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OKC Thunder: NBA Draft stock up, stock down report 3.0 –

By Rylan Stiles

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers is introduced before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers is introduced before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Panthers Guard Xavier Johnson (1) (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Stock Down: Xavier Johnson, Pittsburgh, Guard

The X man, as so many Panthers fans call him, has seemingly lost his power. I was high on Xavier Johnson on my first big board, ranking him 32nd on the prospect list. I ultimately thought he needed another year, especially with the talent Jeff Capel is bringing in to Pitt next season. However, this season he has not even looked like a second-round talent, much less a high second-round prospect.

Johnson through six games is averaging ten points, three turnovers, and two fouls per game. The sophomores shooting percentages have all dipped, seeing him shoot 35 percent from the floor, 40 percent from deep, and 57 percent from the line.

Earlier this week, Johnson was benched during the early stages of a game for a walk on backup point guard due to his struggles defensively and with ball security. That is not something anyone expected this season for the X man.

Xavier Johnson will be able to try and capture his superpowers back at the Fort Myers tip-off, taking on Kansas State on Monday evening at 5 p.m. CST, on Fox Sports 1.

I think, despite the small six-game sample size, Xavier Johnson has locked himself in for another year of college, which I thought he needed all along.

He still has trouble locking in defensively, and takes puzzling shots at times, despite having open teammates around the floor. Throughout the rest of this season, I am not concerned with Johnson’s stats, I just want to see if he can look under control on the floor. That has not been the case this season.

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