NCAA Tournament Prospect Watch: Russell, Towns shine on Day 1

11 years ago

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The NCAA tournament feels even more loaded with potential NBA prospects this year than it did in 2014, with 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 are all on teams that made the field. Maybe we just love this time of year regardless of prospect quality.

In any case, there are 74 prospects in the tournament ranked in the top 100 by either ESPN, DraftExpress or both. 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

D'Angelo Russell is Unbelievable

14:52 into Ohio State's game against VCU, likely top-five pick D'Angelo Russell had disappointed. He was 1-of-5 for two points with a turnover, and the Buckeyes were down 25-15.

And then Russell canned a triple, and it all opened up from there.

Russell would finish 10-of-20 for 28 points in the 75-72 overtime victory, putting the offense on his back and scoring 16 points in the second half and extra frame. He hit 4-of-7 from outside and added six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

While his solitary assist and four turnovers aren't what most are accustomed to from the point guard, Russell showed, as he has all season, that he can carry a scoring load. And in a big game, too. Everyone knows the passing and court vision are there, and so Russell establishing himself as a go-to volume scorer is likely to affirm those that are high on him.

Russell probably can't play his way to the No. 1 pick in the tournament alone, and some teams may ultimately remain more enamored with the unknown in Emmanuel Mudiay. But Russell certainly could have played himself out of the No. 1 point guard spot, and he did absolutely nothing to that effect Thursday.

It was a really, really strong performance, exactly the type you hope to see from a top pick and the second-best freshman in the country. Considering he, too, played great through a broken face, maybe the Russell Westbrook comparisons are apt.

Ouch ... pic.twitter.com/6Y8XqA08Zp
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) March 19, 2015

Top Performances

Jerian Grant and Demetrius Jackson both had great showings in a narrow Notre Dame victory. Grant, a likely first-round pick, shot 7-of-12 for 17 points and added three rebounds and five dimes. But it was Jackson, a potential second-rounder who has been shooting up draft boards, who impressed most, shooting 4-of-6 for nine points and adding four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks. If he opts for a junior season, he could really put up some numbers.
R.J. Hunter started really slow for Georgia State and it looked like he may be overmatched against Baylor. And then when the game was on the line, he scored 12 of the team's final 13 points and hit a ridiculous game-winning three. He remains firmly in the first-round conversation.
Everyone on Arizona had their way with Texas Southern: Stanley Johnson went 8-of-11 for 22 points, plus an emphatic block, Brandon Ashley shot 5-of-9 for 14, Kaleb Tarczewski hit 3-of-4 for 13 and most impressively, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, on the draft radar almost entirely for his defense, scored a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds and all the shimmies. But nobody's stock is really moving in a 1-16 matchup.
Norman Powell had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists for UCLA, showing why he was once high on draft boards, even if he'd need another showing like this to get back on.
Jakob Poeltl didn't just flash promise, he offered production against Stephen F. Austin. The somewhat raw 7-footer and potential top-20 pick finished with 18 points on 7-of-7 from the floor, eight rebounds and five blocks for Utah in their win. It had to be exactly what scouts were hoping to see.
Michael Qualls solidified his case as a second-round prospect, shooting 8-of-9 for 20 points in a narrow Arkansas win. Likely top-20 pick Bobby Portis wasn't at his very best shooting 5-of-12 but his final stat line - 15 points, 12 rebounds, two assists - and strong finish didn't hurt him at all.

See You Next Year ... or on Draft Night

Georges Niang (4-of-15 shooting) will probably need a senior season to warrant a draft pick in 2016. Iowa State's other prospect, Jameel McKay, had a great showing with 10 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks but he, too, seems likely to return for a senior season.
Rico Gathers was underutilized by Baylor in their loss given Georgia St.'s lack of size, shooting 3-of-8 for nine points with 10 rebounds and a block. He'll probably need a senior season to get a look.
Did anyone see Myles Turner for Texas today? He had 10 rebounds but also committed four fouls in 16 minutes, turned the ball over four times and scored just two points. He's a potential top-10 pick, so this was really disappointing.
A.J. Hammons was inexplicably ignored late in overtime, finishing with 17-and-10 on 7-of-10 shooting in a loss for Purdue. This didn't do anything to diminish his chances of a second-round flier.
Jarell Martin (16-11-4) and Jordan Mickey (12-and-14, 6 blocks) both went out guns a-blazing for LSU but came up a point short. Both could return for junior seasons, but Martin seems likely to give the NBA a long look.

UNC and Kentucky Get Their Own Sections

Justin Jackson led the way in a tight UNC win with 14 points. He was flanked by Kennedy Meeks (10-and-8), Brice Johnson (7-and-7), J.P. Tokoto (7-7-4, an awesome dunk) and Marcus Paige (12 with 6 dimes). They're all on the second-round radar.
Karl-Anthony Towns is coming for that No. 1 spot. Loved for his defense and dreamed on if the offense comes, Towns flashed both against low-end competition, finishing with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting with 11 rebounds and three blocks. It's Hampton, but it's also a career-high in scoring.
The other Kentucky good: Willie Cauley-Stein had 7-and-11 with two blocks and two dimes ... Trey Lyles had 10-6-2 on 5-of-10 from the floor ... Andrew Harrison shot 4-of-7 with a pair of threes for a 14-4-3 line ... Trey Ulis went 4-of-7 for an 11-4-3 line of his own.
The Kentucky bad: Aaron Harrison went 0-of-5 for 3-7-3 ... Devin Booker went 1-of-6 and looked uncomfortable with his shot.
The Kentucky in-between: Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson were just kind of there on the periphery, scoring four and seven, respectively, on respectable shooting.