Missouri, 8th seed
After Michael Porter Jr. missed essentially the entire regular season with a back injury, he made his debut for the Tigers in the SEC Tournament. Missouri lost in disappointing fashion to Georgia, with Porter looking understandably rusty.
Still, this is one of the more interesting teams in the tournament. Porter is an undeniable lottery talent who started the season as the No. 1 prospect on some boards, so the talent is there. Missouri has already overachieved this season, so there’s a chance they put together a big run if Porter finds some sort of rhythm.
With the Lakers’ recent success, the Sixers probably won’t have a chance to draft Porter. His medical evaluations will hold a lot of weight for most teams, though, and a top-flight prospect dropping to the Sixers due to injury concerns would be almost poetic.
Michael’s younger brother, Jontay Porter, is also an NBA prospect who could work his way into the first round. A capable collegiate defender and shooter at the five spot, he’s somebody the Sixers could look at for frontcourt depth with their own pick.