On a day that was most of the power five conferences team’s final regular season game, there were a lot of notable performances around the country. Here are the guys that stood out the most to me from the top games:
Kentucky (67) @ Florida (80)
- Shai Gilgeous Alexander went for 17 points and 4 assists, but had 5 turnovers. PJ Washington also had a good game in his 23 minutes of action: 11 points and 7 rebounds on 50% shooting and a steal.
- Kevin Knox scored 14 points on 4-11 shooting, but didn’t contribute much elsewhere. I’ve noted in the past on twitter that Kevin Knox can sometimes be one-dimensional, and today was another example of that.
- Hamidou Diallo had his worst game of the season, recording one point on 0-7 shooting and 1-3 from the free throw line. His stock is rapidly declining.
Michigan (75) vs Michigan State (64)
- Jaren Jackson had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 0 blocks, and 4 fouls on 5-13 shooting, including 1-6 from 3.
- Miles Bridges started slow, but finished with 17 points on 7-18 shooting (3-7 from 3)and 7 rebounds. He fouled out in 33 minutes.
- Moritz Wagner also had a slow start, going 0-7 in the first half, but finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds on 4-14 shooting. He displayed a Euro-step that helped him get to the line, where he went 6-8.
Virginia Tech (68) @ Miami (69)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his inconsistencies and conference play struggles, going for 2 points on 1-6 shooting (0-2 from 3), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers. His playmaking has been subpar all season, averaging around 1 assist per game.
- Lonnie Walker IV had a nice game, scoring 12 points on 5-11 shooting (2-7 from 3) and he had 3 assists to 0 turnovers, as well as 2 steals. Walker has improved upon his careless tendencies, exhibited by him not recording a turnover in 3 of the last 4 games.
- Dewan Huell had 9 points on 75% shooting and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes. Huell’s best fit in the NBA would be as a rim running energy big off the bench.
West Virginia (79) @ Texas (87)
- No Mohamed Bamba for Texas today, but Jevon Carter (WVU) had 12 points and 6 assists with just 1 turnover. Carter profiles as a 2 way backup PG that can contribute right away. He’s strong and his shooting numbers have improved in his senior season. Look for him to get a look in the late second round.
Mississippi State (57) @ LSU (78)
- Tremont Waters finished his final home game of the season with 14 points and 10 assists and only 2 turnovers. He shot 5-8 from the field, and went 3-4 from 3. His vision and playmaking had very few flaws today, indicated by his high assist: turnover ratio. There’s been very little indication if Waters will enter the draft this summer, but if he does, there will be lots of interest in him as a second rounder.
Alabama (66) @ Texas A&M (68)
- Collin Sexton showed his mind games that he can play on opponents, in addition to a nice outing where he went for 23 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers on 5-12 shooting (0-3 from 3, 13-17 from the line). Sexton helped get Alabama a last chance to win the game by saying something to a TJ Starks that led to a Delonte West style wet-willy, which got TJ Starks ejected and Alabama was rewarded with free throws.
- Robert Williams played 18 minutes off the bench and recorded 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block on 2-4 shooting, and 3-6 from the free throw line.
Louisville (69) @ NC State (76)
- Louisville center Anas Mahmoud had 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals,and 5 blocks in 26 minutes. Mahmoud is a long, disciplined center that may not be in the league right away, but after likely international pro experience, he may latch on.
- Deng Adel had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7-15 shooting. He is not a great athlete, but he is a confident shooter that has playmaking ability.
- Omer Yurtseven (NC State) came off the bench and played 24 minutes. He made the most of his minutes, recording 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 blocks. Yurtseven has improved his shooting this year, going 3-5 from 3 today. His stock improved this season, and if he goes pro this year, he should get drafted.
Arkansas (67) @ Mizzou (77)
- Jontay Porter came off the bench and recorded 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover on 6-11 shooting (2-4 from 3) in 29 minutes.
- Dan Gafford had 16 points on 70% shooting, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He’s one of the most exciting prospects in the draft class.
- SG Daryl Macon (Arkansas) played 36 minutes and recorded 12 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and just 1 turnover on 3-8 shooting.
