On Thursday, droves of college basketball fans will flock to nearly every arena in the United States to watch what is known as the most exciting three weeks in sports. March Madness begins on Thursday, and I don’t know about you guys but I can’t wait to get the tournament under way. Throughout the college basketball season as whole you got a look at some of the best prospects from around the nation. Having that said that, the NCAA Tournament is a totally different beast.
To win a national championship in men’s college hoops, you need to win six games in a row, likely at different locations, while also still taking classes. This is one of the reasons I think getting a look at guys during the NCAA Tournament is a good barometer to how well their play style will translate to the NBA game.
All three projected top-4 picks in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey, Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero should be locks for the top four spots. However, after that it gets a bit tricky, when you try and find space for Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, or Malaki Branham of Ohio State. But, I digress, because this truly is the best time of the year.
In today’s article, we’re going to take a brief look at some of the best players and teams you should have your eye on tomorrow afternoon. Before we dive into two of the four regions, here’s an updated look at my big board. Keep in mind, that while I’m doing this, I am ranking the prospects as it pertains to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and how much they could help the roster next year.
2022 NBA Draft Big Board (March Madness Edition)
- Jabari Smith, Forward, Auburn
- Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga
- Jaden Ivey, Guard, Purdue
- Paolo Banchero, Forward, Duke
- Keegan Murray, Forward, Iowa
- Bennedict Mathurin, Wing, Arizona
- AJ Griffin, Wing, Duke
- Johnny Davis, Guard, Wisconsin
- Shaedon Sharpe, Guard, Kentucky
- Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis
Well, as you can see I made some minor adjustments to the board this week as compared to the last Big Board. It’s getting incredibly hard to exclude Keegan Murray from any player of the year debate at this point.
Throughout the Big Ten Tournament he averaged 25 points per game, while also collecting 9.4 rebounds per night. He’s a special player, and may have earned his right to be in the top-five pick range. Outside of Murray, Mathurin continues to impress for Arizona. I’ll get to it more later, but if you have time to watch only one player this weekend, I would suggest you watch Mathurin and Arizona. Not only are the Wildcats real threats for a national title, but Mathurin is also looking more and more like a potential star at the next level.
From there, Auburn’s Jabari Smith stays atop my big board again this week, but Chet Holmgren is right behind him. In my opinion, Jaden Ivey has overtaken Paolo Banchero for the third spot. He’s been more consistent and plays on a better team than Banchero. We won’t fully know about Griffin until the combine and workouts, but Duke is going to need him bad if it wants to make a deep postseason run.
Anyway, without further ado, here are the best prospects and games to watch on Thursday.
Prospects to watch on Thursday
Keegan Murray, Forward, Iowa
If there’s one player in this tournament field of 64 that could carry his team to a title, it’s probably Keegan Murray. The 6-foot-8 wing has been dominant all over the court this season. His per-game statistics are video game-worthy. Murray is averaging 23.6 points per game this season, while also hauling in nine rebounds, and swatting away two shots. The Hawkeyes open with Richmond at Thursday at 3:10 PM ET on TruTV. Murray’s full offensive arsenal will be on display in this tournament.
The Richmond Spiders can be a pesky team, but the Hawkeyes should roll rather easily because of Murray’s dominance. Even in college basketball, the players on Richmond are just not on-par with Iowa, and more importantly Keegan Murray. I think Murray has one spectacular game in him, and I think it might be in the first round.
Murray is not a likely target for the Cavaliers, who wouldn’t be set to have a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft unless they miss the playoffs, but if they do, perhaps he could be a potential target.
Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga
Holmgren is easily the most polarizing and intriguing NBA Draft prospect in at least a decade, which is the reasoning for highlighting him here, really. The big man stands at exactly 7-feet tall. However, the downside to that is that he only weighs 195 pounds. While Holmgren does have his skeptics out there, I am not one of them. I think he’s one of the most unique basketball players ever, and he has shown that this season with Gonzaga.
