Fansided

5 first round NCAA Tournament games with NBA Draft implications

By Brandon Jefferson

EVANSVILLE, IN - MARCH 09: Murray State Racers Guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball during the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship college basketball game between the Murray State Racers and the Belmont Bruins on March 9, 2019, at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
EVANSVILLE, IN - MARCH 09: Murray State Racers Guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball during the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship college basketball game between the Murray State Racers and the Belmont Bruins on March 9, 2019, at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
COLLEGE PARK, MD – MARCH 03: Bruno Fernando #23 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates a shot during a college basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at the XFinity Center on March 3, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – MARCH 03: Bruno Fernando #23 of the Maryland Terrapins celebrates a shot during a college basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at the XFinity Center on March 3, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

3. Maryland vs. Belmont

After defeating Temple in the First Four on Tuesday — their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in school history, the Belmont Bruins are rewarded by facing off against the Maryland Terrapins. The Bruins have ridden great team perimeter shooting on their way to snatching an at-large bid away–a bid that this writer believes they 100 percent deserved.

Waiting for them is a Terrapins group that is headlined by a sophomore center, Bruno Fernando. Fernando flirted with entering the draft a season ago but opted to return to College Park. It seems like it was the correct choice. Head coach Mark Turgeon had his offense feed Fernando every chance they could. It was hard to find a defender that had the size, strength, and agility to stifle him in one-on-one situations. However, Fernando is still rough around the edges and will need some more development before he’s a consistent contributor in the NBA. Jaylon Smith and Aaron Wiggins are two intriguing freshmen for Maryland, but neither is likely to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft.

For Belmont, they are a team of shooters, but in the eyes of NBA evaluators, one stands above the rest: senior combo forward, Dylan Windler. Standing at 6-foot-8, Windler is most often compared to Utah Jazz forward, Joe Ingles and like the Aussie, Windler’s looks may deceive teams into thinking he’s not as skilled as he is. Windler just needs an inch of separation to get a shot off and he isn’t scared to mix it up in the paint, especially on the glass. Windler is likely someone who will see his play in the tournament (five points, 2-of-7 field goals, 1-of-5 3-point field goals, 14 rebounds, and two assists against Temple on Tuesday night) and the NBA Draft Combine 5-on-5 scrimmages greatly impact his stock.

Home/NBA Draft