The NCAA tournament has felt even more loaded with potential NBA prospects this year than it did in 2014, thanks to one of the most heralded draft classes of all time. Maybe it's the battle to be No. 1 pick, or the constant shuffling of those in the lottery, or the fact that 33 of ESPN's top-40 prospects were all on teams that made the field of 68. Maybe we just love this time of year regardless of prospect quality.
In any case, there were 74 prospects in the tournament ranked in the top 100 by either ESPN, DraftExpress or both, and 40 remain entering the Sweet Sixteen. Each day of the tournament, we'll check in and see how said prospects performed, and at the end of each weekend we'll provide a Stock Watch, letting you know who's been trending in what direction.
Pre-Tourney Previews: EAST | WEST | SOUTH | MIDWEST | Kentucky
Day One review: Russell, Towns shine
Day Two review: Okafor holds serve, Kaminsky dominates
Day Three review: Hollis-Jefferson locks up Russell
Day Four review: Rozier and Winslow excel
Week One Trending: 5 stocks going up
Week One Trending: 5 stocks going down
Day Five review: Towns scores 1 point, Dekker breaks out
Too many Urkels on your team II
Here's what I wrote after Duke's Round of 32 victory:
I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb here: Justise Winslow is the best small forward in the draft.
Here's what I found myself thinking after Duke's Sweet Sixteen victory:
I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb here: Justise Winslow is the best small forward in the history of the universe.
Hyperbole aside, Winslow had another terrific performance on Friday and was, without question, the best player in a game that had three potential lottery picks and five potential first-round selections. He was everywhere for the Blue Devils, finishing with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, a 3-of-4 mark from outside, 10 rebounds, a steal and two blocks. It doesn't get much more impressive than that.
His performance included a key bucket and-one late, and a 4-of-5 mark from outside the paint when nobody else on Duke could score away from the rim. For the tournament, Winslow has scored 40 points with 33 rebounds, 12 assists, six blocks and five steals with a 5-of-8 mark from long range.
Already a probable top-10 pick entering the draft, Winslow has likely cemented himself as the top wing off the board in June, save for a potential pre-draft push from Mario Hezonja. He's terrific defensively, versatile offensively and if the 40-percent outside stroke is legitimate, he could be a terror at the next level.
Of course, Winslow also pimped a 3-pointer that led to a Utah layup the other way, so it was only an A+ outing instead of the A+++ it could have been.
Harrell and Rozier shine for Cardinals
This isn't Montrezl Harrell's first rodeo. It's not even his second rodeo. The junior is playing in not only his third NCAA tournament but appeared in his third Sweet Sixteen game on Friday, and it wasn't hard to tell that experience has given him a great handle on the pressure of the moment.
Harrell was terrific in Louisville's victory over NC State, scoring a game-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, the ninth time this season he's cracked 20 points. He also added seven rebounds, four assists and a block while playing strong wing defense, because this is what Harrell is and what Harrell does.
For three years now, Harrell's been slotted in the mid-to-late first round in mock drafts, exactly where he'll probably find his name called in June. His failure to develop a 3-point shot has kept his stock from rising any higher, but the athleticism, intangibles and rebounding from the forward spot give him the floor of a bench contributor at the next level.
That scary highlight aside, Harrell's teammate Terry Rozier had a fine night himself. While he didn't shoot the lights out - he was 6-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-3 from outside - Rozier finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
Getting 14 rebounds as a 6-foot-2 guard is exactly why Rozier draws Kyle Lowry comparisons, as his motor is non-stop and he's a terrific athlete who uses his speed and strength well. Outside shooting is a concern on scouting reports but Rozier has done nothing but solidify his case for inclusion alongside Harrell in the first round, scoring 54 points with 22 rebounds and 16 assists over three tournament games.
Top Performances
- Domantas Sabonis continued his strong tournament, showing why he's a potential first-round pick despite coming off the bench for Gonzaga. Sabonis scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added eight rebounds, all in just 21 minutes. In three tournament games, the son of Arvydas Sabonis has 37 points and 28 rebounds on 65.2 percent shooting.
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Jahlil Okafor scored just six points, tying his lowest total for the season. The previous instance was when he played 19 minutes in a 43-point blowout. Utah's pair of 7-footers guarded him well and the Utes' strong defense schemed around him, forcing other Blue Devils to beat them. That's not to say it was a bad game for the potential No. 1 pick, who grabbed seven defensive rebounds, blocked three shots and generally did a good job protecting the paint. He and Karl-Anthony Towns both had somewhat quiet Sweet Sixteens, and we're all still hoping for a head-to-head battle on April 6.
- Tyus Jones shot 3-of-10 from the floor but was straight cash from the free throw line at 9-of-10, finishing with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. It was a strong, if unspectacular night for the bubble first-rounder.
- Branden Dawson was quiet on the scoreboard but a beast on the glass in Michigan State's win, finishing with six points, 11 rebounds and two assists. He needs a breakout performance at some point to push himself back into second-round consideration after a somewhat quiet senior season.
See you next year ... or on draft night
- Anthony Barber put himself in the top-100 with a strong opening weekend but struggled for NC State on Friday, shooting 3-of-14 from the floor to finish with eight points, three rebounds and three assists. Given the good he did his stock from Jan. 21 onward, a junior season could do wonders for his NBA chances.
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Kevon Looney did a solid job on Kyle Wiltjer when asked, but UCLA lost the interior battle against Gonzaga in a big way. It's tough to fault Looney alone, who had nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and added eight rebounds with an assist, a steal and block. Friday was a bit of a missed opportunity to push himself back closer to No. 5 than No. 10. There's a lot to like here long-term at the next level, but Looney may need a year or two of seasoning before he's an NBA contributor.
- Norman Powell started hot for the Bruins, but the weight of carrying the scoring load wore him down. He finished 8-of-19 for 16 points with five rebounds and three blocks, not good or bad enough to move him from the late-second-round bubble.
- Put Utah center Jakob Poeltl on your lottery radar. Entering the tournament in the low-20s, Poeltl has done everything imaginable to improve his draft stock. The 7-footer defended Okafor better than maybe anyone has all year long, and his tournament averages of 13.3 points, six rebounds and three blocks with a 73.9-percent shooting mark stand out for a 19-year-old who's thought to be raw.
- Delon Wright didn't cap of his terrific season in the best of ways, scoring 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting with six rebounds, two assists and three steals. His tournament was a bit disappointing overall and could cast doubt about how he'll hold up making the leap to the NBA. He could find himself in the second round instead of the first as a result. Dude can get up though:
- Buddy Hield's junior season at Oklahoma ended with a decent statement game, with the shooting guard scoring 21 points with six rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-of-10 from outside, but that mark came against a great deal of defensive attention, particularly late in the game. He could be a second-rounder but a senior season wouldn't be surprising, either.
