Javon Small

A three-star recruit, Javon Small began his collegiate basketball path with East Carolina. He came off the bench for all 15 appearances as a freshman in 2021-22. In 2022-23, he started all 18 of his appearances but transferred after the season to Oklahoma State, where he started making waves. That season, he was named to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team behind 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.0 steals. He then transferred to West Virginia for his senior 2024-25 campaign. There, Small was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and was an AP All-American Honorable Mention with 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 36.1 minutes. The primary thing working against Small is his height at 6-foot-2, but he proved to be one of the most talented college basketball players in the country last season. He's a strong defender, playmaker and can create his own shot. That's not just launching 3s. He gets to the rim and finishes through contact while drawing free throws. Small is also often looking to get his teammates involved and make a variety of creative passes. Defensively, he's a pest to opposing teams' ballhandlers and navigates around screens well. Small's path to earning a sizeable NBA role could start with backup point guard minutes, bringing energy and playmaking on both sides of the ball. His size may be a limiting factor in terms of being able to play one or two positions defensively, but he's proven a lot as a shot-maker, passer and defender. His game has some similarities to Immanuel Quickley and Darren Collison, smaller guards who are great-but-not-elite athletes who could play both sides of the ball.