Prospects Warriors Fans Should Watch in March Madness 2021

The Golden State Warriors are sitting on a gold mine.

Thank goodness the Minnesota Timberwolves are such big fans of D'Angelo Russell.

Last season, the Dubs sent Russell to the Gopher State in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and a 2021 first-round pick. Since the selection carries only top-three protection, the Wolves might be the Association's worst team and the 2021 draft class looks loaded at the top, the pick has already established itself as the best asset involved in that trade (by a mile).

With Stephen Curry powering through what's left of his prime, Golden State could consider flipping the pick for more win-now assistance. But the Warriors could also see it as their door to their next franchise player.

Should they opt for the latter, they could have a shot at landing one of the top players in college basketball. The protection will prevent Cade Cunningham from coming to Golden State, but all other prospects could pave a path to the Bay Area.

The following three are worth the viewing attention of Warriors' fans as their teams head into the 2021 men's NCAA Tournament this weekend.

Scottie Barnes, SF/PF, Florida State

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It's easy to notice Golden State's lack of scoring support for Curry, and Scottie Barnes isn't built to help that area. Not right away, at least.

But the Warriors are also short on playmakers beyond Curry and Draymond Green. When coach Steve Kerr's offense is at its best, this team is basically hosting passing clinics. It doesn't have enough ball-movers to do that now, but Barnes would give it a unique source of that as a 6'8" distributor.

He leads the Seminoles in assists per game (4.2), which is wild for a few reasons. The first is there just aren't many college clubs running offense through a 6'8" forward. The second is Barnes is doing all this distributing as Florida State's sixth man, and he's logging under 25 minutes per night.

His vision, creativity and selflessness would all be perfect fits for the Warriors. He could get-it-and-go on the defensive glass just like Green and cycle through various defensive assignments without missing a beat.

Barnes' fourth-seeded Seminoles tip off their tournament run Saturday against 13th-seeded UNC Greensboro (12:45 p.m. ET on truTV).

Moses Moody, SG, Arkansas

Michael Woods/Associated Press

Two things should catch the Warriors' attention with Moses Moody.

The first are his 17.4 points per night, a scoring rate that keeps climbing. In three of his last four outings, he has produced 28 points on 50-plus percent shooting.

But the manner in which he gets those numbers might be more intriguing. Since the Warriors run so much of their offense through Curry and Green, they need players who can add value off the basketball. That's what Moody has done all season.

"Almost all of his half-court offense comes out of off-ball situations, where he capitalizes as a spot-up shooter, timely driver, cutter and offensive rebounder," B/R's Jonathan Wasserman noted.

Moody has the length, athleticism and shooting touch to ace the three-and-D role, and his recent scoring binge possibly points to more production than the label normally allows.

His third-seeded Razorbacks open against 14th-seeded Colgate on Friday (12:45 p.m. ET on truTV).

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Gonzaga

Young Kwak/Associated Press

How many dynamic moments have the Dubs produced this season that didn't involve Curry's offensive wizardry or Green's defensive genius? Jalen Suggs would up the dynamism immediately.

He plays with the same swagger and confidence that drove Golden State's dynastic run. And just like the super-team Warriors, Suggs has all the skills to back that up. He has the off-the-dribble juice to get past defenders, the explosive athleticism to finish at the rim, the touch and trust to splash pull-up triples and the vision to spot an unattended teammate anywhere on the floor.

"Between his athleticism to get downhill or cut, pull-up shooting (94th percentile) for scoring, court vision when playmaking and special defensive instincts, Suggs' strengths all appear translatable," Wasserman wrote. "And as obvious and convincing as his talent and skills have become, scouts love his intangibles, specifically his effort, toughness and maturity."

Suggs can fill a role for the Warriors right now, either as a spark-plug sixth man or a complementary starter in an offensively overpowered perimeter trio with Curry and Klay Thompson. Then, when the organization is ready to shift its focus forward, Suggs can be the Batman of its next chapter with James Wiseman handling the Robin role.

Suggs' top-seeded Bulldogs being their championship quest Saturday against the Norfolk State-Appalachian State winner (9:20 p.m. ET on TBS).