5 future NBA superstars to watch in the 2022 NCAA Tournament

2. Jabari Smith, Forward, Auburn

You’ll find Jabari Smith at the No. 1 spot on a lot of draft boards, and with good reason. He’s 6-foot-10 and 220 pounds, with excellent, fluid athleticism, and projects to be both one of the best shooters and defenders in this class. Smith averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game this season, shooting 42.8 percent from beyond the arc on a very high number of attempts. He’s an elite defensive prospect with the ability to play inside and out and his smooth jumper should translate to all sorts of settings — spot-ups, pick-and-pop, running off screens.

The concerns with Smith are mostly nit-picky — he doesn’t attack the basket enough, he’s too reliant on his jumper, he doesn’t have an elite handle — but they could be what separates him from stardom and simply being an elite second- or third-option. If he can create for himself efficiently and hit his ceiling as a shooter and defender he could be one of the best players in the league. Even if he can’t, he’ll still be a very good player and worth a look at the No. 1 pick.