There have been many risers leading up to the 2022 NBA draft.
However, few have climbed up draft boards faster than Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia. A player that transferred from Indiana State to the smallest school in the ACC went relatively unnoticed throughout the college basketball season.
Now, the 6-foot-9, 228-pound player has caught everyone’s attention.
LaRavia averaged 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 55.9% shooting while helping guide the Demon Deacons to a 25-10 record. Combine LaRavia’s frame with a 3-point percentage of 38.6% and suddenly he represents an intriguing NBA prospect that would fit on almost any team in the league.
The consensus appears to be that LaRavia will be drafted somewhere between the 20th and the 35th pick in the draft. Rookie Wire sat down with Demon Deacon Insider Les Johns from 247Sports to discuss what exactly has the forward this high up draft boards.
It was LaRavia’s decision to transfer to Wake Forest and unite with new head coach Steve Forbes that lit the spark for his brilliant junior campaign.
Johns pointed to a trio of factors that likely triggered the decision.
First and foremost, there was the coaching change at Indiana State as the Sycamores moved on from Greg Lansing, who had been the coach there 11 seasons. As LaRavia explored the transfer portal, he quickly learned of the opportunity to contribute at the ACC level with Wake Forest, and it certainly helped that Lansing and second-year Demon Deacon head coach Steve Forbes had a great relationship with Lansing. LaRavia leaned on Lansing during the portal recruiting period and Lansing helped steer him toward Wake Forest and the coach he affectionately refers to as “Forbsey.”
Coach Forbes, with the help of LaRavia and ACC Player of the Year Alondes Williams, helped fuel Wake Forest to their best season in years, barely missing the NCAA Tournament.
Despite being somewhat overshadowed by the dominance and extreme ball usage of Williams, LaRavia found ways to shine. In fact, Johns pointed out that LaRavia may have had more responsibilities than anyone else on the team in 2021.
He started 33 games last season for the Demon Deacons, finishing second on the team in scoring, rebounds and assists; behind just Alondes Williams. He started at the four-spot, but was able to create matchup problems with his size, strength and skill-set. At 6-foot-9, LaRavia is proficient handling the ball on the perimeter, but also strong enough to post up in…