This season, Holmgren is averaging just over 14 points per game, while grabbing nearly 10 rebounds, and blocking an absurd 3.6 blocks per night. There have been multiple flashes of him going coast-to-coast against some of the best teams in the country. When Kristaps Porzingis came over to the NBA, he was dubbed the “unicorn.” This year, even All-Star point guard Darius Garland has called Evan Mobley a unicorn. Although, in my eyes Holmgren is the true unicorn, considering we’ve literally never seen a prospect quite like him.
Be sure to check out Holmgren at 4:15 PM ET on TNT.
Kennedy Chandler, Guard, Tennessee
I’ve been beating the drum for Kennedy Chandler for a while now. With injuries devastating the Cavs this season, having a true backup ball-handler is essential. With Ricky Rubio lost to injury (pre-trade), as well as Collin Sexton, the Cavs have been using Brandon Goodwin to eat up some minutes as of late. However, Chandler could come in and fill that role to perfection next season.
I like the idea of Rajon Rondo, or maybe Rubio if either were to come back, mentoring Garland, but let’s be honest, the Cavs need a real backup ball-handler. I think Chandler will go in the lottery once the summer rolls around, but just in case, keep your eyes on this guy. He was a huge reason why Tennessee was able to win the SEC Tournament Championship. In a semifinal matchup versus Kentucky, Chandler had 19 points while shooting an efficient 50% from the field.
But, the best part of Chandler’s game may be his defense. He’s averaging over two steals per game this season, meaning opposing point guards really hate him. However, he would fit in very well in the Cavalier locker room.
The Volunteers take on Longwood on Thursday at 2:45 PM ET on CBS.
Second set of prospects to watch on Thursday
Ryan Davis (Forward) & Ben Shungu (Guard), Vermont
Oddly enough, I remember the last time Vermont won an NCAA Tournament game. It came in 2005, when a 13th-seeded Vermont team beat Syracuse, a darkhorse for the national championship, in Worcester, Massachusetts. This year is eerily similar to the 2005 win against Cuse. Vermont is led by two seniors in Ben Shungu and Ryan Davis. Both average over 16 points per game, and when they are on, it’s tough to beat the Catamounts.
Arkansas has to know that Vermont is not an easy out this year, and will likely come out and beat them handily. However, upsets do happen, and Vermont has a strong chance here. The Razorbacks don’t have a ton of size, so Davis should be effective all game long.
Meanwhile, Shungu is the X-factor. Much like TJ Sorrentine landed the deciding blow to Syracuse in 2005, it’s very possible Shungu replicates a performance like that.
I also want to add something quickly. Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu are probably not going to play in the NBA, and as seniors, this is likely the last game of competitive basketball they will ever play. However, that means they are that much more determined to get to the top. It should be an interesting matchup on Thursday at 9:20 PM ET, on TNT.
Douglas Wilson, Forward, South Dakota State
I had to get another mid-major player on this list for now, so make sure to tune into South Dakota State vs Providence at 12:40 PM ET on Thursday on TruTV for a great matchup. South Dakota State’s Douglas Wilson is a very good player, and has the skill set to erupt during this NCAA Tournament. He has no problem putting the team on his back, but beating a good Providence team won’t be easy.
Wilson is an extremely efficient scorer. The 6-foot-7 forward shoots over 55% from the floor and this year he’s extended his range to the three-point line a bit, and is connecting on 40% of his shots from deep. Granted, he hasn’t taken a lot of three-pointers this season, but when he does, he hits them at a high rate. It’s also important to note that Wilson is a senior. You don’t see that all that often these days in college basketball. He’s been the best player on the Jack Rabbits team since 2019. Eric Musselman is a great coach, but he better have his Razorbacks ready to go on Thursday afternoon.
Well, there you have it. Make sure to tune into at least some college hoops Thursday/this weekend, as it is a very exciting time to tune in. Outside of the six players I mentioned, there are many more that are worth watching in March and April.
In the end hopefully the Cavaliers find a player that fits their needs, maybe with at least one of their two second-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, for instance. But for now I would encourage everyone to just enjoy watching basketball Thursday and this weekend. It’s supposed to be fun.