Auburn basketball: Thor chosen before Cooper in BR’s latest mock draft

It’s finally official: J.T. Thor will not be returning to the Auburn basketball roster for the 2021 season. Though many fans held onto hope that the forward would return to the Plains, Thor announced over the weekend he would be signing with Next Level Sports and Management.

Thor marks the second loss to the NBA for Bruce Pearl’s Tigers after the abysmal 2020 season, following freshman standout Sharife Cooper. The pair were major contributors on the 2020 roster, and Cooper was projected to be a lottery pick for much of the season.

However, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft this morning, and he predicts J.T. Thor’s draft stock to be higher than Sharife Cooper’s. Wasserman predicts that Thor will be drafted as the 23rd pick by the Houston Rockets:

"Thor is staying in the draft, and there has been conversation from scouts and agents about him rising into the first round. The 6’10” forward has a smooth lefty shooting stroke, while flashes of a pull-up game and fluid driving ability hint at more scoring potential to unlock long term."

Early in Sharife Cooper’s collegiate debut, he was a projected lottery pick, but as the season progressed he fell further in the ranks. Wasserman suggests that Sharife Cooper will be the 25th pick by the Los Angeles Clippers:

"The Clippers could target Cooper to provide pace and playmaking for their second unit. Until his shooting and defense improve, he may be most valuable providing a spark of speed and passing off the bench."

Though Cooper possesses great playmaking ability, he continued to struggle with shooting and was never known for great defense, which is probably why he seems to have surely dropped from the lottery.

Both Cooper and Thor have areas that they could improve in, but both have the potential to be major contributors in the big leagues. We’ll have to wait until the end of July to see where the former Auburn basketball stars land in the NBA.