Jacksen Moni: Polished and Poised
Unlike many draft prospects, Moni did not attend a powerhouse basketball school, but his stats and play on the court demand more attention. Will his remarkable numbers translate to the NBA?
On paper, Moni can do it all offensively. He offers great size at 6’10’’, is an elite three point shooter at 40.8% on the year, and has the footwork and strength to finish in the post. With the burden of leading his North Dakota State team, Moni has flourished in his first year with the team, stuffing the stat sheet with points, rebounds, and assists while maintaining great efficiency. Should Moni be getting more hype and attention? Does he have what it takes to bring these skills to the NBA? To answer these questions, let’s dive deeper into his profile and assess his potential roles in the NBA.
Basic Stats (2024-2025): 30.3 MPG, 20.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 2.4 TO/G, 50.8% FG%, 40.8% 3P%
Pros:
Volume scorer who has proven he is capable of being the focal point of an offense
20.5 PPG on 13.9 field goal attempts/game, both ranking in the 99th percentile
Usage percent at 32.8% also ranks in the 99th percentile
Despite Moni’s involvement in the offense, he was still extremely efficient on the year- 63.5% true shooting percentage(87th percentile)
Extremely polished offensive game- can score in many different ways
Moni has the size and strength to finish in the paint- shooting 71.1% on FG attempts at the rim(75th percentile)
Moni also has a smooth jumper and is great three point shooter, shooting 39.7% on 5.8 attempts per game(86th percentile)
He can shoot well both off the dribble and off the catch, making Moni a very difficult cover
Very efficient in post up situations- has the agility and feel to make a move based on how the defender is playing him
Has great footwork in the post and the dropstep is one of his most effective moves
In addition to being a great scorer, Moni is also a strong playmaker and passer
3.7 assists/game and 27.1% Assist %, both ranking in the 99th percentile
As a big scoring threat offensively, defenses have turned their attention onto Moni, but he is always looking to make the right play and find an open teammate if possible
Takes care of the ball relatively well when considering his involvement in the offense- 13.3% Turnover %(64th percentile) and 1.52 Ast/TOV ratio(89th percentile)
Cons:
Has not played the highest level of competition in comparison to other power schools
While Moni’s stats are extremely impressive, it’s important to consider that he will face significantly tougher competition in both the NBA or if he decides to enter the transfer portal
When attacking defenders, Moni often defaults to posting them up and working with his back to the basket
This strategy generally worked for Moni, but against more athletic and lengthier defenders, he may need to develop additional moves to score against them
As an already effective shooter, adding on the ability to dribble and create his own shot would make Moni even more difficult to stop
Rarely scores off of fastbreak situations
0.2 FB points/game(23rd percentile), and improving his speed/mobility could help Moni become a weapon on fastbreak plays
Not a strong offensive rebounder- 4.7% Offensive rebound %(15th percentile)
Moni is sometimes in poor position as an off-ball defender and tends to overhelp on drives
Could be a more active defender given his good length and size- 1.1% Steal %(25th percentile) and 1.6% Block %(26th percentile)
Moni’s Hakeem percent(steal % + block %) is 2.7%, ranking in the 18th percentile- indicates that Moni does not force turnovers at a very high rate defensively
Final Take: Moni is an extremely gifted player offensively with the potential to effectively lead a team and be the focal point of an offense. There are few flaws to Moni’s game offensively, as he is a prolific scorer at all levels and is a capable shooter, but his main improvement lies in developing his handle and improving his agility. Defensively, Moni possesses good length and size but needs to be more active in terms of forcing turnovers to make a bigger impact.
Draft Projection: Late 2nd round to Undrafted
Player Comp: Kelly Olynyk/Nikola Vucevic