NBA Draft 2015: Most Surprising Prospects During March Madness so Far
Which under-the-radar NBA draft prospects have turned heads during the 2015 NCAA tournament?
Many familiar prospects are cruising through March Madness, such as Kentucky's blue-chip standouts, Duke's lottery talent and stars like Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky. But a handful of lesser-known players have surprised us the past couple of weeks and emerged onto the draft scene.
Some of these eye-catching performers have enjoyed unusually robust statistical production, while others passed huge tests against rugged competition.
Our list of most surprising prodigies includes a trio of prolific mid-major competitors, a couple of versatile forwards and one terrifyingly speedy guard.
Who exactly has played their way into the NBA draft conversation?
Wesley Saunders, Harvard SG (6'5", Senior)
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Tourney Stats: 26 PTS, 5 AST, 8-of-14 FG vs. North Carolina
Draft Range: second round/undrafted
Ivy League fans already knew Wesley Saunders was a talented wing, because he lit up almost every opponent he faced in 2014-15.
Nobody knew how he would fare against athletic, major-conference adversaries in the tournament, however. Saunders' Harvard squad drew the North Carolina Tar Heels in the opening game, and he proved to be up to the task.
UNC is one of the most agile, rangy teams in the country, and Saunders gave them a big scare. He poured in an efficient 26 points and kept the Crimson neck and neck with coach Roy Williams' club.
Saunders isn't a top-shelf athlete. Against the Heels, he showed that he has enough footwork and skill polish to counteract swift defenders. Not only did he score the rock and draw several fouls, he also facilitated for his teammates and doled out five dimes.
"We thought we had a strategy for him, but it didn't work," Williams told Matt Hayes of Sporting News. "We were extremely lucky (to win)."
With enough size and shooting prowess to play the 2 spot, Saunders could get some looks on draft night—looks he would have never received if he hadn't excelled against UNC.
Cameron Payne, Murray State PG (6'2", Sophomore)
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Tourney Stats (NIT): 14 PTS, 10 AST vs. UTEP; 20 PTS, 7 AST at Tulsa; 23 PTS, 6 AST at Old Dominion
Draft Range: late-first round
This list is meant for NCAA tournament standouts, but we had to make an exception for Murray State's Cameron Payne.
The 6'2" floor general made some noise in a bracket of his own this month, carving up the NIT through the Racers' three games. He's a surprising prospect, because hardly anyone knew him entering this spring.
Putting up gaudy numbers in the Ohio Valley Conference is one thing, but making sweet plays and shooting smoothly in the postseason is another. Payne passed the eye test in a big way, strengthening his draft stock heading into the offseason.
He possesses outstanding playmaking instincts. While he occasionally tries for ill-advised home run plays, he's lethal in pick-and-rolls and loves to push the ball in transition. Payne unleashed 10 assists against UTEP, followed by seven against Tulsa and six against Old Dominion.
"There's only one question you ask about a player from a small school: does he have talent? And he does," one Northwest Division executive told David Aldridge of NBA.com. "He's a good shooter, not a great shooter, and he can play pick-and-roll. He can do all of the things you need a guy to do at the point."
Payne complements his distributions skills with a streaky jump shot and an assortment of runners and floaters. If he continues to polish his scoring repertoire, he could become a valuable rotational guard in the Association.
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin F (6'8", Sophomore)
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Tourney Stats: 15 PTS, 8 REB vs. Coastal Carolina; 14 PTS, 5 REB vs. Oregon; 12 PTS, 6 REB vs. North Carolina
Draft Range: late-first/early-second round
The postseason handiwork of Wisconsin stars Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker has been impressive as usual, but Nigel Hayes is the most pleasantly surprising Badger lately.
Despite a poor shooting night in the Sweet 16 against North Carolina, his contributions across the board have reached new levels during the NCAA tournament. He's attacking the basket aggressively, drawing fouls, making critical passes and rebounding the rock.
Hayes is demonstrating his value as a potential NBA role player by delivering a balanced mix of jump shooting and interior work. Even though he's not an electrifying creator off the dribble, he can attack closeouts to find high-percentage opportunities.
He's only 6'8", which is less than desirable for a 4-man, but B/R's Jonathan Wasserman explains that the rest of his physical tools pick up the slack.
