Often imitated (NBA, NCAA Football), never replicated, March Madness is once again showcasing why it’s the greatest sporting event on the planet. A number of first weekend games (Florida vs UConn in particular) possessed Final Four level excitement and competitiveness. The following is a breakdown of some of the top prospects that have used this incredible stage to showcase their ability and enhance their stock for June’s NBA draft.
The Headliners
Cooper Flagg 6-8 220 SF Duke Fr.
Just 12 days ago, on Thursday the 13th, Flagg suffered a gruesome ankle injury, coming down with a rebound, that initially appeared to be Tournament altering. But being 18, and one of the world’s top young athletes has it’s benefits. Flagg made a stunning recovery to play in the first weekend, something that at the time of the injury seemed extremely unlikely. Flagg has been “the guy’ all season. He possesses superstar talent, and also the marketability and the character to become one of the faces of the league. Shooting was the one real concern early in the season. But he quickly developed that from a weakness to a strength. He raised his three point percentage 10 percentage points, from 28% to 38% in a short span of time and now has 45 made threes on the season, on a respectable 36%. He put up solid 14 and 18 points in the first weekend, numbers made more impressive with how fast he came back from the ankle injury. Duke blew out a solid Baylor team and appears to be on a path of destruction to another Final Four, as the title favorites. Flagg is the biggest reason, carrying both Duke and the sport, and should make the next two weekends must see TV for even the most casual of basketball fans.
VJ Edgecombe 6-5 190 PG/SG Baylor Fr.
Edgecombe put up 14 and 16 in Baylor’s two tourney games., which is right on his season average of 15 points per game. He showed flashes, with creating shots off the dribble and showcasing his elite athleticism. While he didn’t facilitate much, with just 1.5 assists per game, Edgecombe apologists will note the potential to play the point guard guard position as what gives him such intrigue. Baylor ran into a buzz saw with Duke, and it was clear the Blue Devils made a concerted effort to key on Edgecombe in order to limit his effectiveness. Edgecombe clearly didn’t have what you would label a breakout performance, but showed that he’s competitive and able to impact games on a big stage. Look for VJ to get looks in the top 3-5 of this year’s draft.
Jeremiah Fears 6-4 190 PG Oklahoma Fr.
Fears came into the year as top 30 prospect and through incredible toughness and competitiveness, and skill development, leapfrogged many of his classmates. He’s proven himself as one of the top prospects and point guards in the country. Despite losing at the hands of UConn, Fears was the most electric player on the court and although he had a tough shooting night, going 5-14 from the floor, his 2-3 from three and 8-8 from the line were bright spots. He also played extremely well in the closing minutes, knocking down a three pointer, and utilizing his blazing speed to get by opponents and put pressure on the defense. Despite just one tourney game played, Fears made his mark, and figures to get looks in the top 5 pick of the NBA draft.
[Player Kon Knuepel] 6-7 230 SF Duke Fr.
Overshadowed, but arguably just as important to Duke’s success and title aspirations as his all world teammate Cooper Flagg. Knuepel was one of the most exciting players on the high school level a year ago. Not for the high flying and athleticism, that’s not his game, but for how great a player he is despite not having all world speed and athleticism. Not many players on any level maximize their ability to the extent the Kon does. Knuepel scores incredibly highly in the determination and feel for the game departments. His compeitiveness is unrivaled and his decision to attend Duke likely tipped the scales on Flagg ultimately choosing Duke instead of UConn. Knuepel is a throwback, with shades of players of past eras like Chris Mullin and John Havlicek, due to his great mental toughness and skill level. Defense is obviously a concern as he lacks the foot speed of your average NBA wing. However, he finds ways to overcome the physical limitations with extremely high skill and IQ. Knuepel led the EYBL in scoring and brings an intensity and focus that are rare in today’s game. Knuepel went for 6 and 12 in the first two rounds, but make no mistake, he’s a big reason why Duke has the pole position to cut down the nets in San Antonio in two weeks.
Chaz Lanier 6-5 200 SG Tennessee Sr.
