March Madness is already well underway. It’s been a veritable Upset City thus far, with expected powerhouses like Kentucky, Baylor and Auburn falling before the Sweet Sixteen, which tips off today.
Two of the top projected college prospects, Wildcats point guard Rob Dillingham and Buffaloes small forward Cody Williams are already gone. The first game in today’s Sweet Sixteen bracket is slated for 4:39 p.m. PT/7:39 p.m. ET (yes, 4:39/7:39 p.m., you read that right), with a matchup between top-seeded Connecticut and fifth-seeded San Diego State on TBS and truTV.
So for NBA aficionados, which players should we be watching down the home stretch here, from among the remaining teams? We here at Newsweek are crunching the numbers and perusing some other expert lists to break down the top five best lingering pro prospects, based on where they’re ranked in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. Take a look.
1. Kyle Filipowski, Duke, Power Forward/Center
The 20-year-old seven-footer also lacks a major handle, but as a big guy that’s probably not a big deal on most teams, who should be able to field creators at other positions. He’s an athletic big who can hang in fast break offenses and could be a sneaky-fun big man Slam Dunk Contest competitor soon.
The two-time All-ACC and consensus All-American is averaging 16.6 points on .515/.346/.667 shooting splits, 8.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per bout. He’s projected to be the ninth pick in the draft.
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2. Donovan Clingan, UConn, Center
Hot off winning an NCAA title last season, the 7’2″ sophomore faces an NCAA Finals rematch tonight against San Diego State. He’s a solid defensive player who’s projected to have a slightly more limited offensive repertoire. This season, he’s averaging 12.8 points on .648/.333/.583 shooting splits, 7.4 rebounds, a whopping 2.4 blocks and 1.5 assists. In his last game, a 75-58 blowout of the Northwestern Wildcats in the Round of 32, he rejected a bonkers eight shots.
Ranked as the No. 11 prospect by Woo and Givony, he’s considered a more raw prospect as a scorer than the other late-lottery center being considered below him and Filipowski…
3. Zach Edey, Purdue, Center
Edey has racked up a ton of accolades during his four collegiate seasons. A 2022-23 Associated Press Player of the Year, a two-time consensus All-American, and the winner of the Naismith and Wooden awards, Edey looks likely to repeat with a lot of those honors in his outstanding senior season with the Boilermakers. He is a rebounding machine and has been absolutely dominant this season as probably the best player at the men’s college hoops level.
The 7’4″ center is averaging a stupendous 24.5 points on 62.3% shooting from the field (he does not really attempt threes, getting most of his buckets within the post), 12.1 rebounds (the best tally in the Big Ten), 2.3 blocks and 2.1 assists. Edey is ranked as Woo and Givony’s No. 13 pick.
4. Stephon Castle, UConn, Combo Guard
A consensus five-star recruit out of high school, Clingan’s top teammate Castle is listed as the No. 15 prospect on ESPN’s big board. This year, the 6’6″ Big East All-Freshman is averaging 10.8 points on 47.2% shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He doesn’t have much of a jumper yet, averaging just 27.9% on just two triple tries a night.
5. Jared McCain, Duke, Combo Guard
McCain is seen as the No. 20 prospect in this year’s draft, per ESPN. He’s emerged as a solid two-way star in college (he’s a pretty good point-of-attack defender), but projects as a good role player at the next level. He had a huge Round of 32 bouts, scoring 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field (8-of-11 from deep), five rebounds, one assist, and a steal in a 93-55 blowout.
Per Duke, McCain is only the second Blue Devils freshman to score 30 or more points in the NCAA Tournament. New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williams did it first. The 6’3″ freshman is probably most beloved by scouts for his three-point shooting, court vision, and handle, but he questions about his athleticism which could hurt his stock.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.