NBA Draft 2022: What Spurs are getting in Jeremy Sochan
By John Fanta
FOX Sports College Basketball Writer
A basketball life that started in England and made stops in Poland, Germany and America. A versatile talent. A buzz cut of blond hair, reflecting a big personality.
For the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs, who possessed four of the top 40 picks in the NBA Draft, the ninth pick offered a variety of avenues. Instead of going for the potential of a draft-and-stash prospect or making a trade, San Antonio went after one of the most fascinating prospects in the class — Jeremy Sochan.
The versatile 19-year-old fits right into Gregg Popovich’s blueprint in that he won’t have to be taught much about defending. At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds with a wingspan of more than seven feet, Sochan won Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and was named to the conference’s All-Freshman team in his lone season at Baylor.
For a Spurs organization that has just two players over the age of 30, Sochan fits right into the youth movement, and his defensive upside is as strong as any in his class. Sochan is switchable, has great foot speed and embraces the physicality when he’s matched up with big men. His head coach Scott Drew raved about the way he came into his Baylor program — which was coming off winning the 2021 national title — and fit right in as one of the team's best communicators, particularly on defense.
In the NBA, does that not just say Spurs?
The organization’s success has been built on a foundation of players doing the little things and being willing to play team basketball. Sochan only started one game in college, yet was a top-10 pick. He has the skill set of a lottery talent but was willing to be a reserve for his team.
"We think he complements the group really well. He’s a connector," said Spurs general manager Brian Wright when asked about Sochan. "It’s the versatility. As you can see now, teams playing smaller and guys being able to guard multiple positions, he connects you on both ends of the floor. He can pass, he can think. He’s physical, he’s unselfish, he’s coachable. He’s all the things that we identified that we wanted to add to this team, and he’s a little fun with that head of hair."
Born to a Polish mother, Aneta, and an American father, Ryan Williams, Sochan moved to England at the age of two and grew up in Milton Keynes. With his parents playing basketball professionally, the game has always been a part of Sochan’s life. He moved to America for high school at La Lumiere in Indiana, but went to Germany to play for a club team during the pandemic. Spending time in Poland as a part of the national team program as well, Sochan has really been a global citizen.
In fact, Wright compared Sochan to 14-year NBA player Boris Diaw, who played for the Spurs from 2012-16 and served as a captain for the French national team.
"Hearing about how he thinks about basketball, but life outside of basketball, really lines up with what we hope to be and what we hope the environment and culture is, so we think he’s going to add something on and off the court," Wright added.
On the offensive end of the floor, the obvious area in need of improvement is Sochan’s shot. Shooting just 29% from beyond the arc, Sochan never looked all that comfortable on the perimeter. Additionally, according to Synergy, he connected on just 30 jumpers in the half-court over the entire 30-game season.
If the Spurs can develop that part of his game, Sochan can be a real threat, as he is already an aggressive attacker. Sochan can punish a big defender off the dribble and is unafraid to draw contact when he heads to the rim. His skill and feel for the game, which are helped by an extensive international background, give him a variety of ways to finish at the hoop and post up. That’s why the jumper will likely end up being the key determinant of just how impactful Sochan will be in The Association.
Sochan steps into an organization that has a history of developing talent, but has work to do to get back to being a legitimate force in the West. That said, Sochan will be able to jump right into a rebuilding franchise, and he will get plenty of opportunities to impact the organization immediately.
While San Antonio has Doug McDermott and Keldon Johnson as forwards, the level that Sochan can defend combined with his offensive upside makes him such a desirable piece for San Antonio going forward because he can match up with anybody from one to five. The developmental fit for him is perfect, and it’s clear that the Spurs are taking everything in stride after they traded Dejounte Murray to the Hawks for a package including three future first-round picks and veteran Danillo Gallinari.
Spurs trade Dejounte Murray to Hawks
Overall, so much makes sense with this selection, and Sochan’s throwback game and unselfish personality give him quite a bit of intrigue heading into the league.
He isn’t a finished product, and he’s off to an organization that knows how to develop players and is in need of new faces for their future.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
