2017 NCAA March Madness Preview: NBA Prospects to Watch
2017 NCAA March Madness Preview: Canadian stars to watch
We’ve already looked at some of the top projected NBA draft lottery picks who will be plying their trade during March Madness, but what about the possible treasure trove of late first-round sleepers suiting up in the NCAA tournament?
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The Toronto Raptors enter June’s draft with a first-round pick likely to be somewhere in the 20-23 range. Sportsnet’s hoops panel weighs in on some of the players Masai Ujiri and the Raptors’ brass should be keeping their eye on:
Steven Loung: Not necessarily slept on, but Duke’s Luke Kennard could end up being an amazing value pick down the road. A classic 6-foot-5 lefty sniper from the wing, he has absolutely torn it up in his sophomore season averaging 20.1 points per game on 49.9 per cent shooting, including a scorching 44.3 per cent from outside. We live in the age of the three-ball now, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other guy in the tournament with as pure a stroke as Kennard’s.
Dave Zarum: The Raps may have to get lucky if he’ll drop to them, but Michigan State’s Miles Bridges would be a great asset moving forward. Without a clearly defined NBA position, Bridges is the type of player who can either vault up draft boards with a strong showing in the tourney, or see his stock inexplicably fall on draft day as teams try to figure out how to utilize the six-foot-seven combo forward. But he’s strong and skilled, with the kind of game that can fit into any system and flourish under the right development. He’s a fast, hyper-athletic, bruising forward who can make an impact right away and shore up a meaningful spot on the Raps depth chart.
Michael Hoad: Currently projected to be taken in the second round of the upcoming NBA Draft, Villanova guard Josh Hart is capable of providing offence in a number of ways. The senior leads the Wildcats in scoring at just under 19 points per game while posting strong shooting percentages across the board. He can slide in at either wing spot, and playing four seasons at an established program should help make the transition to the pros a little easier.
Evan Rosser: Purdue power forward Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan isn’t expected to be picked until the late first or early second round, but he’s averaging 18.7 points and 12.6 boards a game this season and has notched a double-double in 25 of 31 contests. The 19-year-old sophomore also has four 20-20 games—including a pair back-to-back in December. And he has range; he’s hit 44.9 per cent of his three-point attempts this season. Daaaaamn.
Donnovan Bennett: A year ago, North Carolina’s Justin Jackson decided to pull out of the NBA draft and come back to school— and it was a wise decision. The ACC Player of the Year is averaging 18.7 points a game while shooting 37 per cent from three. He profiles to be the type of three-and-D player coveted in the NBA and could take over that role for DeMarre Carroll, as he projects to play small forward in the NBA.
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