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For some hoops fans, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is about school spirit, shocking upsets, Cinderella runs, the office bracket contest, mid-majors with funny mascots or a myriad of other happenstances that make March Madness popular.
And for some others, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is basically their only chance to familiarize themselves with players who will soon be performing in the NBA.
This is a tournament preview for the latter group. If you’re more curious about lottery odds than Kenpom rankings, then let’s talk about what to watch for over the next few weeks.
Team to watch: Duke Blue Devils
First game: Friday at 2:50 p.m. ET, opponent TBD
Whether your favorite NBA team blatantly tanked (the Washington Wizards) or hilariously fell apart and slid into the lottery despite lofty preseason expectations (the Philadelphia 76ers), the most important team to keep an eye on in the tourney are the Blue Devils. If you can put aside your disgust of Duke for a moment, the Blue Devils are projected by many draft experts to have three players selected in the top-10 of the upcoming NBA draft.
By now, you probably know about Cooper Flagg, the forward who is the presumptive No. 1 pick this June. Flagg was the No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2024, and last summer he earned an invite to practice against the U.S. men’s Olympic squad as part of the Select Team. He averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists a contest as a freshman.
The other names to know are forward Kon Knueppel, a shot-making forward whose 3-point prowess makes him attractive to pretty much any team, and Khaman Maluach, a center who can offer teams a potential defensive anchor and rim runner at the next level.
Team you wish you could watch: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
No team epitomizes the dichotomy of the college and NBA games better than the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is expected to have two players — guard Dylan Harper and forward Ace Bailey — selected in the lottery.
Both the NBA’s and ESPN’s mock drafts have Harper going second and Bailey going third, respectively. The only problem? The Scarlet Knights missed the tournament and also declined an invitation to the NIT.
Another team with potentially multiple first-round picks: Illinois Fighting Illini
First game: Friday at 9:45 p.m. ET, opponent TBD
Guard Kasparas Jakucionis and forward Will Riley are both possible first-round selections. Jakucionis has a chance to go in the top 10, while Riley is most often projected as going final third of the first.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman describes Jakucionis as a Chauncey Billups-type guard who can thrive off the ball. Meanwhile, ESPN bills Riley as a player whose size on the wing could be an asset, though he still has room for improvement as a shooter.
Player who could shoot his way into your heart: Tre Johnson
First game: Wednesday at 9:10 p.m. ET vs. Xavier
Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson is an unapologetic scorer who seems to have emerged as the fifth-best player in the upcoming draft class. Nearly every mock has a consensus top four in Flagg, Harper, Bailey and the Baylor Bears’ V.J. Edgecombe. Johnson is the player who most often pops up after them.
Johnson is a gunner who is not afraid to let it fly. He can create for himself on the perimeter and seems to have NBA-ready scoring talent.
The Longhorns are no guarantee to make a tournament run, however. Texas will play in the First Four for an opportunity to make the 64-team field. A big night from Johnson could give him a March bump.
Enjoy them while you can: Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers
First game for Florida: Friday at 6:50 p.m. ET vs. No. 16 seed Norfolk State
First game for Auburn: Thursday at 2:50 p.m. ET, opponent TBD
Both the Gators and Tigers earned No. 1 seeds in the upcoming tournament. And both squads feature players (Walter Clayton Jr. at Florida, Johni Broome at Auburn) who were semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy. But neither the Gators or Tigers have players who most mockers expect to appear in the lottery.
In fact, while Clayton Jr. and Broome both have a chance to be drafted, don’t expect to hear their names called until much later in the first round or even the second. Both Auburn and Florida have had great seasons. If you love watching the two teams play, appreciate what their stars do now, because they may not get a chance to shine as bright in the NBA.
