One of the joys of watching the NCAA Tournament – which fans were denied of in 2020 by a pandemic – is the chance to familiarize yourself with new and up-and-coming basketball stars. March Madness is often particularly effective at creating household hoops names, particularly when a player leads a team all the way to the Final Four or a national championship. However, in recent years ultimate success in the tournament hasn’t necessarily translated into a player becoming a franchise-changing pro; none of the seven Most Outstanding Players from 2013-19 have become NBA All-Stars, and two of them never played a regular season minute in the league.
How will this year’s crop of Final Four stars fare as pros? Only time will tell, but there is a significant group of players from Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA expected to be picked July 29 during the NBA’s two-round draft. An overview of the players commonly projected as draftees later this month from the four programs who competed in early April:
BAYLOR (28-2, national champions)
Davion Mitchell
The guard’s stellar spring pushed him to a projection of being picked during the middle portion of the lottery, with CBSSports.com moving him from No. 16 to No. 6 on its Big Board. The jump was based on Mitchell’s performance under pressure and against top NCAA Tournament competition.
Jared Butler
The 2021 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, the smooth-shooting guard is considered by most mock drafts to be a late-first-round pick. He scored 22 points and dished out seven assists in the title game, the first player since Carmelo Anthony in 2003 to notch those numbers in the NCAA finals.
GONZAGA (31-1, national runner-up)
Jalen Suggs
Based on mock drafts, he appears to be a lock as a top-four overall pick, with the possibility of being selected as high as second. Among his array of strengths, ESPN.com praises the guard for his combination of “defensive versatility, competitiveness and transition-scoring prowess.”
Corey Kispert
Perhaps the best shooter in this class, on mock drafts Kispert is a late-lottery candidate, with his highest projection being No. 10 to New Orleans. The Athletic wrote “NBA sources have compared him very similarly to Joe Harris, who has led the league in 3-point percentage in two of the last three seasons.”
Joel Ayayi
Like Kispert, shooting is Ayayi’s top skill. The native of France shot an impressive 53 percent from the field over his three-year career (36 percent on threes), despite being a 6-5 guard. Ayayi has a late-first-round projection by SI.com, but otherwise often shows up in Round 2 of mock drafts.
HOUSTON (28-4)
Quentin Grimes
The 6-foot-5 wing impressed at the draft combine last month, erupting for 27 points and going 7/12 from three-point range during a scrimmage. However, most draft analysis focuses on his defensive ability and potential. Coincidentally, NBADraft.net’s player comparison for Grimes is Josh Hart.
UCLA (22-10)
Johnny Juzang
The 6-6 guard with a memorable surname got hot during the NCAA Tournament, draining 15 three-pointers over six games for the Bruins. He is considered to be a second-round pick by most mock drafts; for example, ESPN.com has him going 51st overall.
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July 08, 2021 at 09:02PM
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