NBA Mock Draft 2020: 1st-Round Projections and Stock Watch for Top Prospects

March Madness is an opportune time for a college basketball player to boost their stock ahead of the NBA draft. What better way to impress scouts than by powering your school through the NCAA tournament?

However, the top college standouts in this year's draft class didn't get that opportunity with March Madness cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. That means how players fared during the regular season could carry greater weight as teams may not have a chance to scout them again in person.

As of now, the NBA draft is scheduled to take place June 25. Here's a mock for how the first round could unfold, followed by stock watch for several top prospects.

NBA Mock Draft, 1st Round

1. Golden State: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

2. Cleveland: James Wiseman, C, Memphis

3. Minnesota: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks

4. Atlanta: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

5. Detroit: R.J. Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers

6. New York: Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv

7. Chicago: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State

8. Charlotte: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC

9. Washington: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm

10. Phoenix: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn

11. San Antonio: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton

12. Sacramento: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

13. New Orleans: Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

14. Portland: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State

15. Orlando: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova

16. Minnesota (via Brooklyn): Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis

17. Boston (via Memphis): Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State

18. Dallas: Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington

19. Milwaukee (via Indiana): Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL

20. Brooklyn (via Philadelphia): Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington

21. Denver (via Houston): Josh Green, SG, Arizona

22. Philadelphia (via Oklahoma City): Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland

23. Miami: Vernon Carey Jr., PF/C, Duke

24. Utah: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

25. Oklahoma City (via Denver): Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos

26. Boston: Leandro Bolmaro, SF, FC Barcelona

27. New York (via L.A. Clippers): Tre Jones, PG, Duke

28. Toronto: Xavier Tillman, PF, Michigan State

29. L.A. Lakers: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama

30. Boston (via Milwaukee): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

Stock Watch

Obi Toppin: Stock up

The winner of this year's Wooden Award and several other top honors, Obi Toppin made a huge impression in his sophomore season at Dayton. While leading the Flyers to a 29-2 record, Toppin averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and shot 63.3 percent from the field.

Rob Dauster of NBC Sports believes NBA teams should be high on Toppin because of his potential to make an impact quickly. And he also thinks he could be a safer pick than some other top prospects.

"Given that the top of this draft class is made up of players that are going to be drafted on their potential without having the upside of being a franchise-changing talent, I think there is value in drafting a guy with a rock-solid floor," Dauster wrote.

Toppin should certainly be drafted in the first half of the opening round, but it's possible he rises up to one of the first selections. In Dauster's mock, he has Toppin as the projected No. 4 pick. Of course, it could depend on how the lottery unfolds and what needs teams have, but Toppin is an intriguing player in the class.

Toppin's resume is impressive enough that his stock should be on the rise as teams continue to evaluate players.

Theo Maledon: Stock down

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Theo Maledon didn't have the most impressive showing for ASVEL in the EuroLeague this season.

Over 22 games, Maledon averaged 7.4 points and 17:41 minutes played. Because of that, he has gone down in some recent mock drafts, even though part of that performance could be attributed to the level of competition in the EuroLeague.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz had Maledon going to the Magic at No. 17 in April 9 mock draft, noting that they had him as a projected top-10 pick prior to the season. But that doesn't rule out Maledon turning into a strong NBA player.

Schmitz wrote that the 6'5" Maledon has "a strong feel for the game and the ability to play on or off the ball," also sharing that he'd be a "seamless fit" next to Markelle Fultz, should he get drafted to Orlando.

So although Maledon's stock is down as he'll likely have no further opportunity to impress NBA scouts and teams, he could quickly prove that he's a better player than his international stats may have indicated when he arrives in the league.

Cole Anthony: Mixed signals

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It appears NBA scouts may have differing opinions when it comes to North Carolina point guard Cole Anthony. Zach Braziller of the New York Post shared comments from two scouts about Anthony, and they were on opposite sides of the spectrum.

One scout was skeptical of Anthony's point-guard abilities, viewing him more as a scorer.

"I just don't think he wins you games," the scout told Braziller.

A different scout thinks negative opinions of Anthony could stem from him playing for a North Carolina team that had its share of struggles this season.

"North Carolina not winning was not his fault. The fact he tried to do too much, I attribute that to the fact they weren't that good," the second scout told Braziller. "If he was around better players, he wouldn't have made the mistakes he did."

At this point, Anthony's stock could be viewed as high or low, depending on which team and which scouts you ask. It could be possible that Anthony could be an early first-round pick or be selected in the late-mid picks, depending on which teams own which selections.