New York Knicks: Three potential draft targets from the Big 12

College basketball season is officially underway. With that being said, here are three prospects to keep an eye on from the Big 12 or the New York Knicks.

College basketball season tipped-off Tuesday night with a tremendous slate of games to open up the 2018-19 slate, with New York Knicks executives in attendance.

As with every year, the beginning of the college basketball season also begins the evaluation process of the future crop of talent to enter the NBA next season.

This is especially true for the Knicks. While the group playing in Madison Square Garden right now possesses some exciting young talent, the front office will be looking to add another franchise building-block through the draft this offseason.

Here are three prospects from the Big 12 that Steve Mills and Scott Perry should keep an eye on this season.

3. Quentin Grimes, SG, Kansas 

Before the trio of Duke freshman took the floor and stole the show on Tuesday night, it was a freshman from the nation’s preseason #1 team that put the college basketball world on notice to start the year.

In Kansas’ win over No. 10 Michigan State, Quentin Grimes scored 21 points on an impressive 6-10 shooting from three for the Jayhawks.

The No. 8 recruit entering the year according to the ESPN, Grimes impressed in his off-ball movement during Tuesday’s game. His ability as a spot-up and off-dribble shooter is what stood out the most from his first collegiate game.

With Kansas set to play a number of high-stakes games this coming year, Knicks fans should get plenty of opportunities to watch the 6’5″ guard’s game.

If Grimes can prove to be a consistent shooter throughout an entire college season, he could be a great addition to a Knicks team currently 25th in the League in three-point percentage, shooting at a 33.2 percent clip from deep through 12 games. At the pace that Coach Fizdale wants the team to play at, having someone who has the body to defend both guard positions and spread the floor offensively is nearly essential to running the system successfully.

Right now Grimes projects as a borderline lottery-pick, but could firmly establish himself in the mid-to-late lottery if he is a key facet of a Championship run in Lawrence this season.

2. Lindell Wigginton, SG, Iowa State

One of the top returning players in the Big 12 this year is Lindell Wigginton, the 6’2″ bouncy scorer for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Wigginton averaged a smooth 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 points on 40 percent shooting from three and 42.3 percent shooting overall from the field.

The sophomore guard is a highlight-reel play waiting to happen, using his bounce to make a variety of plays around the rim.

Projecting right now as a borderline first-round pick, Wigginton could cement his position in the first round if he improves as a playmaker while retaining his 40 percent shooting from three this coming year.

If Wigginton becomes more of a playmaker, he could be a weapon in both transition and the half-court on the offensive end for Fizdale’s team. The best chance that the Knicks have of landing him, however, would be if he slips into the early second round of the 2019 Draft.

1. Barry Brown Jr., G, Kansas State

Having hit on Mitchell Robinson and Damyean Dotson, the second round of the draft has produced solid talent for the Knicks in recent years.

With Trey Burke and Emmanual Mudiay potentially gone after this season, the Knicks might need to find a floor general to hold down the fort with Frank Ntilikina next season.

A potentially solid rotation player embedded in the second round talent of the upcoming draft is Kansas State’s Barry Brown Jr.

The senior averaged 15.9 points and 3.2 assists en route to helping lead the Wildcats to an Elite Eight berth last season.

Brown would fit well into the Knicks young core due to his length on defense and his ability to attack the basket to create for himself and others. Brown is a player that would benefit from the spreading of the floor in the NBA.

The major hole in Brown’s game right now is his shooting. The 6’3″ guard shot only 32 percent from deep last season.

Depending on how he finishes his college career, Brown could be a late-second round pick that has a limited ceiling but could be a solid on-ball defender and paint-penetrator in the League.