"On paper, Hayes is undersized for an NBA power forward, but at 250 pounds with a massive 7'2" wingspan, he makes up for an inch or two in height with a blend of mobility, strength and length."
Don't expect him to take over games or operate as a featured player in the pro ranks, but his two-way instincts and situational execution will serve him well.
Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga PF (6'10", Freshman)
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Tourney Stats: 7 PTS, 11 REB vs. North Dakota State; 18 PTS, 9 REB vs. Iowa
Draft Range: late-first/early-second round
Leading up to the Big Dance, Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis wasn't high on anyone's radar. He was largely viewed as a 2016 prospect.
After a couple of strikingly productive outings against Davidson and Iowa, his stock is climbing enough to warrant one-and-done consideration. And if he decides to go pro this year, there's a great chance he could land in the first round.
Used mostly as a supplementary scorer throughout the season, Sabonis was surprisingly potent against the Hawkeyes in the round of 32. He dropped 18 points, including a handful of free throws and a mid-range jumper.
His inside-out tenacity and underrated versatility caught the eye of CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie:
"Sabonis is a tough, physical player that also has a lot of skill with his passing and even the potential to stretch out his shooting range. This (Iowa game) was a terrific game against a tough frontline that had a ton of size."
If he can add some pick-and-pop shooting to his already-formidable paint presence, Sabonis won't have a problem sticking in the league.
His all-around skills will likely improve, because he clearly has the instincts and fluidity to play at a high level. And while his family lineage (son of former All-Star Arvydas Sabonis) doesn't automatically translate to NBA success, it certainly doesn't hurt his developmental outlook.
Aaron White, Iowa F (6'9", Senior)
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Tourney Stats: 26 PTS, 6 REB vs. Davidson; 19 PTS, 3 STL, 2-of-3 3PT vs. Gonzaga
Draft Range: second round
In the state of Iowa, Hawkeyes forward Aaron White has often been overshadowed by Iowa State's Georges Niang and Northern Iowa's Seth Tuttle.
During Iowa's pair of NCAA tourney tilts, White made a pretty good argument that he's a better NBA draft prospect than either of them.
Davidson didn't have a prayer against him in the opening round. White diced up the Wildcats for 26 points, demonstrating his multidimensional scoring repertoire and superb open-floor agility. He followed it up with a 19-point effort against Gonzaga that included a pair of triples.
Some are worried that he won't be able to play power forward in the NBA, and those concerns are understandable given his underwhelming size.
However, I don't think he'll have to spend all of his minutes as a 4-man near the basket. White has a pretty three-point stroke, and he has just enough athleticism to hang with many small forwards. And when he does have to play inside, his footwork and touch around the bucket will serve him well: He shot 73 percent on field goals at the rim in 2014-15, per Hoop-Math.com.
He won't be the type of diamond in the rough who becomes an NBA star, but this March won't be the last time he exceeds expectations.
Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame G (6'1", Sophomore)
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Tourney Stats: 9 PTS, 8 AST vs. Northeastern; 13 PTS, 2 AST vs. Butler; 20 PTS, 3 AST vs. Wichita State
Draft Range: late-first/early-second round
Jerian Grant remains a magnificent mid-first-round prospect, but he's no longer the only Notre Dame playmaker on the NBA draft radar.
Demetrius Jackson has wowed the country during the Irish's blistering dash to the Elite Eight. The 6'1" sophomore is an explosive athlete, and he chose this time of year to deliver his best stuff.
Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated put it best: "Demetrius Jackson is currently running on space shuttle fuel."
He lit up Northeastern for a season-high eight assists in the second round of the NCAA tourney, and he followed it up with a couple of crisp scoring displays.
His most recent masterpiece is a 20-point outburst on 7-of-10 shooting against Wichita State to advance Notre Dame to the Midwest Regional final. Jackson weaved his way through the Shockers defense for buckets and dimes, and he torched them with 4-of-5 three-point shooting.
Despite his exceptional athleticism, he'll have some trouble scoring against the trees in the NBA and defending rangier players. However, this March Madness run has shown us his brilliant potential as a playmaker and perimeter shooter.
Don't be surprised if he sneaks into the first round in June.
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