March Madness: Future NBA superstars to watch in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament is the premier showcase for college basketball and these top 2021 NBA Draft prospects will soak up the spotlight this year.

Having elite talent has never hurt a basketball team and college hoops is no exception to that. So it only figures that the NCAA Tournament is rife with future NBA players who will both star or play key roles at the pro level. Of course, as is always the case, there are some players who stand out among the best teams in the country.

It figures that the top prospects for the 2021 NBA Draft have led their teams into March Madness and have actually done so at an extremely high level. The top five draft prospects playing in the NCAA Tournament are all suiting up for teams that are seeded on the No. 5-line or higher, including one player on the top team in the country.

With that in mind, we’re delving into the players who will be in the limelight of March Madness before assuming a different stage at the NBA level. Shout out to Tennessee wing Keon Johnson and UConn guard James Bouknight but these are the top five NBA prospects that we’ll see on the floor in Indianapolis for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Best NBA Draft prospects suiting up in the 2021 NCAA Tournament

5. Moses Moody, G/F, Arkansas

There’s a good chance that Arkansas wing Moses Moody is never a true superstar at the NBA level. But there is equally as good of a chance that the Razorbacks star ends up being the second-best player on a high-caliber team somewhere in his career.

The 6-foot-6 wing has starred in leading the Hogs to a No. 3 seed in the tournament and has showcased why NBA teams should be high on him. Not only is he a deadeye shooter that can knock it down from 3-point range in every type of situation but he’s proven to be a versatile and dangerous defender that can man-up against multiple positions.

High-end 3-and-D players are always extremely valuable in the professional ranks and Moody checks the boxes to be that type of player for Arkansas now and whichever team drafts him.

4. Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State

For a player like Scottie Barnes who is a lock to be a top-10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it’s kind of scary to think that he hasn’t even fully unlocked his game in his lone season with the No. 4-seed Florida State Seminoles. Yet, when you look at what the 6-foot-8 forward has done for the ACC Tournament runners-up this season, that’s indeed the case.

Barnes is a terrific athlete with a strong frame that has an uncanny feel for setting up his teammates as a facilitator. Moreover, he’s proven his ability to match up with multiple positions as a defender. The part yet to be unlocked fully is his scoring ability as Florida State’s offensive system doesn’t necessarily allow him to showcase that in all situations. In March Madness, though, we may indeed catch glimpses of his playmaking as a scorer if he’s called upon to carry the Noles in a big spot.

3. Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga

Gonzaga has long been a team with the potential to win a National Championship but a player like Jalen Suggs is the type of guy that can finally get the Bulldogs over the hump. And the reasons that make him so critical to the ‘Zags in their title opportunity is why he’s going to be a top-five lock in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Suggs can do it all as the primary option in an offense. Not only has he proven to be a top-tier passer that can draw in the defense and facilitate with the best guards in the country, but his scoring ability is complete. There isn’t an area of the floor where Suggs can’t make you pay. Back all of that up with his ability to match up with any type of opposing guard on the defensive end of the floor given a combination of quickness and strength and you have a player NBA teams would love to make their lead guard.

2. Evan Mobley, C, USC

Even though Evan Mobley is not a perfect NBA prospect, the ceiling is so high and so obvious that it likely won’t stop him from being a top-three pick in the draft.

The USC big man checks in at 7-foot but has the fluidity and skill of a player much smaller. He’s got tremendous handles for a player his size and has progressed as a passer even throughout his freshman year with the Trojans. The same can be said for his jump shot as well, though that could continue to develop moving forward as he possesses good mechanics and can extend his range further consistently.

That one weakness is his rebounding as he can sometimes get out-muscled on the glass but Mobley’s work ethic and two-way ability as a complete offensive player and rim-protector should help him overcome that weakness in the aggregate.

1. Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State

There are times when a player comes to the college basketball ranks projected alread as a future NBA All-Star but fails to live up to that hype. That has decidedly not been the case with Cade Cunningham at Oklahoma State.

Averaging 19.7 points, 3.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game this season for the Cowboys, Cunningham has answered the call in every capacity, even with college defenses often swarming him. His ability to score at all levels and handle the ball are fantastic and, though his assist numbers are modest, he might be the best facilitator in the class as well.

But what makes Cunningham even more of a clear-cut top prospect is his defensive ability. His combination of size, length and athleticism make him a nightmare matchup on the perimeter that few players can go one-on-one with consistently or efficiently. He’s the type of player that is not only destined for NBA stardom but could lead Oklahoma State on a deep run from the No. 4-line in the NCAA Tournament.

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