Lanier set the single season record for three pointers made in Tennessee’s win over UCLA in their second round match up. He’s building upon a great regular season resume with excellent play thus far in the tournament, helping lead the Vols into the Sweet Sixteen, Lanier has already hit 9 threes in two games in the tournament going 6-13 in round one and 3-4 against UCLA. He put up 29 points against Wofford, and 20 against UCLA, knocking down a combined 17 of 36 shots. :Lanier has been seen as a player on the first round bubble due to being an older prospect, having turned 23 in December. He also has a bit of an unorthodox shooting release, with his release being somewhat low. In his favor however is the fact that teams are no longer opposed to taking 23 year olds in the first round. And Lanier proved that he’s able to play at a high level on a big stage.
Egor Demin 6-8 210 SF BYU Fr.
Demin is a smooth forward with the ability to play as a point guard at times. Hailing from Russia and having spent three seasons playing at Real Madrid, there were some concerns about how he would be able to adapt to the culture and lifestyle in America. While BYU is not exactly the standard college experience, there was certainly an adjustment period greater than the average freshman entering college. He had some ups and downs but is playing his best basketball of the season through the first weekend of games. Demin went for 15 and 4 reb in the opening round win and then filled the stat sheet with a 11 point, 8 assist, 8 rebound game in their win over Wisconsin.
Asa Newell 6-11 230 PF Georgia Fr.
Despite losing in blowout fashion in the first round against Gonzaga, Newell was a bright spot for the Bulldogs. Newell capped off an excellent freshman season with 20 points on 6-10 shooting, knocking down 8-10 from the line, including 8 boards. He missed his 2 three point attempts, finishing the season 26-89 from three, just under 30%. While not highly efficient, he does show a solid shooting form and likely should increase his outside shooting efficiency in time. Newell’s 75% FT shooting and 54% FG shooting show that he’s a capable shooter and just needs to extend his range and improve his shot selection. He’s a good scorer, having put up 15.4 ppg as a freshman, with above average run jump athleticism for a near 7-footer. he answered some concerns this year about his toughness and willingness to play physical, averaging 6.9 boards in 29 minutes a game. He’s especially active on the offensive glass pulling down almost as many offensive board (3.3) as defensive (3.5). He’s not much of a rim protector and could possibly improve on his shot blocking, with better timing and attention to it.
Breakout Players
Walter Clayton 6-4 190 PG Florida Sr.
With elimination staring them in the face late against the two time defending champion UConn Huskies, it was Clayton who took over the game and refused to allow Florida to lose. Just as he had done in the SEC tourney, he showed the killer instinct that the team has come to rely upon, with late game clutch heroics. Against UConn, in a game that had a Final Four feel to it, Clayton took over. He scored 8 points in the final five minutes, including two clutch three pointers in the final three, the second of which was essentially the dagger, putting them up six with a minute to go. Clayton has a quality to his game reminiscent of a bigger Fred Van Vleet, becoming a killer in the game’s biggest moments.
Derek Queen 6-10 260 C Maryland Fr.
Queen had his “one shining moment”, knocking down a last second runner to beat Colorado State. Whether he traveled or not is a moot point now, as the play was not called. Queen hit an extremely clutch shot to win the game. He asked for the ball during the timeout and he delivered. Despite lacking great athleticism and quickness, his skill level and intangibles elevate his draft stock. He has a great feel for the game with the ability to anticipate plays and also passes the ball well for a bigman. Queen had a very solid opening weekend with productivity in both games. he put up 12 pts and 15 boards in their opening round match up against Grand Canyon. He followed that up with 17 and 6 against Colorado State.
Tyrese Proctor 6-4 190 PG Duke Jr.
Over the first two games of the NCAA tournament, Proctor did his best Steph Curry impression, knocking down a combined 13-16 three pointers, going for 19 and 25 points in their two games, While some have given up on Proctor as an high level NBA prospect, after coming into Duke with high draft expectations and struggling to live up to the billing. Proctor certainly benefits playing alongside a loaded roster, filled with future lottery picks. it clearly affords him open looks and with both games not being close, the counterpoint is that Proctor can look great in less competitive games with all the talent in the world surrounding him. But the level of shooting he has exhibited on a stage like the NCAA tournament is noteworthy. Has this pushed him into first round consideration? No. However, if he continues to shine as he did the first weekend in the next two, perhaps that narrative will begin to shift.
JT Toppin, 6-9 230 PF/C Texas Tech So.
