit with the 76ers
Brett Brown covets two-way players, and they are valuable when building a roster. The Sixers already are stacked in the frontcourt. Prince could play on the perimeter at the three spot. The team currently holds the 24th and 26th picks. With Prince’s draft stock rising, the Sixers most likely would have to trade up to select him.
NBA comparison
Prince likens himself to DeMarre Carroll and Jae Crowder. These players don’t need the ball on every possession to be effective and impact the game without having to be the center of the system.
Draft projection
Prince is projected to be selected in the late-teens to early-20’s. As previously noted, there is a strong chance he would be off the boards by the Sixers’ 24th pick. If he does fall to that spot, the Sixers could land a first-round sleeper.
