5 best NBA Draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament

By Ian Levy | Mar 19, 2019

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after after a play on the way to defeating the Florida State Seminoles 73-63 in the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 02: Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jarrett Culver (#23) drives to the basket during the Big 12 college basketball game between the TCU Horned Frogs and Texas Tech Red Raiders on March 02, 2019 at Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Jarrett Culver, Wing, Texas Tech

Culver hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as the Duke trio or the explosive Morant but his size and well-rounded skill set may make him one of the safest possibilities for a top-five pick. Culver, a 6-foot-5 wing, has averaged 18.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for an incredibly strong Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders landed a No. 3 seed in the West region and Culver will have an opportunity to shine as he helps his team make a deep run.

From an NBA perspective, the most attractive elements of Culver’s profile are his defensive potential and playmaking ability. He is probably not headed for a role as a primary ball-handler but as a secondary creator, who can both find open teammates and score at the rim or get himself to the free throw line, Culver is extremely appealing. One of the big questions he’ll have to answer moving forward is whether he can be a reliable outside shooter. Culver shot 38.2 on 144 3-point attempts as a freshman but has hit 32.3 percent on 130 attempts this season.

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