NCAA Tournament: Top NBA Draft Prospect Matchups in Round One
March Madness is officially here. Throughout the week, the NCAA Tournament will kick off with first four and first round matchups.
The tournament features the best of the best of college basketball, with future NBA Draft prospects lining up from across one another in hopes of cutting down the final nets. While most of the top tier prospects will see one another later in the tournament, there are a few matchups in the first round that feature future draftees.
Here are some of the top prospect matchups in the first round:
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon
No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oregon will be riddled with future NBA players, but all might not be there as soon as next season.
The Ducks have a pair of talented freshmen in Kwame Evans Jr. and guard Jackson Shelstad. The latter could very well enter a future draft, and Evans will likely be fifty-fifty to enter in 2024.
South Carolina freshman Collin Murray-Boyles has gained steam quickly in this class, and has likely played himself into contending as a mid-first round pick, averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 60% overall.
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 New Mexico
The bout between the sixth-ranked Clemson Tigers and No. 11 New Mexico will also feature future NBA-ers.
Clemson is led by longtime-star PJ Hall, who’s again stuffing the stat sheet nightly, averaging 18.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 50% overall. He’s likely to be selected in the second round in 2024, but could climb higher if teams are keen on his size at 6-foot-10.
New Mexico has an under-the-radar prospect in JT Toppin, who at 6-foot-9 can do a bit of everything. So far, the freshman has averaged 12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 63-36-57. He may not enter in 2024, but could run it back with the Lobos or transfer to potentially greener pastures for a better shot.
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