The last five or six days have been heaven on earth for a college basketball and Cleveland Cavaliers fan like myself. The Cavs scored two huge wins over the weekend, beating the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets in their home stand, with the Nuggets one being a thrilling game won in overtime. On top of that, the NCAA Tournament started last Thursday, so I have been watching basketball non-stop up until Monday night’s Cavalier loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The loss to LeBron and the Lakers definitely didn’t end the weekend on a high note, but right now I’m here to talk a little bit about the NCAA Tournament, the top prospects, and three players you should be watching closely when North Carolina and UCLA meet on Friday in the Sweet Sixteen. So let’s not get too down on the Cavaliers before their huge game against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
In the mean time, let’s take a look at some prospects whose stock either sky-rocketed or took a hit during the first weekend of the tournament.
Stock Up
Bennedict Mathurin, Forward, Arizona
In what has to be the game of the tournament so far, Mathurin led his Arizona Wildcats to an overtime victory over TCU to earn a birth in the Sweet Sixteen. Mathurin was the leading scorer on Sunday night with 30 points. He also scored 18 points in their opening round win versus 16-seed Wright State. Mathurin has been a top-10 prospect for me all season.
So you’d understand I was shocked when I pulled up Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN’s latest mock draft (subscription required), where they had Mathurin going 11 to the New York Knicks. In my opinion, Mathurin could potentially be a top-five pick come draft time.
The sophomore has an NBA-ready frame, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 210 pounds. He doesn’t have incredible length, but 6-foot-9 is nothing to laugh about. On top of that, he’s been one of the most consistent players all season. He averaged nearly 18 points over the course of the season, while shooting 46% from the field, and an impressive 37% from three. His defense isn’t anything to write home about, but with more effort he could be a good perimeter defender. His explosion and athleticism have gotten better as the season went along too, and his poster dunk against TCU was pretty amazing.
If Mathurin does end up falling in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the Cavs unfortunately somehow miss the playoffs, they should absolutely consider trading up for him. He’s a perfect fit for the Cavaliers, being able to create his own shot, while also being a good outside shooter. Mathurin will lace em’ up at least one more time this season when Arizona takes on Houston in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday night at 9:59 PM ET, on TBS.
Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga
Holmgren faced off with another one of this year’s top prospects in Jalen Duren on Saturday night. While the big man wasn’t dominant, he posted a respectable nine-point, nine-rebound, four-block game. However, the bigger stat there is that he was +18 on the night. In a game that was decided by four points, that’s very impressive.
Overall, I still like Jabari Smith as the top prospect in this class, but, Holmgren has pretty much solidified his spot at number two in my opinion. I know Darius Garland called Evan Mobley a “unicorn” about a month ago, but Holmgren is really a unique prospect.
We’ve never seen a 7-footer with the guard skills he has, while also being ahead of his age when it comes to rim-protecting. After watching him play against Memphis, I have no doubt in my mind he could play on an NBA team tomorrow, and be a great rim protector and post defender. He’s that good, and he is still going to put on a decent amount of muscle.
Stock Down
TyTy Washington, Guard, Kentucky
Grading and assessing talented Kentucky players in the John Calipari system has been tricky for a number of years. However, it’s becoming a trend to believe that Kentucky players, especially guards, just won’t reach their full potential by playing at Kentucky.
If you look at guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Maxey, they all ended up being underdrafted after they looked significantly more comfortable in the NBA than in college. I think that is what is happening with Washington. Even having said that, Washington could have done more with what he was given.
Before his ankle injury, he was the most efficient player in college basketball from the pick-and-roll. However, after returning from his ankle injury, he only was involved in about six pick-and-rolls per game. On top of that, we never really got to see Washington play fully at the point guard position, which will have some scouts wondering and questioning where he’ll play in the NBA. The bottom line is, Kentucky guards over the last couple of years have been good picks in the draft.
I still think Washington will be a successful NBA player, but he likely missed out on a lottery chance at the end of the season. He just was not the same player after the injury, although the ceiling is still very high for the young Kentucky guard.
Three NBA Draft prospects to watch in UNC-UCLA
*Jaime Jaquez Jr., Forward, UCLA
I had to put an asterisk next to Jaquez Jr. simply because we don’t know if he will be playing on Friday. He left UCLA’s round of 32 matchup in the second half after hurting his ankle. He’s been having trouble with the ankle all season, so his status will have to be updated all week. However, he’s still going to be a selection in the 2022 NBA Draft this summer, it just might in the late first or early second round.
Jaquez Jr. is a multi-faceted player who plays tough defense, and can shoot from all levels. His explosion and athleticism don’t jump off the screen at you, but he is still a capable scorer at the NBA level. He will be a big question mark heading into the Sweet Sixteen game versus rival blueblood North Carolina.
But if Jaquez Jr. isn’t able to go, the player who will likely fill in for him, Peyton Watson, is an interesting prospect.
Fellow KJG writer Dan Gilinsky and I have been following Watson all season. He’s definitely a raw player, but he has the body and athleticism to eventually be a high draft pick. Before the season, he was looked at as a lottery pick, but now he’s more likely to go back to UCLA, or test the NBA. Either way, if Watson is asked to play plus minutes because of Jaquez Jr.’s injury, it will be a big spot to see a young player.
Caleb Love, Guard, North Carolina
If you were watching the end of the Baylor/North Carolina game on Saturday afternoon, I think you understand that it was a roller coaster for me as a North Carolina fan. The Heels got the win and will take on UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. However, another intriguing prospect to watch during the game is Caleb Love from North Carolina.
If you only tuned into the end of the game, you might not even know who he is. He fouled out in regulation, after scoring five points, on 1-for-6 shooting from the field. So why am I even talking about him? Well Love is a special talent he’s just very inconsistent at times.
In the Heels first-round win over Marquette, Love showed why some NBA scouts love him as a late first-round pick. He scored 23 points, while shooting 6-for-13 from three. He’s a solid player, who is actually a good defender, but he needs to be more consistent. If Love could play like he did in the Marquette game all the time, I’d be putting all my money on the Tar Heels to win it all. I hope he can get more consistent, but either way he’s an intriguing player for the Cavs to look at potentially in the second round, if he were to fall.
Obviously with all the injuries this season, they need guard depth. Love would be great taking the second-unit minutes, while learning from Darius Garland, who has a similar, but more profound skill set.
What: (8) North Carolina vs (4) UCLA | When: Friday, March 25
Time: 9:39 PM ET | Where: Wells Fargo Center — Philadelphia, PA
Coverage: CBS
There’s still plenty to look forward to in the NCAA Tournament, and next up, make sure to check out the prospects we highlighted here in action.