NCAA Tournament 2015: Prospects Rising Up NBA Draft Boards After March Madness
The NCAA tournament served as a chance to shine in the spotlight for a number of the talented NBA prospects.
A few postseason games certainly don't mean everything when it comes to selecting a player at the NBA draft. Top players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell will all likely be top-five picks despite up-and-down showings during March.
However, this group of players might have helped themselves the most over the course of the three-week tournament.
Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
There was never any denying Sam Dekker's talent. However, the forward often lacked aggressiveness on the court while struggling to make shots from the perimeter during the regular season.
This wasn't the case in the postseason, however, as the Wisconsin star took over at times and hit some of the biggest shots of the NCAA tournament. As for the shooting, ESPN Stats & Info broke down the difference:
He certainly came back to earth in the finals against Duke, finishing with 12 points on 6-of-15 shooting. His 0-of-6 mark from three was a big reason for the team's struggles. Still, he did enough throughout the tournament to state his case for scouts.
Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports discussed his thoughts on the talented player during the semifinal win over Kentucky:
Dekker's ability to create his own shot either at the rim or from the outside makes him a very intriguing pick for NBA teams. After seeing what he can do over the past few weeks, someone will take a chance on him early.
Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
On a team with plenty of other talented players, Justise Winslow truly stood out during the NCAA tournament with his ability to do whatever it took to help Duke win.
The forward scored when it was needed most but otherwise filled up the stat sheet with averages of 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks in six games. Even with a relatively poor showing in the finals, he still made big shots and ended with 11 points and nine rebounds.
ESPN's Chad Ford recently discussed why he is a better overall prospect than Dekker:
"Winslow is both incredibly quick and an explosive leaper. I think he plays with one of the best motors in college basketball. He goes all out on every play. He's a good rebounder for his position. He has the ability to be an elite defender who can guard 2s, 3s, and 4s. He's also proved to be a good 3-point shooter when he gets his feet set under him.
"
Although he might never be a star in the NBA, he seems like a very safe option as an elite defender and someone who can rebound and create a fast break on his own.
While he was a questionable lottery pick to start the NCAA tournament, he now could hear his name called within the top five picks this summer.
Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
All season long, NBA scouts have been impressed by the play of Utah freshman Jakob Poeltl. However, his one performance against potential top overall pick Jahlil Okafor is what really turned heads.
Duke was able to defeat Utah in the Sweet 16, but Okafor only managed a season low of six points while struggling to find any daylight. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress was impressed by the play of Poeltl:
The 7-footer has done a great job on the defensive end throughout the year, averaging 1.9 blocks per game while altering plenty more shots. He has good footwork and always seems to be in the right position.
He also showed signs of improvement on the offensive end with 13.3 points per game in the tournament after averaging just 9.1 ppg during the season. If he can match his offensive play with his defense, he could have a long career in the NBA.
R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
While NBA scouts have done their due diligence on R.J. Hunter, it was tough to actually watch him play on a regular basis. This is why it was a bit concerning the shooting guard made just 30.5 percent of his three-point shots this season.
However, the junior showed what he could do by leading the Panthers to an upset victory over Baylor in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. With his team down 12 in the final three minutes, Hunter scored 12 points during his team's 13-0 run to pull off the win.
This play will remain one of the more memorable moments of the 2015 NCAA tournament:
Hunter faced tons of attention from opposing teams whenever he had the ball, but he still found a way to be a productive scorer just about every time out. He should be able to keep this up with more free space at the next level.
As long as scouts trust his outside shot during workouts, the small-school prospect should be a first-round pick.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
