March Madness: Top Mid-Major Prospects To Keep An Eye On
There are upsets every year in the NCAA tournament by mid-major schools whether it’s Saint Peter’s in the elite eight last year or back in 2012 when CJ McCollum upset 15-seeded Duke, which played a huge role in him being a top ten pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
I’ll dive into five mid-major prospects that could potentially shock the world.
Tucker DeVries (Drake | Wing)
DeVries is considered one of the best shooters in all of college basketball and for the NBA Draft. At 6-foot-7 he possesses a great combination of size and elite shooting ability. The stats and film suggest he’s the most versatile shooter eligible for the draft.
On unguarded catch and shoot jumpers he’s shooting 56% which ranks him in the 98th percentile and on off the dribble jumpers he’s shooting a ridiculous 45.7% which ranks him in the 92nd percentile. He does a phenomenal job of leveraging his 6-foot-7 frame and high release to shoot over defenders.
At times, it feels like he doesn’t even see the defender. Two underrated skills are his impressive feel as a passer and his defensive ability. He’s a projected fringe second rounder as of today but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets into first round conversations by the end of March.
Drew Pember (UNC Asheville | Forward)
Pember is a former high-major player that formerly played for the Tennessee Volunteers before transferring to UNC Asheville. At 6-foot-10 he possesses a great combination of size, shooting ability, help-side defense, and feel as a passer.
His shooting ability is his main attraction due to his size as he’ll be an elite pick and pop threat and brings a ton of value as a stretch big but he’s more than just a shooting big. He’s currently top 15 in the country in blocks as he’s averaging 2.3 blocks per game.
I’m most impressed with his defensive positioning and mobility at his size. He’s one of the top passing bigs eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft. His ability to find cutters and make good decisions out of the short roll impresses me. He’ll have a tough task going up against two seeded UCLA but I fully expect him to give the Bruins problems with his two-way versatility.
Jalen Slawson (Furman | Wing)
I believe Slawson is one of the best connector pieces in the entire NCAA tournament. NBA teams absolutely love role players that can defend multiple positions, make good passes, and are good spot-up shooters. The fifth year senior checks a lot of those boxes. He’s an elite defensive prospect that’s a high level defensive playmaker.
On the season he’s averaging 1.6 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. His 6-foot-7 frame with length allows him to be a versatile defender. I believe he can defend two through four effectively. He has proven to be one of the best passing forwards in the tournament. His combination of vision and unselfishness has him averaging over three assists per game.
Throughout his college career he has been an inconsistent shooter but this season he’s shooting 39.4% from three which is a career best. He hasn’t been high on any mocks but it’ll be a great chance to show his two-way ability going up against an elite defensive team in the Tennessee Volunteers.
Max Abmas (Oral Roberts | Guard)
You’ve probably heard this name many times before. Abmas has been the star player for Oral Roberts for three straight years now and was a part of that Sweet 16 team back in 2021 when they defeated Ohio State and Florida in the first weekend. He’s back in the tournament looking to prove the doubters wrong again.
He has his limitations due to his size at 6-feet and lacking in the athletic department but his elite range and shot-making ability makes up for it. For three straight years Abmas averaged 20-plus points and is currently seventh in the nation in points per game. His range extends past NBA range as he’s comfortable making shots off the catch or dribble.
He has made strides as a passer over the years and is a lot more comfortable creating for others when needed. He’s matched up against the most well known program in college basketball being Duke. This’ll be a great opportunity to prove he can score and win against NBA caliber talent.
Connor Vanover (Oral Roberts | Center)
Vanover is another Oral Roberts prospect worth keeping an eye on widely due to the combination of his ridiculous size, elite shot-blocking, and stretch big ability. At 7-foot-5 he’s currently second in the nation in blocks as he’s averaging a ridiculous 3.3 blocks per game.
His size and interior defense makes offensive players timid to attack the rim. He has the ability to change the outcome of games due to his interior presence. What makes him intriguing is his shooting ability at his size. On the season he’s a 33.1% three-point shooter and 81.2% free-throw shooter which suggests he has great touch at that size.
He’s unsurprisingly top 25 in the country in total dunks this season although I would like to see him play inside a little more. He’ll be matched up by two projected first round picks in Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively II. With a strong two-way performance, we could very well see Vanover fly up draft boards.
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