NBA Draft 2015: Top Prospects Who Can Improve Their Stock During Final Four

And then there were four.

Kentucky, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Duke have all emerged from their respective regions bloodied and bruised, but victorious.

Star players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and Frank Kaminsky will be playing for more than a championship banner. Of course these guys are trying to win March Madness, but they’re also gearing up for a shot at the NBA—June Draft(ness), if you will.

Being that it contains three of the four No. 1 seeds, this year's Final Four is filled to the brim with professional prospects. Some, like Okafor, won’t really swing their stock a whole lot the rest of the way. For the most part, teams know what they’re going to get.

Others, though, aren’t so concrete, and a big-time performance in the Final Four could boost them from a fringe first-rounder closer to a lottery pick.

Updated Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
1	New York Knicks	Karl-Anthony Towns
2	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jahlil Okafor
3	Philadelphia 76ers	Emmanuel Mudiay
4	Los Angeles Lakers	D'Angelo Russell
5	Orlando Magic	Justise Winslow
6	Sacramento Kings	Willie Cauley-Stein
7	Denver Nuggets	Mario Hezonja
8	Detroit Pistons	Kristaps Porzingis
9	Indiana Pacers	Stanley Johnson
10	Charlotte Hornets	Frank Kaminsky
11	Atlanta Hawks (via Nets)	Jakob Poeltl
12	Utah Jazz	Myles Turner
13	Phoenix Suns	Kelly Oubre
14	Houston Rockets (via Pelicans)	Kris Dunn
15	Boston Celtics	Jerian Grant
16	Philadelphia 76ers (via Heat)	Sam Dekker
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Devin Booker
18	Oklahoma City Thunder	Bobby Portis
19	Washington Wizards	Trey Lyles
20	Toronto Raptors	Kevon Looney
21	Chicago Bulls	Montrezl Harrell
22	Dallas Mavericks	Caris LeVert
23	Cleveland Cavaliers	Christian Wood
24	San Antonio Spurs	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
25	Portland Trail Blazers	R.J. Hunter
26	Boston Celtics (via Clippers)	Tyus Jones
27	Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)	Jarell Martin
28	Memphis Grizzlies	George Lucas
29	Atlanta Hawks (via Nets)	Delon Wright
30	Golden State Warriors	Cameron Payne

Who Can Boost Their Stock?

Sam Dekker, Wisconsin

Harry How/Getty Images

Sam Dekker might not be a tank (like Kaminsky), but he’s a beast in his own right. And in Wisconsin’s past two games, the junior forward has played like a pro prospect.

As Bleacher Report’s Daniel O’Brien wrote on March 29, Dekker’s electrifying performances against North Carolina and Arizona will definitely help his case on draft night.

The 6’9” veteran has averaged 13.9 points and 5.5 boards for the Badgers this season, but he’s taken his game to the next level in tourney time—21 points and 5.5 boards a game. He’s stepped up when it matters most, too.

Like this:

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has already been impressed by Dekker, and there’s still bigger basketball left to be played:

"

Have always loved Dekker's size, defense and athleticism, but his shooting was always a major concern. Really easing those in the Tournament

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 29, 2015"

If Dekker can continue lighting it up for Wisconsin—imagine if he leads the Badgers to an upset over Kentucky!—he’ll inch closer and closer to the front end of the draft come summertime.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

How could Towns get any higher when he’s already being viewed as the top overall prospect?

Well, his ranking can’t get any higher, of course, but the belief that he’s the best can become cemented. Right now, it’s a bit of a tossup between him and Okafor.

When Towns is on, he’s unbelievably dominant—just ask Notre Dame, a team whose bid for Upset of the Century was denied by KAT’s 25-point (10-13 FG) performance.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

He isn’t perfect by any means, though.

This year, Kentucky’s big fella has had more single-digit scoring games (20) than double-digit outings (17). Against West Virginia in the Sweet 16, he had a single point and two rebounds. Granted, it was a blowout, but that’s a bit alarming. It wasn’t the first time this year that the freshman came up a bit short.

Playing for Kentucky doesn’t bolster the Wildcats’ statistical resume much. There is so much talent and professional potential on one roster, there aren’t always enough shots to go around. Could that be the issue with Towns?

Tyler Ulis and Andrew Harrison don’t think so.

"He carried us," Ulis said after the Notre Dame game, per Ben Roberts of Kentucky.com. "He was getting fouled. All those were and-ones to me, and they didn't call the calls. It tells you how much he's grown as a player. He's fighting through the fouls—not crying like a little baby anymore. He's just getting through it and playing."

"We used to call him Karl Kardashian," Harrison added. "He was a little prima donna…Now he's a man.”

Towns’ growth has been exponential. He’s gone from being the team crybaby to what Harrison called the “best big man in the country.”

The more he plays, the stronger his case for that coveted No. 1 pick becomes. However, the 7-footer from New Jersey might have to ultimately conquer Okafor and Duke in the national championship game in order to truly solidify himself as the best.

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Michigan State’s second-leading scorer doesn’t even crack the Top 100 at DraftExpress, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports or the Top 50 at Bleacher Report.

Why?

Denzel Washington Valentine has been a "Man on Fire" all year, shooting 41.6 percent from three and racking up 14.3 points, 6.1 boards and 4.4 assists per game.

Valentine might not be the physical specimen that some other prospects are, but the junior can flat-out shoot. He’s turned himself into a bona fide threat from downtown, which will likely be his ticket into the pros—if there is one.

Think Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs, who is just an inch taller and five pounds lighter than Tom Izzo’s prized guard...and who could pass as Valentine's identical twin.

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

The Spurs marksman shot 41.8 percent (0.2 higher than Valentine) from three during his senior season at UNC. He's earned his living in the big leagues by camping around the arc and sinking bombs.

Valentine’s long-range shooting has been a bit shaky in the tournament, but the points are still there. He needs to prove, on the national stage, that he can make big-time three-pointers when his team needs them most.

Even if he doesn’t try to bolt for the NBA in June, getting super-hot from beyond the arc in the Final Four could put Valentine on the map and give him his best chance at making it in the pros one day.