While Minnesota Timberwolves fans may not want to think about the upcoming NBA draft as the team is sitting just 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot and is playing its best basketball in years, but with the NCAA Tournament (the real tournament, not the play-in games) starting on Thursday, many of the nation’s top prospects will be on display. Below is a closer look at 29 of the best NBA prospects that will be in the tournament, sorted by region, then team.
East Region
No. 7 South Carolina – Guard Sindarius Thornwell
Thornwell is a bit of a rare breed in modern-day college basketball — a senior who is projected to be a second-round pick in the NBA draft. He leads the Gamecocks with 21 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8 percent from behind the 3-point line. In his first three seasons, he never averaged more than 13.4 points or 4.9 rebounds per game and his 37 percent clip from distance as a freshman was his previous career-best. He adds 2.2 steals per game on the defensive end and has been a model of consistency for South Carolina, as he has scored in double figures in every game this season.
Thornwell is far from a top prospect, but is someone who could step onto an NBA roster next season and contribute on both ends of the floor if selected in the second round.
No. 2 Duke – Forwards Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles, guards Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen
Tatum should be a top-five pick in next year’s draft. As a freshman, he has averaged 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils. He has stepped up as a main contributor for the Blue Devils — who are coming off an ACC Tournament championship — as he’s logged at least 35 minutes in 10 straight games while posting seven games with at least 19 points.
As an NBA prospect, he appears to be the premier wing player in next year’s draft class. At 6-foot-8, 205 lbs., he may want to put a little more muscle, but his body seems much more ready than Brandon Ingram’s 190-lb. frame did when he left Duke to become the second overall pick in the 2016 draft.
Giles has been largely a disappointment for the Blue Devils this season. He entered his freshman year as one of the nation’s top prospects, but has only managed 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season. Despite the disappointing campaign, he could still find himself being picked in the first round — much like Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere, who was selected 28th overall last season — purely because of his potential. At 6-foot-10, 240 lbs., Giles certainly has the body to be a post player in the NBA, so if he can make the most out of his minutes in the NCAA Tournament, it would not be shocking to hear his name called in the first round in June.
After averaging just 11.8 points on 32 percent shooting from deep as a freshman, Kennard has played himself into the status of a first-round pick with his 20.1 points per contest and 44.3 percent shooting from behind the arc. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season and has the range to be a productive NBA shooter. In the modern-day NBA, Kennard can be an asset for a team simply because of his 3-point shooting.
A decrease in numbers, a lingering ankle injury and a need to kick his opponents has sent Allen’s draft value plummeting. A year ago, Allen may have heard his name called in the lottery, but now as his numbers are down across the board and after being involved in a number of controversies, he’s fallen off many draft lists. If the polarizing junior was able to lead Duke deep into the tournament, it would not be surprising to see his name back in the mix in mock drafts.
West Region
No. 1 Gonzaga – Center Zach Collins
Collins has been an important role player for the top-overall seed Gonzaga this season as a freshman. While only logging 17.1 minutes per game, he’s managed 10.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. At 7-feet tall and 230 lbs., he entered Gonzaga as one of the top prospects in the nation and his 65.3 percent shooting has not disappointed. In a very small sample size, he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor as he’s made 8-of-18 3-point attempts this season.
No. 6 Maryland – Guard Melo Trimble
Wait, Trimble is still in school? Hasn’t he been at Maryland forever? He’s officially the Perry Ellis of the Big Ten. Somehow he’s actually only a junior (this is what happens when players actually stay in school,) so this is probably going to be repeated next year if he returns to Maryland. Trimble leads the Terrapins with 17 points per game, which is his highest in his three-year career. An experienced ball-handler can always be an option in the second round for an NBA team.
No. 3 Florida State – Forwards Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon
Isaac has been projected by many to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft because of his length, athleticism and raw skill set. In 25.7 minutes, the freshman averages 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He’s disappeared in a few games this season but offers tremendous upside.
