I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with the way the Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing lately, combined with multiple injuries, it’s very possible they miss out on the playoffs this season. There’s still a chance they get to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament, but that seems to be a tall order; Cleveland’s last loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night doesn’t leave me hopeful, either. Although, either way, it might be a good time to start looking ahead to the 2022 NBA Draft this summer.
While guys like Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren will undoubtedly be drafted inside the top three, there are a lot of other intriguing prospects the Cavs could look at in the draft. Bennedict Mathurin, Kennedy Chandler, and Jaden Hardy are three guys that really intrigue me, and they could all fall to a spot where the Cavs can draft them, if they keep their lottery-protected first-round pick, seemingly. With that being said, the Final Four is taking place this weekend in New Orleans, and there are multiple prospects to keep an eye out for.
If you told Caleb Love and Armando Bacot that they would be on a Final Four team before the season, I don’t think even they would have believed you. However, here we are, and the North Carolina Tar Heels are in New Orleans along with Duke, Villanova, and Kansas.
There are a couple of juicy storylines heading into the weekend, including the fact that this is the first time that Duke and North Carolina will meet in the NCAA Tournament. The rivals will play one another on Saturday night at 8:49 PM ET, and Villanova versus Kansas will proceed the rivalry game at 6:09 PM ET, with both games on TBS. And there are plenty of guys in that game who will be in the NBA next season.
Even if you don’t like college basketball, I would urge you to tune in on Saturday, as the Duke versus Carolina game might be the biggest in the history of college basketball. On top of that, here’s four players to watch out for this weekend.
The first two NBA Draft prospects to watch in the Final Four
Caleb Love, Guard, North Carolina
When Caleb Love is on his game, there isn’t a player in the NCAA who can stop him. He showed the nation how good he is in the final three minutes of the Tar Heels upset over UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. Love finished the game with 30 points. When you watch Love, you kind of get the feeling that he’s going to be much better in the NBA. Love is a plus shooter with a lot of range.
However, the best part of a Love addition to the Cavs roster, is that he can create his own shot. His ball-handling skills are above average, and he uses his body and strength to out-muscle even bigger defenders. He’s also a great three-point shooter.
The biggest knock on Love is his consistency, though. One game he’ll be playing like a world-beater, and the next he goes 1-for-13 from the field. But, if he’s on target on Saturday night the Tar Heels are a real threat to beat Duke.
There is some variance with Love as a prospect, but he could potentially be a target for Cleveland if he were to fall to the second round, where the Cavs have two picks, via the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat.
Ochai Agbaji, Guard, Kansas
I was very high on Agbaji earlier in the season. Nonetheless, he’s struggled at times in the second half of the season. However, he’s been on point the last couple of games for the Jayhawks.
The 6-foot-5 senior averaged nearly 19 points per game this season, shooting it at a 47% clip . His defense leaves something to be desired, but he’s another offensive playmaker who can create his own shot.
Most mock drafts have Agbaji towards the end of the lottery in the 2022 NBA Draft, which seems a bit high to me considering Agbaji is going to be 22 by the time the next NBA season rolls around. With that being said, he’s a knockdown shooter and playmaker who was the best player in the Big 12 this past year.
The second set of NBA Draft prospects to watch in the Final Four
Collin Gillespie, Guard, Villanova
Playing without Justin Moore, who tore his achilles at the end of the Wildcats win over Houston last week, is not going to be easy. However, Nova head coach Jay Wright has the perfect player to lean on in senior point guard Collin Gillespie.
Every year when the Wildcats get into the tournament, they are underestimated, but they find ways to win. And Gillespie is the best floor general in college basketball. If Nova gets into an early hole, Gillespie will help them crawl out.
On the season Gillespie is averaging 15.6 points per game, while shooting nearly 40% from three. Gillespie was a member of Villanova’s national championship team in 2018, and I know he’s itching to raise another trophy. Like I said, winning isn’t going to be easy without Moore, but there’s no better man for the job than Gillespie.
Trevor Keels, Guard, Duke
Keels might be the forgotten man on Duke this season. He started the season off very well, but has become less involved as of late. However, he’s another player who can create his own shot, and his defense is above average. He’s averaging over 11 points per game this season for the Blue Devils; his consistency could use some help, though, as his shooting percentages are pretty poor.
Even still, Keels is very athletic, and is another player you watch and think he’ll be better off in the NBA. His offensive arsenal is very impressive, knocking down mid-range jumpers with ease. It’s very possible that Keels becomes the X-factor for the Blue Devils on Saturday night.
But I could maybe foresee him being a potential target for the Cavs in the early second round with their Spurs pick, given his inconsistencies.