Butler (70) @ Seton Hall (77)
- One of the best rebounding prospects in the 2018 draft class, Angel Delgado recorded 21 points on 9-11 shooting along with 11 rebounds. Delgado is a senior that dominates the glass and has shown shooting ability.
Notre Dame (57) @ Virginia (62)
- Bonzie Colson, who just returned from injury this week, had a great outing against one of the best defensive teams in the country. Colson scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds on 9-20 shooting. Look for his stock to rise now that he is healthy.
Kansas (64) @ Oklahoma State (82)
- In an upset loss, Kansas played poorly in every way. The Jayhawks shot 42% from the field and had 6 more turnovers than assists. Devonte Graham went 4/14 for 15 points and 8 of the 11 Kansas assists. Other than Graham, no one had a standout performance for Kansas. Svi Mykhailiuk went 2-7 (1-2 from 3) with 5 rebounds and 5 points. Udoka Azubuike had 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 turnovers.
Georgetown (73) @ Villanova (97)
- This was a great showing by both Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges in their potential last home college game. Brunson scored 16 points and dished out 7 assists on 5-8 shooting. He also had a block, and only turned the ball over two times. Mikal Bridges scored 24 points on 8-13 shooting and had 6 rebounds. I expect both players to be first round picks in June.
Penn State (70) @ Purdue (78)
- Carsen Edwards scored 27 points on 50% shooting. He’s a great scorer and elite shooter, and will just be turning 20 as the NCAA tournament begins.
- The other Edwards on Purdue, Vincent, didn’t shoot as well, but cleaned up the glass and distributed the ball. Vincent Edwards had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting just 2-9 from the field. Vincent is a senior that has a good chance of hearing his name called on draft night.
North Carolina (64) @ Duke (74)
- Joel Berry had a rough outing in this one, going 0-7 from three and recording just 6 points and 5 assists. Berry is a very quick point guard, but he likely hurt his draft stock by returning to school.
- Marvin Bagley did all of his work in the second half. His second jump and athleticism were on display tonight, which helped on his 6 offensive rebounds. Bagley finished the night with 21 points and 15 rebounds on 9-14 shooting. He recorded a double double on the second half alone, which was impressive.
- Wendell Carter had another nice outing tonight. He hit a clutch three in the second half, and finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He did have 3 turnovers as well, and he shot 3-7 from the field.
- Grayson Allen had a nice final game at Cameron Indoor, going for 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 assists on 5-14 shooting.
Nevada (74) @ San Diego State (79)
- Recently reinstated Malik Pope guided SDSU to a much-needed win over top 25 Nevada. Pope scored 16 points on 7-11 shooting, and he also grabbed 5 rebounds and handed out 5 assists. I like Pope’s size and ball handling, which make him a fit as a versatile player for the Mavericks’ offense. Look for him to be targeted with the late 2nd round pick that the Mavs possess.
California (54) @ Arizona (66)
- DeAndre Ayton stole the show in this one. Ayton scored 26 points with 20 rebounds on 9-12 shooting. Rawle Alkins scored 15 points on 5-11 shooting. Both players will enter the NBA draft this summer, along with Allonzo Trier, who went 1-10 from the field with 2 points and 7 assists.
UCLA (83) @ USC (72)
- Aaron Holiday shined in this one, scoring 34 points on 11-16 shooting (6-9 from 3) with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. His counterpart, Jordan McLaughlin, had 19 points on 8-19 shooting and 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals
- Chemezie Metu of USC had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Metu is an explosive athlete that can be a rim runner at the next level. His lack of length is his biggest concern for the next level.
- Kris Wilkes of UCLA scored 22 points on 9-16 shooting and also had 3 assists and 4 rebounds. He used his athleticism on defense by blocking a shot as well. Wilkes has been inconsistent, and his success in the NBA will be determined by his jump shot success.
Loyal Marymount (69) vs Gonzaga (83)
- The start of the WCC conference championship went well for the Zags and specifically Killian Tillie, who scored 24 points on 9-12 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Most conference tournaments will be in full gear throughout the week. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @MavsDraft for updates!
