The Top NBA Draft Prospects to Watch in Tonight’s Elite Eight Games

Several 2024 NBA Draft prospects will be looking to boost their stock in tonight’s Elite Eight matchups.

March Madness is nearly over, with just a few days remaining before April’s Final Four contests.

NBA Draft prospects were able to do a lot in terms of their stock in the round of 64, 32 and the Sweet 16. But a few more are carving their paths even further.

Here are a few prospects to key in on in tonight’s Elite Eight games:

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 3 Illinois — Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Terrence Shannon Jr.

Top-seeded UConn versus third-ranked Illinois will undoubtedly be one of the best games of the tournament, with as many as four first round picks littering the contest.

The best of which are on the Huskies’ side in 7-footer Donovan Clingan and guard/wing hybrid Stephon Castle. Both have been pivotal to the repeat potential of UConn in the NCAA Tournament so far, and they’ll both look to continue to raise their stock.

Illinois guard Terrence Shannon has been one of the better players in March so far, averaging 28.3 points while shooting 60% overall and 38% from beyond the arc.

There will undoubtedly be fireworks tonight when the two titans collide.

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 6 Clemson — PJ Hall, Grant Nelson

Nelson’s been an off-and-on player amongst draft circles, but wowed in then Sweet 16 win with 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. He may still have awhile to go before he’s a bonafide NBA-er, but all it will take is one team to like his talents at 7-foot to pull the trigger.

Nelson won’t have an easy matchup tonight, though, with PJ Hall as his Elite Eight matchup. The 6-foot-10 forward has averaged over 17 points per game this season, and has been getting more comfortable with each tournament game.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.