Washington’s Markelle Fultz is projected by most to be the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, followed closely by fellow star freshman Lonzo Ball.
While the two widely are considered to be the top two prospects ahead of the draft, Ball believes that there shouldn’t be a question about who’s better when it comes to him and Fultz. And the UCLA star gave his opinion on the debate during an interview with ESPN 710 LA on Tuesday.
“Markelle’s a great player, but I feel I’m better than him,” Ball said, per ESPN. “I think I can lead a team better than him. Obviously, he’s a great scorer — he’s a great player, so I’m not taking that away from him.”
Ball led the Bruins to two blowout wins over Fultz’s Huskies during the regular season, but the Washington star didn’t play in the second game due to a lingering knee injury.
For the year, Ball averaged 14.6 points and 7.7 assists per game (the best mark in Division I). The talented guard also led his team to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a Sweet 16 berth before being stifled by Kentucky.
The 6-foot-4 Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, but the Huskies went 9-22 overall and 2-14 in conference play.
Fultz seemingly noticed Ball’s assessment, as he liked a tweet with a link to an article featuring Ball’s quotes.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 28, 2017
Expect the debate between the two electric guards to continue right up until the first pick is announced.
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