The top tier of the NBA Draft features a wide variety of 19-year-olds oozing with upside and potential to become a future All-Star. But when looking towards the second round, it can be tough to project which players will become NBA contributors. While upside and athleticism may rise as the draft nears, basketball IQ and toughness may get overlooked in the process. As a player that exemplifies both of the latter categories, here’s why T.J. McConnell may surprise and make an NBA roster next season.

When looking at McConnell’s draft projections, it’s tough to find any mock draft that has him being selected. As a 6-foot-2, 23-year-old point guard with a 6-foot-2 wingspan, McConnell doesn’t have ideal measurables or athleticism for an NBA player. On top of his average physical tools, McConnell has an average jumper with awkward looking mechanics. He was just 32.1% from deep as a senior.

While McConnell lacks NBA size and athleticism, there’s a lot to like about McConnell as a point guard. He’s a throwback, pass-first floor general that likes to get others involved and create for his teammates. McConnell averaged 10.4 points and 6.3 assists per game as a senior with a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and had a legitimate case for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award. He takes care of the ball and has no issues fitting passes into tight windows in the pick-and-roll. McConnell moves the ball up the floor in transition and has already played with NBA caliber athletes in Tucson.

His jumper showed struggles in catch-and-shoot situations, but McConnell is actually better hitting shots off the dribble. McConnell can pull-up from mid-range when defenses sag on the pick-and-roll and has a much quicker release than when he’s in spot-up situations. He’s also crafty with his release, as he can lean in to avoid deflections from trailing defenders. Although he’s not looking to create his own offense, McConnell did reach double-figures in every NCAA Tournament game, averaging 15.5 points in the tournament. When opponents try to take away other players, he can find his own offense when needed.

Defensively, McConnell doesn’t have elite tools as mentioned above, but he’s quicker than expected and was an excellent defender at Arizona. He possesses good hands and instincts, leading to 2.2 steals per contest, and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team in both of his seasons with the Wildcats. It wasn’t just against Pac-12 competition, however, as McConnell drew the primary responsibilities against D’Angelo Russell when Arizona faced Ohio State in the Round of 32. Russell, who will be a top five pick this year, was held to just 3-of-19 shooting while McConnell finished with 19 points (8-13 FG), six assists, six rebounds, and five steals.

“The MVP for Arizona was McConnell” Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said in his postgame press conference. “That kid was unbelievable both offensively and defensively today. Just did a great, great job. I kind of like coaching because he’s out there having the time of his life.”

His play on the floor was good enough to earn fringe draft projections, but what really stands out is his reputation off the floor. It’s tough to find a coach throughout the country that fights harder for a player than Sean Miller did for McConnell. After initially being left off the NBA Combine list, Miller reportedly did his best to get McConnell into the event when a spot opened.

“I would say that Sean went to bat for him hard,” McConnell’s agent, Chris Emens, told Bruce Pascoe of Tucson.com. “Put it that way.”

McConnell earned the late selection and didn’t disappoint. In two games, he scored only six points (all coming in the second contest) but also contributed 11 assists, seven steals, six rebounds, and just two turnovers in 41 minutes of action. He picked up full-court defensively and showed his ability to hit rolling bigs in the pick-and-roll. McConnell made his mark defensively and ran the offense well without trying to do too much.

This hasn’t been Miller’s lone instance either. All you need to see are these four quotes Miller has made over the past two years to see how highly he thinks of his point guard:

“Basketball Guide 2014: In T.J. McConnell they trust” by Roberto Payne of The Daily Wildcat (11/17/14): “I believe that T.J. McConnell is an NBA player; I don’t really care what anybody else thinks,” Miller said. “I’ve watched him all four years. He’s been all-conference in the three years he’s played.”

“T.J. McConnell should be a frontrunner for the Pac-12 POY award” by James Kelley of The Daily Wildcat (2/2/15): “He does it in all facets of the game, he does it every day and he’s the only guy that nobody talks about playing in the NBA,” Miller said. “I have no idea why he can’t play in the NBA. I know he can.”

Miller Press Conference Post Ohio State (3/21/15): “I’ve said it all along, he’s our most valuable player because of what he’s done consistently over time, but also, what a talented defensive player that he is. It’s never a one-on-one game, T.J. vs. D’Angelo Russell, but T.J. guarded him throughout the course of the game and I thought did an outstanding job. You watch D’Angelo Russell play in the Big Ten season, he’s an amazingly talented offensive player, and for T.J. to impose his will, work as hard as he did on that side of the ball, you know a lot of times that player doesn’t have enough on offense to help you. When you look at what he does for us on both ends, he’s like an All-American player. He reminds me a lot of what Aaron Craft gave Ohio State for so many years. T.J. has meant that to our program, not just the last two years, but he practiced with us three years ago, and I’m telling you he made our team better even in that year. He’s, I think, one of the best players that’s playing in college basketball right now.”

“The ways star T.J. McConnell has elevated Arizona’s program” by Zach Braziller of the New York Post (3/26/15): “There are a lot of players when they walk out the door you miss,” Miller said. “I don’t know if I’ll miss anybody more than him, and that is part of when you’re at a place like we’re at here, you want to keep it going.”

McConnell’s reputation as a hard worker is easy to see on the floor. He’s the most intense player in any game he plays and isn’t afraid to hold teammates responsible for defensive lapses. His leadership and toughness are two of his biggest strengths, although it may not be seen in boxscores.

With undrafted guards such as Matthew Dellavedova, Phil Pressey, J.J. Barea, and Tim Frazier on NBA playoff teams, there’s a chance McConnell could crack an NBA roster even if he doesn’t hear his name called in June. The Summer League process will obviously be big for him as well as training camp if he can earn an invite. There may not NBA teams clamoring for players like McConnell, but there have been others that found a niche – sometimes even a rotational role – at the next level.

McConnell has already had a workout with the Los Angeles Lakers and it won’t be his last. He’s on NBA radars, but the only question is if he gets drafted or chooses his own team to sign with. There’s always a need for a third point guard in the NBA, so look for McConnell to work his way onto a roster. He’s a true floor general that competes defensively and plays with a certain combination of savvy and fire. He won’t need to impress every team, but it's easy to believe that there will be one that covets McConnell.