NBA Draft Prospects to Watch on Day 2 of NCAA Tournament
Day two of the NCAA Tournament is upon us. This is a gold mine for Sixers’ fans, because it’s an opportunity to watch future Sixers play on the highest collegiate level. At this point of the season, it’s all about losing games to secure that high lottery NBA Draft pick. On the players side, a good performance could send a player up NBA Draft boards, while the opposite could plummet them.
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With that in mind, let’s take a look at some players that Sixers’ fans need to keep an eye on during today’s madness.
12:15 p.m. ET on CBS
Midwest Region: No. 2 Kansas (26-8, 13-5 in Big 12) vs. No. 15 New Mexico State (23-10, 13-1 in WAC)
Players to Watch:
Kelly Oubre
The Jayhawks Kelly Oubre is someone the Sixers could potentially grab with the Miami Heat pick, as DraftExpress has him slated in the 12th slot at the moment. Oubre is a 6’7″ player that projects as a forward at the next level. In his freshman year, he’s averaging 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds on 45 percent shooting and 36 percent from three-point range. The 6’7″ forward has a wingspan over 7’1″ and would fit in nicely with the Sixers’ lengthy lineups. Bill Self is known for not showcasing his supreme talent, but still keep an eye on Kelly Oubre today
3:10 p.m. ET on TruTV
East Region: No. 2 Virginia (29-3, 16-2 in ACC) vs. No. 15 Belmont (22-10, 11-5 in Ohio Valley)
Players to Watch:
Justin Anderson
The 6’6″ Justin Anderson of the Virginia Cavaliers is the 25th ranked prospect in the 2015 Draft according to DX. The small forward is averaging 12.3 points per game shooting 47 percent from the field and three. His shooting would be welcomed in the Sixers lineup, especially if the top-18 protected pick from OKC conveys this season.
4:10 p.m. ET on TBS
East Region: No. 4 Louisville (24-8, 12-6 in ACC) vs. No. 13 UC-Irvine (21-12, 11-5 in Big West)
Players to Watch:
Montrezl Harrell
Ah, Montrezl Harrell surprised most by sticking around at Louisville for another year. His stats have improved marginally, he’s up to 15.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He still can’t do much on offense, being relegated to mainly put-backs and dunks. Harrell has tried to stretch his range to the three-point line, but is only converting on 24 percent of his attempts. A three-point shot would help his case in the NBA Draft. He could be around for both the Miami and OKC selections that the Sixers’ own.
7:10 p.m. ET on CBS
South Region: No. 1 Duke (29-4, 15-3 in ACC) vs. No. 16 Robert Morris (20-14, 12-6 in Northeast)
Players to Watch:
Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow
To be honest, I’m expecting Duke to stomp Robert Morris, so there won’t be much to analyze during this game. All three of these kids should dominate. Okafor should be feasting on the Robert Morris and hopefully we have some highlight reel dunks from Justise Winslow. Tyus Jones could be a point guard option in the second-round, even though he’s projected to land in the late first-round right now.
9:20 p.m. ET on TBS
West Region: No. 1 Wisconsin (31-3, 16-2 in Big Ten) vs. No. 16 Coastal Carolina (24-9, 12-6 in Big South)
Players to Watch:
Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker
Kaminksy and Dekker are two players that are floating around in the mid-to-late first-round, but I’d hate the Sixers to use picks on them. They have all the attributes of future bench players in the NBA with so much #heart and #hustle that even Aaron Craft is impressed. Neither Kaminksy or Dekker fit into the type of team the Sixers are building, but watch if you’d like.
9:57 p.m. ET on TruTV
East Region: No. 6 Providence (22-11, 11-7 in Big East) vs. No. 11 Dayton (26-8, 13-5 in Atlantic 10)
Players to Watch:
Kris Dunn
The Providence Friars point guard is another one floating around in the mid first-round according to DraftExpress right now. Kris Dunn is a 6’4″ point guard for Providence, putting up 15.8 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. He has a 6’8″ wingspan and has been growing over the past year or so. I don’t see the Sixers going for a point guard in the first-round if it’s not D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay. Dunn is already 21-years-old, but could still wind up in a Sixers uniform if the Sixers go with a big with their own lottery pick.