Philadelphia 76ers: 5 prospects to watch in 2019 NCAA Tournament

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images)
(Photo by Cody Glenn/Getty Images)

Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington

Almost every player on this list is a name that many fans have seen play, or at the very least heard of. Matisse Thybulle is not one of them. With the Washington Huskies often slated as the late-night game, paired with the general lack of rooting interest here in Philadelphia, Thybulle is a very intriguing prospect to keep an eye on.

Matisse Thybulle is not a player who is going to win you games offensively. In his four years at Washington, he has scored more than 20 points just twice in 133 career games. He can, however, win you games defensively.

This season alone, Thubylle is averaging a staggering 3.4 steal per game to go along with 2.2 blocks. With 321 career steals, he is the Pac-12’s all-time leader in the category. To call Matisse Thybulle a defensive stud is an understatement.

In the NBA, you can never have too many great defenders. It is very simple, defense wins championships. As a projected early-to-mid second round selection, Thybulle could very well end up on Broad Street next season.

As a nine-seed, we may not get to see much of Washington in this tournament, so 76ers fans should make an effort to watch their opening round game vs Utah State. Thybulle would be a player that 76ers fans would fall in love with simply due to his defensive tenacity and dare I say, his grit.