While the Philadelphia 76ers are not a part of the NCAA Tournament, fans are always on the watch for young talent to bolster the Sixers roster. March Madness is a proving ground for many young players with hopes of an NBA career.
The three most exciting weeks in college sports are officially upon us. Any basketball fan lives for these three weeks, and millions of fans will fill out a bracket in hopes of the ever-elusive perfect bracket.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your bracket won’t be perfect. Your favorite team might not even be in the tournament. But as Philadelphia 76ers fans, we are always on the lookout for players who can improve our roster come draft day.
The media will certainly focus on big names like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in their endless coverage, but they will not be on the board when the 76ers pick. With the 76ers pick looking like it will likely fall somewhere between 24-30 (barring Sacramento winning the lottery). With most big names off the board by around pick 15, the end of the first round can often be extremely hit or miss.
Whether or not you have a dog in the fight, here are fives players 76ers fans should keep an eye on in this year’s tournament.
Coby White, PG, North Carolina
Freshman point guard Coby White from one-seeded North Carolina is a player that could see his stock soar with a productive NCAA tournament. The 6-foot-5 North Carolina native is the engine that runs the UNC offense this year, averaging 16.3 points per game.
White is a solid three-point shooter, coming in at 36 percent on a rather high 6.6 attempts per game. As a tall, slashing guard, Coby White is a player that opposing teams must account for on every single possession. His ability to get out and push the ball in transition is something that could be a difference maker come tournament time for UNC.
With his height, it is no surprise that White is a defensive menace. His length alone makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing guards, averaging a steal per game to go along with 3.4 rebounds.
The 76ers have point guard uncertainty coming up this offseason. Although Ben Simmons is in no danger of losing his starting job, there is the possibility that fan favorite T.J. McConnell is not re-signed in his upcoming free agency. White would be able to fill in that backup point guard role if McConnell’s time as a 76er comes to an end.
The Tar Heels are primed to make a deep run in this year’s tournament, and they will need strong performances from Coby White in order to do so.
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.
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.
Chuma Okeke, PF, Auburn
Chuma Okeke, the 6-foot-8 forward form Auburn is a player whose skillset translates very well on to an NBA floor. He is long, athletic, and is more than capable of shooting the long ball.
Averaging 11.6 points and 6.6 rebounds this season to go along with 1.2 blocks, Okeke has the potential to slide in to the end of the first round in this year’s draft.
Coming off a 22-point performance in the SEC Championship game against Tennessee, Okeke looks to ride his momentum into this week’s first round and beyond. As a team that is willing to shoot the three as much as any other team in the nation, Auburn must look to crash the boards in order to make a run.
A playmaker for the Tigers, Okeke is second in the SEC this season in offensive rebounding, and fourth in steals. Although he may not be the Tigers first look on offense, if Chuma Okeke is able to get hot, it is extremely difficult to beat the Tigers who have a plethora of outside shooters to choose from this season.
Okeke, similarly to Matisse Thybulle, would give the 76ers added depth at the forward position with free agency looming this summer. If he were to slip into the second round, he would be a fantastic pickup for the 76ers.
As a 5-seed, Auburn must deal with the dreaded 5/12 matchup in the first round against New Mexico State. As a team that likes to spread the floor, Okeke will be essential in adding to Auburn’s high-powered offense this time around in the tournament.
Markus Howard, PG, Marquette
Markus Howard is one of the most elite scorers in the entire country. Standing at only 5-foot-11, Howard is sixth in the nation in scoring, averaging 25 points per game. He has led the Marquette Golden Eagles to a five-seed in this year’s tournament.
A career 43.6 percent three-point shooter, Howard is a player whose game translates to the NBA regardless of his measurables. He is the kind of player that you see carry his team through the NCAA Tournament by simply willing the ball into the basket.
As a projected mid-second round selection, Howard could end up being a steal for whichever team decides to choose him. In Philadelphia, he would bring a different dynamic off the bench than any point guard we currently have. A pure scoring guard, Howard would spread the floor for the rest of the 76ers stars, denying teams any opportunities to double Ben or Joel in the post.
With a must-watch matchup against Murray State and Ja Morant in the first round, we will see how Markus Howard can perform when the lights are at their brightest.
Overview
While many brackets will be busted by this time next week, 76ers fans are always looking forward to the draft. The NCAA tournament can be make or break for many prospects that find themselves outside the lottery. All of the players on this list fall into that category, where a stellar tournament could bump them up to a potential lottery pick, and a disappointing tournament could see them slide down the projections.
Coby White, Matisse Thybulle, Ty Jerome, Chuma Okeke and Markus Howard are players whose teams are going to need them to produce if a tournament run is to happen. Hopefully this time next year, we will be talking about one or more of the producing for the 76ers, in preparation for a title run.
The NCAA Tournament combined with the end of the regular season for the 76ers makes for a very fun 3 weeks of basketball for fans all over the city. The 76ers will look to continue to extend their hold on the 3-seed in the East with their next few games coming against the likes of Charlotte, Boston and Atlanta.
Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the most exciting time of the year.