Insider: Why UCF's Taylor Hendricks would be a great fit with the Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS -- Taylor Hendricks didn't enter his freshman year at Central Florida with designs on being one-and-done and preparing for the NBA Draft before his first school year was over. The 6-9, 210-pound forward didn't have much reason to believe that was possible.
By Central Florida standards, he was a heralded recruit. Per the 247Sports.com composite rankings, he earned a four-star ranking and the No. 84 player in the Class of 2022. That made him the third-highest rated recruit entering the American Athletic Conference behind Houston's Jarace Walker (No. 12) and Terrance Arceneaux (No. 31), which suggested he could be an impact player in that league, but not an immediate pro.
But early on in his freshman season, it became clear that Hendricks was the sort of player the modern NBA can't get enough of: The 3-and-D player. He proved he has length, agility and athleticism, which allows him to not only protect the rim but defend multiple positions and switch screens. He also proved he could consistently hit 3-pointers, a skill that has become an increasing necessity for players at every position in the modern, wide-open game. He scored in double figures in all but six games in his freshman season and he started realizing he could move on.
"I would say halfway through the year, I started to see my name on things," Hendricks said Wednesday after a workout with the Pacers. "My agent started talking about it being a real possibility."
It's a certainty now after Hendricks averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 0.9 steals per game this season while shooting 39.4% from beyond the 3-point arc. He will be a lottery pick, it's just a question of how high he'll go. The Pacers pick seventh. They could use a power forward and better defense; Hendricks fits the bill. They could find themselves picking between Walker and Hendricks, two defensive-oriented power forwards who also bring diverse offensive skill sets. Walker has a workout scheduled with the Pacers later on Wednesday.
They know each other well, having faced each other in their freshman year. Both were named second-team All-AAC.
"The Pacers really can't miss whether they select me or Jarace," Hendricks said. "Jarace is a really good player so I'm excited to see where he ends up. Going against him was pretty fun because of the hype around us. I think we're both really good defensive prospects with really good athletic ability. I think we can both space the floor and just offer a lot of things to teams."
The most important thing Hendricks offers is defensive versatility. He's excellent in rotation around the rim, but he's also very good at switching on to guards and other ball-handlers and harassing them. He said the Pacers tried to gauge that in his workout Wednesday by having him guard player development assistant coach Jannero Pargo, who played parts of 11 NBA seasons as a point guard.
That skill set developed quickly. Hendricks said he didn't have much experience guarding smaller players prior to this season.
"I owe it all to my coaches at UCF," Hendricks said. "They put me in a lot of situations to be able to guard different types of positions. I feel like that's helped me a lot overall with my development. I did it some in high school but the responsibility in college was a lot bigger. I thank my coaches for that, for putting me in that position for sure."
Hendricks has more he wants to add to his game. He showed some ability to create his own shot and score off the dribble, but a lot of his 3-pointers were of the catch-and-shoot variety, so he's hoping to become a better creator. However, the shot and the defense alone will get him drafted and get him on the floor. He could be a huge help for the Pacers, who finished 29th in points allowed last season, but he's also being targeted by several other teams in the lottery. He has already had a workout with the Orlando Magic, who pick sixth and 11th, and said he will also work out for the Detroit Pistons who pick fifth, the Utah Jazz who pick ninth, the Dallas Mavericks who pick 10th and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who pick 12th.
"I feel like I fit in the modern NBA perfectly," Hendricks said. "Just my attitude, how I am on and off the court and just what I bring to the team."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers: UCF draft prospect Taylor Hendricks brings defense, shooting
