10 NBA Prospects You Need To Watch in the NCAA Tournament

If you’re a college basketball junkie, you’ve come to the wrong place.

If you’re an NBA fanatic who only tunes into college basketball when it’s NCAA Tournament time, we’re glad you’re here.

While college basketball die-hards are beyond hyped for the return of March Madness after last year’s COVID-induced hiatus and well informed about the players and teams participating in the tournament, there will be plenty of NBA fans casually catching tournament games for different reasons, including using the greatest sporting event on the American sports calendar to familiarize themselves with the college stars who will be first-round selections in this summer’s NBA Draft. If that’s you, know that there are more than a dozen kids playing in this year’s NCAA Tournament that could be first-round selections since this year’s class is widely considered to be deeper and choc full of impact players on the next level compared to the 2020 draft headlined by Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball.

So one day after offering up a look at six sleepers that can bust up your bracket—if you’re into that sort of thing—we’re offering up a rundown of the 10 college basketball stars NBA fans need to see as the first-round of the NCAA Tournament tips Friday.

There’s a pretty good chance you’re looking at the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft watching Cunningham lead Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament. TNT NBA analyst told us on Tuesday’s episode of The Complex Sports Podcast that Cunningham is the best player in the NCAA Tournament and it’s hard to argue against him. The freshman’s size (6’8”), production, and playmaking abilities are unlike any point guard in the tournament. His pro comparisons are vaunted names like Grant Hill and Luka Doncic, which is slightly nuts, but the kid’s ceiling is through the roof. What he might lack in explosiveness he makes up in so many other areas and that’s why Cunningham became just the fourth baller in Big 12 history to pick up Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He joined Marcus Smart, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Durant in that prestigious club.

Well, if you watched Gonzaga’s come-from-behind victory over BYU in the WCC Tournament championship game then you know the deal with Suggs. He carried the Bulldogs down the stretch of a game that easily could’ve gone the other way and derailed Gonzaga’s pursuit of a perfect season. But the 6’4” freshman poured in 23, including two dagger threes in the final few minutes, to ward off their conference rival. While the point guard’s averages aren’t eye-popping, the most heralded recruit Gonzaga has ever landed has the athleticism and chutzpah to put the Bulldogs on his back and not just carry the program to another Final Four, but to the its first national championship. Expect him to be a top 5 pick in the draft. His teammate Corey Kispert, the 6’7” sharpshooting senior, easily could be a top 10 selection and is another pro prospect to keep an eye on. So, too, is Joel Ayayi, the Bulldogs’ 6’5” junior combo guard that could go in the first-round.

The 7’ center, projected to go as high as the top 5 in this summer’s draft, is stupidly skilled. Normally guys Mobley’s size, with his massively long limbs, struggle with their coordination and footwork. The Pac-12 Player of the Year, Freshman and the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t since he’s an incredible athlete who exceeded expectations during what will be his one and only season with the Trojans. On top of putting up excellent offensive numbers, Mobley was a beast defensively averaging 3.0 BPG leading up to the NCAA Tournament, helping USC morph into one of the better defensive squads in the nation. Because of Mobley’s ability to dominate both sides of the ball, the sixth-seeded Trojans in the East region are one of our NCAA Tournament sleepers.

It’s a pretty safe bet that the SEC Freshman of the Year will land somewhere in the lottery after a scintillating first, and only, season with the Razorbacks. Regardless of where draft projections have him going—anywhere from the top 10 to early teens—he’s not going to last very long. That’s because the 6’6” guard is an elite college scorer. He put up some ridiculous numbers down the stretch of the regular-season, averaging 24.5 PPG in the Razorbacks final four games before going off for 28 in a losing effort against LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The leading scorer for the Razorbacks this season, he helped Arkansas earn its first top 10 ranking since its national championship season in 1995. That’s why he’ll become the first one-and-done player drafted in the school’s history.

The ACC Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year looks like a future top 10 selection. Listed at 6’9” and 227 pounds, Barnes has great size, is an excellent athlete, can get his shot off against nearly every college defender, is wonderfully aggressive at the rim, and in the Seminoles’ biggest game of the season went off for 21 points (FSU ultimately lost to Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament title game). Barnes will need to drastically improve his outside shot when he gets to the NBA (29.7 percent this season), but he has the kind of frame and scorer’s mentality that, should he land with the right team, will allow him to morph into a dangerous guard/forward in the league. Chances are we get at least three more shots to see Barnes as a Seminole since the No. 4 seed in the East should advance to the Sweet 16.

An effortless scorer, Bouknight looks incredibly smooth on the court and will become the next UConn wing player to be taken in the lottery. Now that he’s healthy—he missed eight games this season after needing mid-season elbow surgery—the Huskies are a dangerous No. 7 seed in the East region with serious sleeper potential. It won’t take long watching Bouknight to realize his superior athleticism and ability to score in bunches are the biggest reasons why he won’t last long on draft night. The knock on Bouknight is his slight frame that could use more bulk and some defensive deficiencies, but he’s a pretty good rebounder for his size and easily abuses defenders off the dribble with an inside-outside game that’s hard to contain.

Projected as a lottery selection, it’s widely assumed Johnson will be one-and-done at Tennessee as he’s generally moved up draft boards as the season has progressed. The reason why you could see Johnson sneak into the top 10 of the draft is simple: His athleticism and scoring ability are next-level for the college game. There are holes in his game for sure—like his inconsistent 3-point shot and play-making ability. But with more refinement in the NBA he could easily be an impactful player. As for the NCAA Tournament, let’s hope Johnson and his teammate, the Vols’ leading scorer at 12.5 PPG in Jaden Springer who very well could be another potential lottery selection, can take care of business against Oregon State in the first-round and set up a showdown with Oklahoma State and Cunningham.

Easily one of the best and recognizable players in college basketball this season since he’s been on national TV a ton, the Illinois point guard has played like a superhero in leading his squad to the Big Ten Tournament championship and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The junior got banged up against Michigan State a few weeks back and after missing three games he returned rocking a mask you would normally see on Batman, but it didn’t stop him from earning Big Ten Tournament MOP honors. Often the best player whenever he steps on the floor, Dosunmu had four performances of 30 points or more this season and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to scout the playmaker—a projected mid-first-round selection—since the Illini are Final Four material and a trendy pick to take down Gonzaga in the national championship game.

The co-AAC Player of the Year started his college career with Kansas, but he’s blossomed into an elite college scorer after transferring to Houston. The junior guard had 11 games this season where he scored 20 points or more and has improved his 3-point shooting to where he’s now hitting 40.8 percent of his attempts from deep after averaging just 33.3 percent his first two seasons. At 6’5” and 205 pounds, Grimes has size, strength, and the ability to get hot. That also means he’ll struggle some games and in the tournament that could cost the Cougars dearly if his shots aren’t falling. But when he’s on, Houston will be a tough out for anybody. Expect Grimes to be a late first-round pick after he gets done leading the Cougars, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region, on a deep run.

An awesome two-way player, Mitchell was named to the All-Big 12 First-Team and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors helping guide Baylor to the regular-season crown in the nation’s toughest conference. The junior point guard is projected to be a late first-round pick and considering he led Baylor in assists and knocked down 46.2 percent of his 3-pointers, you get why the junior point guard is first-round material. Since Baylor, along with Gonzaga, is an overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see Mitchell star for a deep and ultra-talented Bears team.