Bacon leads the Seminoles with 16.9 points per game while shooting 35 percent from behind the 3-point line. At 6-foot-7 and 220 lbs., he offers versatility at the wing position and is currently considered a fringe first-round talent.
No. 2 Arizona – Forward Lauri Markkanen and guard Allonzo Trier
At 7-feet and 230 lbs., the Finnish Markkanen is everything the modern NBA big-man should be. As a freshman, he averages 15.6 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc with 2.0 made 3-pointers per contest. He’s also been extraordinary from the free-throw line, shooting 82.4 percent on his 148 attempts. He should certainly be a lottery pick in the upcoming draft as he poses a scoring threat from both the inside and outside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqIfWJc-LQQ
Trier leads the Wildcats with 17.3 points per game. He has seen a spike in all of his averages and percentages in his second season with Arizona and it has led to some draft boards labeling him as a fringe first-round player. With his 6-foot-5 height and 41.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc, it is not hard at all to draw the comparison to fellow Washington native and current Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine when watching Trier.
Midwest Region
No. 1 Kansas – Guards Josh Jackson and Frank Mason
Jackson rivals Duke’s Tatum as the top wing prospect in the NCAA Tournament. The freshman from Detroit averages 16.4 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from distance. His athleticism and highlight-reel dunking ability are second to nobody in this field. Aside from allegedly kicking cars in a parking lot, Jackson’s biggest flaw might be at the free-throw line, where he is shooting just 55.9 percent.
Mason is the far less touted prospect of the two Jayhawks that could be playing in the NBA this season, but his experience at the point guard position for a winning program may be enough of a reason to call his name in the second round. He leads the team with 20.8 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 48.7 percent from both the field and from long distance. Considering how guards like Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have flourished after long college careers, it makes sense to use a late pick on Mason.
No. 9 Michigan State – Forward Miles Bridges
In what has been considered a “down year” for Tom Izzo’s Spartans, Bridges led an inexperienced roster with 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. At 6-foot-7 and 230 lbs., the freshman has already drawn comparisons to former Spartan and current Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. The size and the stats — he is shooting 38.8 percent from behind the arc — justifies the mere thought of it. He obviously has quite a long way to go on both the defensive side and in the passing department to reach Green’s caliber, but a highly-touted prospect with good size and a year of tutelage from Izzo has to be at least a little appealing to NBA teams.
No. 5 Iowa State – Guard Monte Morris
Yet another senior guard makes the list. Morris leads the Cyclones with 16.3 points, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is averaging a career-best 1.5 made 3-pointers per contest while making them at a 38.9 percent clip — which marks his fourth consecutive season of shooting at least 35 percent from behind the arc. Morris certainly won’t be a lottery pick, but a strong showing in the tournament could propel him into the end of the first round or top of the second round.
No. 12 Nevada – Forward Cameron Oliver
Oliver is far from a household name for the casual college basketball fan; but if he were to duplicate a 29-point, 17 rebound performance he had against Colorado State less than two weeks ago on the national stage, he would be. The 6-foot-8 sophomore enters the big dance with 15.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. His skill set and frame make him an interesting flier for a “three and D” type player in the NBA.
No. 4 Purdue – Forward Caleb Swanigan
One of the best rebounders in the entire field, Swanigan has an NBA-ready frame at 6-foot-9, 250 lbs. His team-leading 18.5 points and 12.6 rebounds speak for itself and his 43.1 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line may be the biggest draw for NBA teams looking for a “stretch-four” who can hold his own on the glass.
No. 6 Creighton – Center Justin Patton
Patton is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s field. His 13.1 points per game on 69.4 percent (not a typo) shooting is intriguing enough. Combine that with 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest coming from a 7-footer with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, now that’s something else. Wait, there’s more? Yes. Patton, like New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, was a “late-bloomer” as he was just 6-foot-2 in his freshman year of high school. After playing guard all of his youth, Patton is just comfortable playing from the perimeter, putting the ball on the floor and passing the ball as he is posting up or finishing a dunk over a defender. At only 19, he certainly profiles as one of the most exciting draft prospects in the upcoming draft; because of his raw skill set combined with going to a small school, he just might be available later than he probably should be come June — if he were to enter the draft, of course.
