There is a lot of talented players in the country, including Nico Mannion and Payton Pritchard, but we explain why Mannion has a higher upside.
Nico Mannion and Payton Pritchard. When you think of Arizona Basketball and Oregon Basketball, those are the first two names that come to mind. They are the leaders of each team and relied upon to produce every game. One’s a freshman and the other is a four-year senior. Both are among the elite players in college basketball this season, but one has more of an upside than the other. That would be Mannion and this is why.
Before we go into the why, it’s important to put a few things into context. Payton is a senior, who over his four-year career with the Ducks, has played with a lot of talented players and also been a key piece to the Ducks’ success. His stats have increased year after year as well.
From averaging 7.4 points and 3.6 assists his freshman season to 18.7 points and 5.9 assists this season, Pritchard has dramatically improved his game. He’s fearless in attacking the ball, not afraid at all to take the big shot and has excellent court awareness and basketball IQ. As a result of all the hard work he has put into his game, he has a very good chance of getting a high selection in the NBA Draft.
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Pritchard has led his teams to a Pac-12 regular-season title and Pac-12 Tourney title as well. Plus, he has led the Ducks into an Elite 8 and even a Final Four appearance. So yes, he has quite the college basketball resume to back up what he has accomplished, but the main difference is that Mannion is just a freshman and what he has been capable of so far indicates he has a bigger upside then Pritchard.
In his freshman year so far, Mannion has been the starting point guard in all 14 games played. He has averaged 14.4 points, 6.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game, which is more than Pritchard had his first season with the Ducks. Mannion does lead the Pac-12 in assists per game and is second in team in scoring, behind Zeke Nnaji.
He has also earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors as well. Like Pritchard, Mannion is not afraid of taking that big shot. He had the game-winning layup against Pepperdine. Mannion was almost able to hit another game-winner against St. John’s, but the ball didn’t bounce his way.
What Mannion has shown this season is that he has the goods. Even when he hasn’t shot the ball all that well, he’s been able to get others involved. His relentless ability to push the pace, find his teammates for easy finishes or the open shot makes him a valuable asset to the Wildcats.
Mannion also has extreme confidence when it comes to his ball-handling skills and having to create his own shot when needed, including this Dunk of the Year! Again, just a freshman. He has tremendous upside and has shown why he is a potential NBA Draft Lottery pick.
There are some things he does need to work on, such as defense and being more confident in his shooting abilities. Nothing to take away from Pritchard, Mannion is just an overall better player and will be for years to come.
These two face each other on Thursday night in Eugene. Who will step up to the challenge and lead their team to victory? It will be an exciting matchup to watch, don’t miss it!
Let us know your thoughts. Agree or disagree. We’d love to hear what you have to say. At Zona Zealots, it has been a pleasure watching Nico Mannion play for Arizona Basketball and can’t wait to see what he has in store these next couple of months. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!