NBA Draft prospects to watch in the NCAA Tournament East Region

The East Region of this year’s NCAA tournament features two powerhouses at the top, the Wildcats and the Blue Devils, combining to carry most of the big name draft prospects. Jayson Tatum is the best NBA prospect of group, but big name college players with some NBA upside such as Josh Hart and Luke Kennard also figure to have a dynamic say in the trajectory of the region. The East also has several under-the-radar teams with legitimate prospects, the Mustangs specifically who have largely played out of the national limelight. When you throw in established programs like the Commodores and Bears, both top 13 Kenpom teams, as well as the Gators as a four seed, this is a region laden with good teams and solid prospects.

The numbers accompanying each player are the rankings on the Step Back’s most recent NBA draft big board constructed by Chris Stone and Trevor Magnotti, which can be found here. 

Josh Hart, Villanova (18)

The Wildcats are led by senior Big East Player of the Year Hart, who in his fourth college season has emerged with a versatile swiss army knife skill-set to pair with his typical leadership. He is an adept shooter from 3, can slash with plus body control finishing around the rim, can playmake for others consistently and plays both ends of the court with a high defensive motor. Hart just makes big plays at big moments, whether it be a key offensive rebound or diving on the floor for a loose ball. He sets the tone for the Wildcats, and under the direction of his poise and leadership, a repeat run is in play. Hart might top out at an average NBA athlete, but even with his skill-set and green flag intangibles he’s somehow still underrated by the masses.

Read More: 5 best NBA Draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament

Mikal Bridges, Villanova (15)

Bridges is the lesser known of the two, but has potentially the higher NBA ceiling outcome with his superior athleticism and underrated skill game. At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Bridges has the physical build and quick twitch athleticism of a two-way NBA wing. He’s an advanced stats darling, with a career 12.8 average Box Score Plus-Minus figure and a career 66.1 true shooting percentage. He’s stretched his range out to 3 consistently this year, shooting 39.3 percent on107 attempts as well as 90.6 percent on 53 free throw attempts. The main knocks on Bridges are lack of usage and general lack of assertiveness. He does show flashes of handling and is an excellent finisher with either hand, so there might be more here than meets the eye. Bridges’ defense at the point of attack and floor-spacing will be crucial for a Wildcats run.

Jayson Tatum, Duke (8)

Entering the tournament on a running riot, Tatum now sets his sights on entering the top three of the draft with his polished scoring game and solid defense as his calling cards. He’s shown consistent range from 3 in conference play, and has improved his overall scoring efficiency. Playing a lot of minutes at the four, Tatum is a nightmare matchup for traditional college big men, a trend that is expected to continue in March.

Luke Kennard, Duke (26)

The Blue Devils flood the floor with playmakers, and no one is more imperative to their downsizing attack than Kennard. “College Goran Dragic” is an ace shooter who can also shot-make off the dribble and possesses some craftiness finishing around the rim. It’s unlikely he guards anyone at the next level, but his offensive self-creation and efficiency could lead to his name being called at the end of round one.

Grayson Allen, Duke (45) — Frank Jackson, Duke (NR)

Allen and Jackson comprise the third and fourth most important creators on the Blue Devils. The former comes off the bench now, where his two dimensional playmaking can be fully unleashed. The character concerns are well documented, but Allen has the creation punch to make an NBA roster. Jackson recently bumped Allen out of the starting lineup, and Jackson has done well to produce in that capacity. He’s not a true point guard and struggles to contain defensively on the perimeter, but he’s an underrated shooter who has the speed and burst to slash with the ball in straight lines.

Harry Giles, Duke (3) — Marques Bolden, Duke (NR)

Duke’s two big men also deserve mentioning. Giles played his best basketball of the year in stints of the ACC tournament. He’s a devastating rebounder with plus instincts there, but his game still doesn’t look the same post-injury. He’s lost legitimate athleticism, and given his inability to protect the rim it’s hard to fathom he’s more than a late first round dice-roll. Bolden has the positional size and length of a NBA five, but his defense and skill game are way behind his tools right now. It would be a surprise if he declares.

Jonathan Motley, Baylor (28)

The ultra-productive Bears’ junior Motley has charged onto NBA radars this year with his combination of length, rebounding, motor and post scoring. Motley is a bit of a tweener, lacking the floor game of a four (mainly floor-spacing) and the size and vertical explosion as a rim protector of a five, but there are still several translatable qualities in his game. His toughness, footwork and touch as an interior scorer are notable, as he is doubled on the catch by most high-level teams on the block. He shows flashes of dribbling and passing, enough to where he could do some damage as a backup five at the next level. Motley will be a thorn in the side of opposing front courts in the tournament with his more traditional interior play, and the Bears will go as far as he can carry them.