No. 3 Oregon – Guard Dillon Brooks and forward Jordan Bell
At this point, both Brooks and Bell (both juniors) are probably considered second-round fliers for NBA teams. Each offers a desirable skill that could be useful early in an NBA career, though. Brooks, a 6-foot-7 wing, shoots 41.4 percent from behind the 3-point line and has scored at least 22 points in three of his last four games. Bell is a strong rebounder and shot blocker, as he leads the Ducks with 8.1 boards and 2.1 blocks per game.
No. 10 Oklahoma State – Guard Jawun Evans
Evans leads the Cowboys with 19 points and 6.2 assists per game. The sophomore from Dallas adds 1.8 steals per contest on the defensive end and is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc, after shooting 47.5 percent from distance as a freshman.
No. 2 Louisville – Guard Donovan Mitchell
The sophomore Mitchell has doubled his scoring total from his freshman campaign with 15.7 points per game while shooting 36.3 percent from behind the 3-point line. Currently, he is being projected as a late first-round selection. Leading the second-seeded Cardinals out of the Midwest region and into the Final Four would certainly help his draft stock.
South Region
No. 1 North Carolina – Forwards Justin Jackson and Tony Bradley
Jackson might be a consolation prize for NBA teams missing out on Tatum and Josh Jackson at the wing position. The junior leads the Tar Heels with 18.1 points per game while shooting 37.7 percent from behind the 3-point line. Currently being projected outside the lottery, Jackson could sneak his way into the back end of the lottery projections with a strong tournament run for North Carolina.
Bradley started his college career with six consecutive games scoring in double figures, despite never logging more than 20 minutes in a game. Since then, he has cooled off a little bit, but still managed 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in just 15.1 minutes as a freshman. After being rated outside the top-25 in his recruiting class, Bradley has garnered the NBA’s attention already in his time with UNC. Making the most of his minutes on the national stage would certainly help his cause.
No. 3 UCLA – Guard Lonzo Ball and forward TJ Leaf
It’s almost a shame Ball’s father LaVar has made the headlines so often for making insane comments. If him claiming his son could trade places with Curry and both Golden State and UCLA would be in the same place is not insane enough, he doubled down on his quest for hottest take of all-time when he said he could have beat Michael Jordan in one-on-one. Dealing with his delusional father might be the only drawback to selecting Ball in the NBA draft. On the court, the freshman has been stellar, as he has carried the Bruins with 14.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. His ball handling, passing ability and 41 percent shooting from long distance has made him one of the premier prospects in the upcoming draft.
Leaf has not got as many headlines as his fellow freshman teammate, but could still find himself being selected in the top-15 of this summer’s draft. He’s averaging 16.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 61.8 percent from the field. He’s also shown the ability to stretch the floor with his 45.3 percent shooting on 53 attempts from long distance.
No. 2 Kentucky – Guards Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox and forward Bam Adebayo
It’s a bit of a down year for the Wildcats, as they are only projected to have three lottery picks in the upcoming draft. All jokes aside, as always, Kentucky has a strong freshman class that will likely have its presence felt early in June’s draft.
The class is headlined by Monk, a guard scoring 20.4 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc. At 6-foot-3 and 200 lbs., his size may be a concern at the next level’s shooting guard position, but he has shown the range necessary to play at the NBA-level.
Despite being one of the top recruits entering the season, Fox has managed to stay under the radar at the point guard position thanks to Ball and Washington’s Markelle Fultz. His 16.1 points and 4.8 assists per game, combined with playing a year at John Calipari’s empire, Fox should make for a nice consolation prize for a team seeking a point guard that misses out on Ball or Fultz.
The final prospect, Adebayo, is the Wildcats’ premier post player with a team-leading 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He scores 13.3 points on 61.4 percent shooting. While he does not offer the ability to shoot from outside like previous Wildcat big men, his 260-lb. frame should help him be a force inside at the next level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GDA2WB4NGk
