Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.
Alabama’s Noah Clowney isn’t someone who was projected as a first-round draft pick before the season began. But now, that’s exactly what he’s become.
Still only 18 years old, Clowney is listed at 6-foot-10 with a reported wingspan around 7-foot-3. The SEC All-Freshman was the only Power Five freshman with a block percentage above three percent and a defensive rebound percentage above 20 percent, via Bart Torvik.
The only players to reach those thresholds last year (Jabari Smith, Jalen Duren and Jeremy Sochan) were all lottery picks.
“I think the thing that helped our defense is that I was smart. Later in the season, I caught on,” Clowney told For The Win. “Not only can I do what I’m supposed to do but I can talk to my teammates and tell them what they need to do as well. I feel like it helped our defense a good bit.”
On the offensive end of the floor, per Bart Torvik, Clowney is one of just four Power Five freshmen to record at least 25 dunks and 25 3-pointers. The other three (Jarace Walker, Taylor Hendricks and Cam Whitmore) are all projected lottery picks as well.
Despite the elite statistical company he keeps, Clowney is currently projected outside the lottery at No. 26 overall in our latest consensus mock draft. But it doesn’t bother him.
“I think I can play with anybody. I can do whatever is asked of me at multiple positions,” Clowney added. “I can make shots and do what I do and do what nobody else wants to do — help win. Whatever it takes, really.”
Here is what else you need to know about Clowney as an NBA prospect:
1
Clowney has the potential to become an elite defender
“To be honest, anything on the defensive end, I want to be elite at all of it,” Clowney said.
Clowney, indeed, shined on the defensive end of the floor. He allowed just 0.64 points per defensive chance, via Stats Perform. That ranked as the best mark among NCAA prospects projected to hear their name called in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
“I feel like defensively, I can do a little bit of everything. I protect the rim, you feel me?” Clowney said. “I can guard multiple positions.”
If you want to talk about defensive versatility, Clowney has that covered at all three levels. All of the following stats provided by Stats Perform:
- Opponents were 12-for-31 (38.7 percent) when Clowney was credited as the nearest defender in the restricted area of the paint, which ranked second-best (behind Duke’s Dereck Lively) among NCAA players projected in the first-round with at least 30 opportunities tracked.
- He also completely shut down his opponent when they shot from the midrange, connecting on just 25-of-79 (31.6 percent) attempts. That ranked as the best among NCAA players projected in the first-round with at least 30 attempts tracked.
- Opponents were 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) when Clowney contested their 3-pointers. That ranked as the sixth-best among projected first-rounders with at least 20 opportunities tracked.
Opponents had an effective field goal percentage of just 40.3 percent when Clowney was even on the court, per CBB Analytics.
That was the second-best (behind teammate Brandon Miller) among all Division I men’s players who logged at least 900 minutes.
“Even not being at the five spot all the time, I felt like an anchor upon our defense,” Clowney said.
2
Clowney is a better shooter than he showed in college
When he met with NBA teams, there is one thing Clowney needed them to know.
“I do want people to understand that I’m not the same 28 percent 3-point shooter I was in college,” Clowney said. “I done come a long way in the two months since the season ended.”
Clowney said he has had slight changes, tweaks and adjustments to his jump shot. But mostly, he was focused on learning how to correct his shot based on how the previous shot missed.
The good news is that the data also suggests Clowney is a better shooter than what the raw numbers may suggest. Clowney, via Stats Perform, was a far more respectable 28-of-75 (37.3 percent) on his catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities.
He was 62-for-120 (51.6 percent) across all of his catch-and-shoot field goals, via Stats Perform, which ranked second-best (behind UCF’s Taylor Hendricks) among projected first-round draft picks with at least 100 attempts tracked.
“I’ve got to make shots,” Clowney understood and clearly emphasized. “Everything will fall in place after that.”
Because his jumper wasn’t falling at Alabama, defenders rarely covered Clowney when he was shooting beyond the arc. Only 11.4 percent of his 3-pointers were contested, via Stats Perform, which was the lowest among all prospects in this class.
What is encouraging, via Stats Perform, is that he was 56-of-126 (44.4 percent) on uncontested jumpers.
Compare that shooting percentage with Jett Howard, who is widely considered as one of the best shooting prospects in this draft class. The Michigan freshman shot 47-of-108 (43.5 percent) on uncontested jumpers.
3
Clowney cares more about winning than his stats
Clowney did not have an expansive role in Alabama’s offense. But that never really bothered him so long as his team did well in the win-loss column.
“I ain’t never really cared about no awards, not even a stat to be honest,” Clowney said. “I just want to help my team win in whichever way I can.”
He averaged just 0.40 touches per offensive chance, via Stats Perform, which was the lowest among prospects included in our latest consensus mock draft.
But he found other ways to help his team get wins during his one-and-done campaign.
For example, Clowney set 0.12 dribble handoffs per touch, via Stats Perform, which was the most among all projected first-round draft picks.
He also scored 0.93 points per pick when he was the screener in pick-and-roll actions, via Stats Perform, which was the best among projected first-round draft picks with at least 60 ball screens tracked.
The results were phenomenal as Alabama outscored opponents by 17.8 points per 100 possessions when Clowney was on the floor, per CBB Analytics, which ranked in the 97th percentile among all Division I men’s college basketball players.
4
Noah Clowney feels that he is constantly overlooked
Not many people expected Clowney to find himself in a position to get drafted — at least not this soon.
“People didn’t even think I was going to play when I got to Alabama,” Clowney said. “I’ve always been overlooked in a sense.”
Coming out of high school last season, per RSCI, Clowney was barely considered a consensus top-75 recruit. He wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American. He didn’t play in the Jordan Brand Classic. He wasn’t touted as the next big thing.
Does he ever play with a chip on his shoulder because of those doubters?
“Yeah,” Clowney admitted with a smile. “[But] I never really cared about a number, to be honest. At the end of the day, everybody bleeds the same blood. So we got to go out and compete. So that’s what I do.”
During the season, Alabama kept winning and eventually, they became the SEC tournament champions. His success on the court helped him become widely viewed as a first-round draft pick.
“People see me at least now,” explained Clowney, though he maintained that it wasn’t one of his priorities. “That was never my mindset, though. I just wanted to win games. You win games and everyone looks good. We won games and it got me where I got me.”
Winning comes up a lot during conversations with Clowney.
“I know I talk about that a lot,” Clowney said. “But that’s how I base my mindset.”
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