Devin Robinson, Florida (NR)

Robinson is the most projectable NBA player on an athletic Gators team. Standing around 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Robinson has the size, length and relatively developed frame to pair with smooth athleticism to play a combo-forward role in the NBA. He’s shooting 38.9 percent from 3 this year, a big plus for his translatability as a possible 3-and-D wing. The Gators enter the tournament slumping a bit, having dropped three of their previous four (two to the Commodores of Vanderbilt). But this is a team that was still fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency this season, and Robinson’s versatility on that end is a big part of that success. Robinson is under the radar right now, but with strong tournament play could push his stock back into the second round. A potential matchup with Villanova would be fascinating.

London Perrantes, Virginia (NR)

Perrantes is likely an undrafted guard who will spend time in the NBA D-League or overseas, but his combination of feel, shooting ability and competitive fire defensively gives him an avenue to play in the NBA sometime in the future. He’s not athletic and lacks NBA caliber burst to dribble-drive effectively, but he’s a scrappy on-ball defender and can play off ball with his spot up shooting. The Cavaliers are the number one defensive team in the nation, which speaks in part to Perrantes’ ability on that end. He’s one of the most underrated guards in the country.

Semi Ojeleye, SMU (NR)

The Mustangs have a plethora of under the radar prospects playing in American Athletic Conference. Ojeleye is perhaps their most interesting prospect, playing the college four and likely to be a matchup-based backup four at the next level should he make it that far. He’s very physical developed with his 235 pound frame, and has quietly developed into a decent shooter sporting a 42.3 3-point percentage this year on 163 attempts and 77.7 free throw percentage on 211 attempts. He can also do some damage in the mid-post area with his combination of frame and decent footwork. He has the handling ability to attack closeouts as well with the speed and power to blow by less mobile fours. Ojeleye doesn’t generate defensive events and his defensive translation is murky, but as a second round pick he could return nice value.

Shake Milton, SMU (NR)

Milton is the most well known prospect of the group, as his combination of size at 6-foot-7, length with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and shooting ability stands out. He’s been very inconsistent as a go-to option this year, and profiles more as a combo-guard. But he is a high effort defender who shows respectable court awareness on offense, even though he isn’t that explosive as a finisher. But shooting and effort defensively can go a long way with a feel floor at 6-foot-7.

Sterling Brown, SMU (NR)

Sterling Brown, former NBA player Shannon Brown’s brother, rounds out the Mustang’s potential NBA trio. Brown has a sweet stroke and an impressive frame at 230 pounds to pair with his 6-foot-6 size. As a senior just turning 22 he doesn’t have a ton of upside without close to the athleticism of his brother, but his shooting and defensive effort similar to Milton should get him looks in the second round. For guys we know are declaring, Brown might be the most overlooked player in the country.

De’Anthony Melton, USC (35)

Melton is an advanced stats darling similar to Bridges, but his tangible tools and skill package is almost equally as enticing. Melton has rare feel for a 3-and-D-plus lead guard his age, never looking sped up and showcasing plus vision as a passer. His instincts also show out on the defensive end of the floor as an off-ball defender getting into passing lanes and generating events. Melton is incredibly young and will likely return to the Trojans for his sophomore encore, but he’s definitely a name to monitor. Shooting is the main swing skill for him that will ultimately determine his success at the next level.

Chimezie Metu, USC (NR)

Metu could generate some waves with his explosive athleticism, shooting, and passing flashes as a potential backup five. He doesn’t have great length or rim protection instincts, but he’s an NBA athlete who flashes enough skill level to get him looks in the second round.

P.J. Dozier, South Carolina (55)

Dozier’s swiss army knife game is crucial for both the Gamecocks’ tournament success and for his own draft stock. Unfortunately, he’s been insanely inefficient this year as a scorer and shooter, especially over the latter half of the season. Wings his size don’t usually have his kind of floor game as a playmaker, but if Dozier can’t shoot it puts a hard cap on his upside, as he isn’t the most explosive athlete.

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina (NR)

Thornwell might be the better prospect of the two even though he’s not treated as such. He’s a legitimate defensive wing with good size and exceptional strength. A late bloomer as a shooter, Thornwell has at least put solid 3-point shooting and plus free throw accuracy on paper in his senior season. Often compared to Jae Crowder, Thornwell is an underrated NBA commodity who could really benefit from name recognition via a big tournament.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (NR)

Happ is one of the weirdest players in the NCAA, as he thrives at essentially everything but shooting even being a non-vertical athlete. Happ is very solid defending in space in pick-and-rolls, where he is light on his feet and can cover ground. He’s not an explosive leaper, which impacts his rim protection ceiling, but he stills blocks shots and is a high level rebounder with his motor. Offensively, Happ is an excellent interior passer and can put the ball on the floor consistently from the mid-post in. The one bugaboo in his profile is a lack of floor spacing, which makes his NBA fit more tenuous.

Next: NBA Draft Big Board: Late February edition

Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin (NR)

Hayes was once a potential first round pick with his all around offensive game and plus length, but he’s been mostly exposed as a primary option at the college level. His inconsistent shooting and post-dominant style makes his NBA projection dicey to be kind.

*Stats and rankings derived from Sports-reference.com, Draftexpress.com and Kenpom.com.