76ers select Markelle Fultz 1st overall

As they'd planned when they acquired the No. 1 pick from the Boston Celtics earlier this week, the Philadelphia 76ers have selected Washington guard Markelle Fultz first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Despite his team struggling throughout his lone collegiate season, Fultz was an absolute revelation for the Pac-12 outfit. Projected as the top pick in the draft for his entire season with Washington, the 6-foot-4 195-pounder showed all aspects of his elite all-around skill set. Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per contest, and was named to the All-Pac-12 first team.

Fultz's versatility is what makes him such an attractive option at the professional level, as he showed throughout the college schedule he's as comfortable playing point guard as he is off the ball. While Washington was a terrible outfit last season, Fultz used each game to show off a different weapon in his arsenal, whether it be 5-for-10 shooting from deep against UCLA or driving relentlessly on his way to 16 free throws against Cal State Fullerton. Fultz's most accurate best-case NBA comparison would be a Dwyane Wade or Brandon Roy-type.

The biggest knock on Fultz is that Washington was among the worst major conference teams in the country despite his brilliance. It's unfair to saddle him with all the blame for the program's shortcomings, as Washington has sent numerous players to the NBA for years without much success on the college calendar. He will have to tighten up his handle a bit to limit turnovers, but it's hard to see Fultz not becoming a very solid NBA player with his wide-ranging skills.