Many of the top draft prospects got a chance to display their skills in the NCAA Tournament’s first and second rounds.
Those performances might help, or damage, their draft stock as they face top competition and defenses designed to hold them down.
Among that group were the three big men considered contenders for the No. 1 overall pick – Gonzaga Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Duke’s Paolo Banchero. The highest-rated guard, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey (No. 4 on ESPN’s Best Available list), was also in action.
Here’s a quick breakdown how they fared:
- Holmgren – The seven-foot freshman had a huge game against overmatched Georgia State, racking up 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and seven blocks. He had a much quieter outing offensively against Memphis, taking only seven shots, while finishing with nine points, nine rebounds, two assists and four blocks.
- Smith – The 6’10’’ freshman had a strong performance against Jacksonville State, supplying 20 points (including four 3-pointers), 14 rebounds and four blocks. He struggled mightily with his shooting in Auburn’s second-round flameout against Miami, scoring 10 points while making just 3-of-18 field-goal attempts. He did fill up the stat sheet with 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
- Banchero – Also listed at 6’10’’, Banchero had 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks against Cal State-Fullerton. He followed that up with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists in Duke’s win over Michigan State. He hit the go-ahead jumper with 2:06 left.
- Ivey – The 6’4’’ Ivey opened the tournament with a 22-point performance against Yale. He was only credited with one assist but added two steals. In the Boilermakers’ win over Texas, Ivey made a clutch 3-pointer in the late going and finished with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.
That leads us to our question of the day: Among the four players considered the top prospects in this year’s draft, which one impressed you the most in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament? Were there any other first-round prospects that made a strong impression on you?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
The thunder will be taking one of the top 3. Having watched all of them the past few games, my pick would be Banchero and then Smith. Both still need a lot of work to become stars but the talent is there.
I’ve seen Banchero and Ivey when they played my Buckeyes, and they definitely look like potential NBA stars. But I never watched a full game of Holmgren’s (or Smith’s tbh) before this tournament and man this guy has every skill except strength. Give him a few years in the league and he could be special.
And you don’t even have to see how good he is. His per-40 min stats…21pts, 14.5 reb, 5.5 blks, 3 ast, on 60-39-73% shooting….on the best team in college basketball?? Just crazy.
I like branham. Im taking him in the late 1st for sure.
*To watch him to see how good he is
Holmgren is gonna be an NBA bust.
Agreed. Unless he tacks on serious muscle like Giannis did, he’s gonna get bodied every night.
Holmgren is such a talent, he is gotta be the unanimous #1 in the draft, one of those guys that will mark an era!
Banchero as well is such a great & exciting talent, my #2 in the draft!
Smith seems pretty good as well, my #4!
Ivey not so hot on him, seems so far just another PG that is score first & if all fails pass the ball, not on my top 5 that is for sure!
Banchero seems to know where the rebound will bounce to. Very poised. But he did not mix it up inside vs Mich.St… He tends to cruise… the announcers talked about him being a former quarterback, like that is an explanation for his style. A good one I think. Unfortunately this is a year after former QB Suggs has gotten off to a bad start in the NBA.
I sound like a critic but he should be a can’t-miss star. Motivation & effort will determine winning. Similar to Towns but smaller, more grounded.
Graceful even.
Ivey def is not graceful… Always in a rush… Amazing energy for his musculature.
Suggs hasn’t been bad. It’s just his 3 point shooting really
Holmgren should stay in college one more year, gain 40 pounds, hit the weight room, and get tougher. He will get eaten alive in the NBA next year. Depending on a team’s needs, I like Banchero, Smith, then Ivey.
Totally agree with you ray
40 lbs? How is he supposed to do that under the watch of the NCAA?
He needs an NBA off cycle, sorry, offseason to achieve those gains.