The college basketball season is over. The Final Four is done. A national champion has been crowned. Now the focus of basketball people – at least those who follow the college game – turns to the players who will declare for the NBA Draft and those who, having tested the waters without signing an agent, will return to school for another season this upcoming November. Among players who improved their draft stock, which stood out?
Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina Gamecocks
The man who was arguably the best player in the 2017 NCAA Tournament naturally improved his draft stock more than anyone else. Thornwell revealed himself to be a capable defensive player, all while being able to operate as a perimeter jump shooter and low-post scorer. He can play over the top of defenders. He can go around them with the dribble. He can overpower them in the low post. Thornwell has a complete game, and though he was sick in the Final Four semifinals against Gonzaga, he still played through his illness to contribute to his team. That’s something NBA scouts are really going to notice and respect.
This was a guy who was named the SEC Player of the Year but was still mostly overlooked. People didn’t put too much stock in that. That won’t be the case anymore after he came out and shined in the NCAA Tournament. Thornwell is a well-rounded player who should be able to enrich an NBA team.
De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky Wildcats
There is no doubt that Fox, who signed with an agent and is therefore fully gone from college, helped his cause in the NCAA Tournament. He was good against Wichita State in the second round, and he was great against UCLA in the Sweet 16, when a lot more people (and a lot more draft scouts) were watching. Fox torched Lonzo Ball and showed off his first-rate speed. He made the right decision to jump to the NBA because his draft stock probably won’t get any higher than this.
Fox still has to work on his jump shot, but his quickness makes him so lethal on the court. He should be able to work his way into the top 10 and thereby become a lottery pick in the draft.
Justin Jackson, North Carolina Tar Heels
The ability of Jackson to score in a lot of ways is and has been evident for some time. Jackson has the length to jump above the rim in traffic. He has an array of floaters anywhere inside 14 feet, from the baseline or straight ahead. If he can use his right hand or his left on those floaters, the left hand is probably only reliable inside 10 feet and not 14. Jackson has a very good three-point shot with above-average range. All that has been clear. However, in the Final Four against Oregon, Jackson contained the Ducks’ perimeter scorers with his length. He bothered the skilled offensive players Oregon brought to the table, a key factor in North Carolina moving into the title game. That defensive growth will make Jackson a keeper in the NBA.
Jordan Bell, Oregon Ducks
This might be the player who made the biggest leap up the draft board. Oregon’s Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey were the high-profile players on the roster entering the NCAA Tournament. Bell, though, became a rebounding and shot-blocking beast for the Ducks, especially in the Sweet 16 against Michigan and even more in the Elite Eight against Kansas. Bell’s ability to erase shots off the glass as a help-side defender was spectacular. He had never quite performed at such a high level before. Even if Bell’s offense is modest, that kind of defensive ability can give him a home on an NBA roster for a decade.
Not much was expected of Oregon heading into the Tournament after they lost Chris Boucher in the frontcourt. But Bell stepped up and carried the load. That won’t go unnoticed come draft times. Teams will covet him a lot more than they did before March Madness began.
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