NBA Draft 2017: Latest Mock Draft Ahead of NCAA Tournament
For plenty of the NCAA's top NBA prospects, March Madness represents the last chance to show scouts and executives what they can do in a truly competitive setting.
Some experts will say years of scouting has already determined what these guys are, but every year, someone boosts his stock with a strong tourney performance.
Just ask Shabazz Napier, Kemba Walker, Trey Burke or Derrick Williams.
Players who might experience a similar rise up draft boards over the next few weeks can be found under the mock draft below:
| 1 | Celtics | Markelle Fultz (Washington, PG, Freshman) |
| 2 | Lakers | Lonzo Ball (UCLA, PG, Freshman) |
| 3 | Suns | Josh Jackson (Kansas, SF, Freshman) |
| 4 | Magic | Jayson Tatum (Duke, SF, Freshman) |
| 5 | 76ers | Malik Monk (Kentucky, SG, Freshman) |
| 6 | Kings | Dennis Smith, Jr. (NC State, PG, Freshman) |
| 7 | Knicks | De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky, PG, Freshman) |
| 8 | Kings | Miles Bridges (Michigan State, SF/PF, Freshman) |
| 9 | Timberwolves | Lauri Markkanen (Arizona, PF, Freshman) |
| 10 | Mavericks | Jonathan Isaac (Florida State, PF/SF, Freshman) |
| 11 | Hornets | Terrance Ferguson (Australia, SG, 18) |
| 12 | Trail Blazers | John Collins (Wake Forest, PF, Sophomore) |
| 13 | Bulls | Robert Williams (Texas A&M, PF/C, Freshman) |
| 14 | Heat | Frank Ntilikina (France, PG, 18) |
| 15 | Nuggets | OG Anunoby (Indiana, SF, Sophomore) |
| 16 | Bucks | Jarrett Allen (Texas, C, Freshman) |
| 17 | Pistons | Isaiah Hartenstein (Germany, PF, 18) |
| 18 | Pacers | Rodions Kurucs (Latvia, SF, 19) |
| 19 | Trail Blazers | Justin Jackson (North Carolina, SF, Junior) |
| 20 | Thunder | Justin Patton (Creighton, C, Freshman) |
| 21 | Hawks | Ike Anigbogu (UCLA, C, Freshman) |
| 22 | Raptors | Ivan Rabb (California, PF, Sophomore) |
| 23 | Magic | Donovan Mitchell (Louisville, SG, Sophomore) |
| 24 | Jazz | Luke Kennard (Duke, SG, Sophomore) |
| 25 | Nets | Tyler Lydon (Syracuse, PF/SF, Sophomore) |
| 26 | Nets | Jaron Blossomgame (Clemson, SF, Senior) |
| 27 | Trail Blazers | T.J. Leaf (UCLA, PF, Freshman) |
| 28 | Lakers | Zach Collins (Gonzaga, PF, Freshman) |
| 29 | Spurs | Harry Giles (Duke, PF, Freshman) |
| 30 | Jazz | Johnathan Motley (Baylor, PF, Junior) |
Top Prospects to Watch in the Tournament
Lonzo Ball (UCLA, PG, Freshman)
UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball is already in the top five of this year's draft, but consensus No. 1 Markelle Fultz not being in the NCAA Tournament field could help Ball move up.
He enters the tournament with the 10th-best Box Plus-Minus in the country (minimum 500 minutes played), per Sports-Reference, and leads the NCAA in assists per game.
With Ball's playmaking on the biggest stage possible for college basketball, a few big-assist games in Bruins wins could force Danny Ainge and the Celtics to consider pairing him with the shoot-first Isaiah Thomas.
Josh Jackson (Kansas, SF, Freshman)
Just three years ago, the Kansas Jayhawks entered the Big Dance with Andrew Wiggins, one of the most-hyped NBA prospects of the last 10 years.
In 2017, they have Josh Jackson, who may not enjoy the same level of acclaim but has almost certainly had a more well-rounded campaign than Wiggins did at Kansas:
| Andrew Wiggins | 2013-14 | 17.1 | .563 | 21.4 | 8.5 | 10.4 | 9.2 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| Josh Jackson | 2016-17 | 16.4 | .555 | 24 | 10.5 | 12.9 | 18.9 | 3 | 3.4 |
“In crucial situations, he’s got a calmness about him,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said of Jackson, per KUSports.com's Benton Smith. “I think that his intangible makeup is as good as any that I’ve ever been around, especially at that age.”
If Jackson can display that kind of poise in the pressure-packed setting of March Madness, leading Kansas on a deep run in the process, he could seize one of the top two picks from Ball or Fultz.
Jayson Tatum (Duke, SF, Freshman)
Duke's Jayson Tatum is another wing whose stock is already on the rise, thanks to a strong run through the ACC Tournament.
In those four games, the 6'8" freshman forward averaged 22 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 55.4 percent from the field on the way to the conference tournament title.
"He’s Duke’s most dynamic playmaker, with the ability score from virtually everywhere on the court at any time of the game," Tyler Greenawalt of Yahoo Sports wrote. "Tatum can drive to the basket with ease, hit the midrange and outside jump shot and even take the ball the length of the court by himself."
Moving up to No. 1 or 2 may be out of the question, but a few more flashes like those described by Greenawalt could vault Tatum ahead of Jackson and into the top three.
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