Toppin went for double doubles in both tournament games over the weekend. His 25 and 12 against Drake showed how dominant he can be on the glass and scoring around the basket. While Toppin still needs to improve his outside shooting and ability to create shots, he is showing improvement. He knocked down 16-50 three pointers on the year. the sophomore from Dallas, Texas has a nice lefty shot out to 10 feet and is efficient in the paint and plays to his strengths well. He shows a relentless energy level and toughness to fight for rebounds. A Sweet Sixteen match up with Arkansas awaits for the 3 seed Red Raiders.
Bennett Stirtz 6-4 180 PG Drake Jr.
The point guard from Drake showed why he’s climbing draft boards and will have a decision to make at the early entry deadline. He’s an excellent shooter, capable of scoring from the perimeter on catch and shoot situations, as well as being an excellent facilitator. His vision and passing is his best attribute and he can attack the basket off the dribble and always makes the right decision on drive and dish and pick and rolls. While not the most flashy player, as he lacks great physical attributes, but has good size and speed as a lead guard and his intangibles are strong with a great feel for the game, competitiveness and decision making. It’s a deep point guard draft, so whether he can challenge to be a late first round pick remains to be seen. He will also have the opportunity to be a highly sought after transfer portal option. Stirtz had 21 points in both tourney games and averaged 6 assists, showing the competitiveness he’s become known for. Despite the loss to Texas Tech, Stirtz kept them in striking range for much of the game, and enters the off season on a high note.
Nique Clifford 6-6 220 SG/SF Colorado St. Sr.
Colorado State lost a tough one but not after showing a lot of heart. Clifford is their top prospect and has become one of the top senior prospects available for this year’s NBA draft. He’s a standout athlete and his skill level has made steady development throughout. He’s improved his three point shot to becoming one of the best shooter in the draft. Clifford scored 14 and 21 in their two games, really struggled shooting from the perimeter, missing all nine of his three point attempts. He struggled shooting the ball against Memphis i n their opening round win, missing all six of his three point shots and finishing 3-13 from the floor. But he was a factor for Colorado State on the defensive end and created problems with his ability to drive and make plays at the rim. Clifford remains a strong option at the end of the first round, despite the shooting woes.
Stock Down
Ian Jackson 6-4 190 SG North Carolina Fr.
Jackson had a very up and down season, at times exhibiting his immense talent and potential, leading the team in scoring and going on multi-game spurts with explosive outputs. but he also had streaks where he struggled to get consistent playing time and impact games. The tournament was more the latter as he scored 9 in the tar Heels play in game and then had just one point in 10 minutes, missing all three of his field goals in what will likely end up being his final college game. Jackson’s stock shouldn’t be affected too greatly as the Tar Heels had a log jam in the backcourt and he showed enough flashes to be projected in the top 20 picks.
Liam McNeeley 6-7 220 SF UConn Fr.
it’s hard to be too critical of McNeeley as he went for 22 points in UConn’s biggest game of the season, their second round loss to Florida. He is an excellent player and was solid in the tournament, proving that he was ready for the moment and displayed a lot of toughness. Where the concern lies is his inability to get by opponents off the dribble and that same lack of foot speed makes him a below average defender in space. He proved all season that he[‘s worthy of the hype and a legitimate five star recruit with great maturity and composure. But in order to be an impactful pro, he’ll need to find ways to overcome the lack of speed, namely be an elite shooter, and for now it appears he’s a notch or two below that.
Solo Bal 6-3 185 SG/PG UConn So.
Ball hit one big three pointer late against Florida, but his 2-9 shooting night and being outplayed by Will Richard has his stock moving in the wrong direction as the season ended for UConn. He remains a first round talent and could potentially get taken in the top 20. However, he will have a decision to make, whether to continue his college basketball career under Coach Danny Hurley, or move on to the NBA. He could certainly enhance his draft stock, and become a lottery pick and a more NBA ready player with another season at UConn. But the 6’3 athletic combo guard with a 6-10 wingspan has shown the improvement in his game and created enough intrigue to pique NBA teams interest as a potential first round pick.
RJ Luis 6-7 215 SF St. John’s Sr.
Luis picked a bad time to have his worst game of the season. In St John’s upset loss to Arkansas, in the second round, Luis had a miserable shooting game going 3-17 from the floor. A tough way to see your season end. On the bright side, Luis had an outstanding opening round game, knocking down 5-8 from three and finishing with 22 points. Luis was the most outstanding player on one of the top college teams in the country (a two seed) and exceeded expectations, coming into the year. While his season ended on a sour note, the senior enters the league with a bright future as a potential second round pick.
