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

Ty Jerome, PG, Virginia

After last season’s shocking loss to 16th-seed UMBC, the Virginia Cavaliers are looking to avenge their loss with a deep tournament push this season. In order for that to happen, Ty Jerome will need to continue his stellar senior season.

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The junior guard is averaging 13 points and 5.4 assists per game this season. For his career, Jerome shoots the three at a highly effective 39 percent, and often has no issue pulling from NBA range.

When you watch Jerome play, he may not be the most athletic guy on the court, but he is willing to out-hustle anybody. He’s got “it.”

Jerome is another player, like Coby White, that could fill in with a potential departure of T.J. McConnell this offseason. His intensity on the floor leads Virginia’s incredibly staunch defensive effort night in and night out. As I said before, there is no such thing as too many good defenders on an NBA roster, and Jerome is no exception to that rule.

If Virginia is finally able to make their deep postseason run, and cap it off with a National Championship, look for Jerome to be their MVP. With star talent around him in De’Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy, the Cavaliers could find themselves playing in Minneapolis in early April.