NBA Draft results 2015: Rashad Vaughn picked by Milwaukee

Vaughn is one of the youngest players in this class after he declared following a one-and-done season at UNLV. Vaughn’s potential makes him a good value pick this low on the draft, but his bad habits limit his upside.

Vaughn scored in bunches for the Runnin’ Rebels, with 17.8 points per game on 44 percent shooting. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to lead UNLV to a successful season. Defensive problems and health issues kept them out of the tournament, despite boasting a lot of raw talent.

Vaughn still looks at the year he spent in college as positive, saying “my experience at UNLV has truly changed my life and helped me become a better player on the floor and a better person off of it.”

The Rebels’ poor season, plus a knee injury that cut Vaughn’s freshman year short, didn’t help his draft stock, which was already damaged by some concerns about shot selection and body language. Vaughn still won the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award but his college career was a mixed bag, both as a growing experience for him as a player and in terms of team success.

Dan Sinclair of Brew Hoop, SB Nation’s Bucks blog, didn’t expect the team to pass on other players in favor of Vaughn but sees why management wanted him.

The selection of Vaughn came as a bit of a surprise considering some of the other players available at #17, including Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis and Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker. The fit is questionable for Vaughn, who doesn’t seem to align with Milwaukee’s pressuring defensive system, and there were other positions of greater need for the Bucks. But Vaughn’s natural scoring ability is impressive, especially at a young age, and general manager John Hammond has always prioritized talent over fit in the draft.