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Four-star 2026 TE Corbyn Fordham gives Ohio State a Thanksgiving day commit.
Due to limited roster size and the top-heavy talent of the NBA, many undrafted players never get a chance to play in the league. It takes a stroke of luck for them to even get a shot.
Take Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova as an example. The man affectionately known as "Delly" is one of four undrafted players competing in the NBA Finals – Cleveland's Timofey Mozgov and, although they're unlikely to see the floor, Golden State's Justin Holliday and James Michael McAdoo are the others. Dellavedova played for Randy Bennett at St. Mary's and Bennett played with former Cavs GM Chris Grant in college. It wasn't the only reason the team signed Dellavedova after the 2013 draft, but it certainly didn't hurt.
Considering the success of the Ohio State basketball program and the wide alumni base, there's bound to be an OSU connection in the NBA both Sam Thompson and Shannon Scott can hope to take advantage of. Regardless, the weeks leading up to the draft are critical for guys like Thompson and Scott, who aren't projected to be among the 60 players selected.
Thompson and Scott spent the month of May interviewing and working out for NBA teams across the country. Their best hope is to impress a team enough to earn a tryout in the summer league. If the two Buckeyes are as feisty as Dellavedova, perhaps they will.
The list of the highest-paid undrafted players in the NBA isn't particularly illustrious and filled with role players at best. So, Thompson and Scott will have to do something to really stand out amongst the other undrafted players.
Sam Thompson
The former Buckeye forward is currently in Utah working out for the Jazz, today.
Teams are, no doubt, interested in Thompson's athleticism and ability to defend multiple positions. Every roster needs at least one player like Thompson. In the modern "pace and space" NBA, however, teams can't afford to have a complete non-factor at the offensive end.
If he can regain the form that led to him shooting 40 percent from three in his sophomore season, he'd be eminently draftable. Unfortunately, his long-range shooting ability disappeared in his final two seasons in Columbus. Thompson only hit 26 percent of his three-point attempts in his senior year.
In an interview with Slam Magazine, Thompson stressed the importance of improving his jumper.
"I’m tuning up my jump shot. At times I have a habit of swinging it to the left side of my body, but I need to keep it tight and real compact," he said. "The other thing is my handle. I know at the next level I have to be able to put it on the floor to create for myself and my teammates. Those are really the two biggest things."
Shannon Scott
Like Thompson, NBA front offices are intrigued by Scott's athletic ability and how it translates to the defensive end. He's already worked out for the Celtics and Sixers, among others
Unlike Thompson, he does not possess the ideal measurables for an NBA wing player. Scott's gritty defensive play is admirable but most NBA guards will have a size advantage.
Coupling that with poor outside shooting range makes Scott a fringe candidate for a summer league roster. Still, shooting is one of the easier skills to improve upon. Many NBA players shot even worse than Scott did in college, yet turned into productive shooters at the pro level.
With that in mind, Scott identified his overall offensive mindset as an area for improvement.
"I know my defense is going to be fine, I just want to stay aggressive on offense," Scott told Jazz.com, following an early-May workout with the team. "In the back of my head, I want to think about defense. But, I have to get my offensive game out there to show I can still do it."
Identifying that weakness is a good first step towards improvement. If he's a man of his word, Scott is putting the work in to improve his jumper.
"I'm shooting every day, trying to put myself in game situations, trying to be as realistic as I can with my shot," he said. "My mid-range game is pretty solid right now. Defense is all about effort and knowing the game better. Right now, my jump shot just has to keep growing."
