2017 NCAA March Madness Preview: Canadian stars to watch
The NCAA’s annual Division I tournament tips off this week, as scores of fans fill out their brackets and think up excuses to miss work during the marathon slate of games beginning Thursday.
For an equal number of fans who don’t follow the college basketball season closely until March rolls around, the annual tourney is a prime opportunity to get a glimpse at the next crop of NBA lottery picks and potential stars.
With his team not qualifying for the tournament, projected 1st overall pick Markelle Fultz of Washington won’t be in the dance, but there are no shortage of big-name prospects looking to make their mark.
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Sportsnet‘s hoops panel takes a look at the biggest names ready to rise up draft boards this March:
Dave Zarum: A big, strong, fast, and hyper-athletic wing, Kansas’ freshman star Josh Jackson is projected to be the first non-point guard to be drafted in June, going 3rd overall on most mock drafts. He’s averaging 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season while shooting 51 per cent from the floor for the top-seeded Jayhawks. A bona fide two-way star, the only real knock on his game is his inconsistent and mechanically-unsound jump shot, but Jackson brings so much to the table in every other category that, on the right team, that can be addressed through player development (think: Kawhi Leonard). I’m particularly excited to see more of this from Jackson on the big stage:
Craig Battle: It hasn’t been a good year for Duke freshman. But there’s still time for that to change, and Jayson Tatum is doing his part. The six-foot-eight forward got a late start to the season due to injury, but it playing his best basketball of the season and living up to the lottery hype — averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds in Duke’s four ACC Tournament games to help them get the title.
Michael Hoad: Kansas’ Josh Jackson is currently considered to be the best forward available come June and he will have a chance to entrench himself as a top-five pick with a strong tournament for the top-seeded Jayhawks. The freshman can score and has plenty of athleticism, but what sets him apart is his excellent court vision and strong ball-handling skills. Those two attributes are luxuries for a player standing six-foot-eight.
Evan Rosser: There’s nothing unique about the pick, but I can’t help that: The guy I’m most excited to see in the tourney is UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball. He’s six-foot-six with scary range and real style to his game. Plus, he can throw his team on his back and take over a game, which could make for a seriously memorable tournament.
Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac is only putting up 12.2 points per game this season, but he’s doing that on just 7.9 shots a night. He’s also a nearly seven-foot-tall small forward with handles and a killer Euro-step, basically catnip for NBA scouts and GMs. His game’s a touch understated and he’s not a huge three-point shooter, but advanced stats show that he is one of college basketball’s smartest and most efficient players.
Steven Loung: Since projected no. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz’s Washington failed to make the tournament, all eyes will be on projected No. 2 overall Lonzo Ball of UCLA. One or two good tournament performances could be all he needs to to change scouts’ minds and make himself the best-looking prospect in the draft.
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Donnovan Bennett: He can defend, he can shoot, he’s a great cutter. Josh Jackson will be the most well rounded player at the top of the draft. He’s actually a combination of a couple former Jayhawks: Think of Andrew Wiggins athleticism matched with the footwork and fundamentals of Paul Pierce. He’s been highly touted as a high-school prospect for so long that we’re bored of talking about him. But don’t discount his greatness, especially in the NBA game where the freedom of movement rules will allow him to get to the basket with more regularity.
