We have arrived at the NCAA Tournament. It's the best time of year for basketball fans. Whether you're a college hoops diehard, an NBA fan here to scout, or just a passerby with a taste for drama, there's something for you. It doesn't get better than a 68-team, single-elimination tournament featuring some of the best athletes this world has to offer.
The 2025 NBA Draft picture has been taking shape for months, but March figures to shake things up a fair amount. It always does. We shouldn't ignore the regular season, of course, but when a player performs under pressure and leads their team in games of consequence, scouts tend to latch on.
That is especially true for players who otherwise don't get many opportunities to face high-level competition. It's not uncommon for a Cinderella hero to turn into a productive NBA player. Fred VanVleet comes to mind. Hell, Stephen Curry and Davidson did it not too long ago. Small-school stars are never too far from the NBA radar. Sometimes all it takes is a strong NCAA Tournament run to really put the spotlight on a mid-major talent few saw coming.
Here are a few viable NBA prospects from potential Cinderella teams. Expect their stock to skyrocket with a win or two.
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4. John Poulakidas, Yale
John Poulakidas led the Ivy League in scoring as a senior (19.2 PTS), burying 40.9 percent of his 3s and 89.0 percent of his free throws. The man is a bucket, and he has a track record in March. He was the driving force behind Yale's upset of Auburn in 2024. Now he gets another chance as the No. 13 seed, this time facing a Texas A&M team most folks don't feel strongly about.
The Aggies are still significant favorites after enduring the brutal SEC gauntlet, but Yale has experience with this sort of thing. The Bulldogs rebound well, play connected defense, and tend to heat up quickly from 3-point range. Poulakidas does not create for much for teammates, but he has an excellent setup man beside him in speedy Bez Mbeng. If Yale can get it to Poulakidas in his spots consistently, there's no reason the Bulldogs can't extend their dance for another game or two.
At 6-foot-5, Poulakidas' score-first mentality and limited athleticism will hold him back in NBA Draft circles. He's shifty with the ball, uncorking sophisticated dribble moves and step-backs to generate space out of isos. But, without a high assist rate or much hope on defense, Poulakidas will need to convince scouts of his scoring repertoire beyond all doubt. Now's his chance.
3. Tyon Grant-Foster, Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon has more experience than your average Cinderella, which could come in handy. The No. 13 seed faces a tough first-round matchup with Maryland, but the Lopes are a feisty bunch with a few NBA-type athletes. None stand out more than Tyon Grant-Foster, who has been on draft radars for a minute.
Grant-Foster led the WAC in scoring as a junior in 2023-24, averaging 20.1 points on .446/.331/.745 splits while showcasing the twitchy athleticism and defensive playmaking necessary to capture NBA attention. His senior campaign, unfortunately, has been a letdown by comparison. He's down to 39.1 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from 3, averaging 14.5 points and losing minutes in Grand Canyon's rotation.
Still, at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, Grant-Foster is a nuclear athlete who can detonate on lobs and fly around on defense. He's going to generate stops and create turnovers (1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks), doing enough of the small things to impact winning and earn NBA looks, potentially as a two-way contract recipient or an Exhibit 10 option. If Grand Canyon goes on a run and Grant-Foster channels some of yesteryear's magic, however, it wouldn't be out of the question for teams to start considering him in the second round.
2. Max Shulga, VCU
VCU is a popular upset pick for a reason. I have the Rams in the Sweet 16. This program has a history of deep runs in March and few coaches rise to the occasion more than Ryan Odom, who led UMBC past Virginia in the first ever 16-1 upset a few years ago. The Rams will battle a talented BYU team with a shaky defense. The Rams, meanwhile, rank among the best defensive units in college basketball.
The head of the snake is Max Shulga, the Ukrainian senior who averaged 15.4 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals on .436/.386/.787 splits this season. A 6-foot-4, 197-pound guard who can mix his cadences and carve out below-the-rim finishes with his strength, Shulga has a lot of positive NBA traits. He gets to the foul line, he doesn't turn the ball over (1.6 TOs), and get holds up well on defense despite middling lateral agility.
He will get the chance to go head-to-head with a projected lottery pick in Egor Demin. They won't guard each other, but Shulga and Demin will take turns setting up their respective offenses. I am imagining that Shulga will win this head-to-head rather comfortably, as he's far more efficient and creative with his scoring. VCU's guard has experience on his side and a nice collection of shooters in his orbit. If the Rams can slow down BYU at all and extend their tournament run, Shulga has a chance to rocket up draft boards in a big way.
1. Dailyn Swain, Xavier
Xavier is officially in the big dance after ousting Texas in a hard-fought First Four win. Their reward is a tough first-round matchup with Illinois, but the Musketeers are more than capable of going on a run here. Among active head coaches, only a select few are more accomplished in March than Sean Miller. Xavier has a veteran backcourt, a dominant frontcourt force in Zach Freemantle, and a rangy two-way wing in Dailyn Swain.
It's Swain who has been quietly gaining steam in draft circles of late. At 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, the skinny sophomore is a definite NBA athlete. He slices to the rim on drives with impressive fluidity. He has real ball-handling chops and processes the floor well at full speed, averaging 2.6 assists to 1.7 turnovers. Factor in his disruptive defense (1.5 steals), and Swain's profile is rock solid.
All that's holding him back is a wonky 3-point shot, which is falling at a modest 18.2 percent clip this season. It's tough sledding for non-shooting wings in the NBA. Swain is a tremendous athlete, but he's not an Amen Thompson, Zion Williamson outlier. He's going to get downhill, score smoothly around the rim, and provide some connective tissue, but how dependably can he stay on the floor against NBA defenses? Especially for teams without much shooting in the frontcourt? Those are valid questions.
Still, expect Swain to generate draft buzz if Xavier can can sustain the momentum from Wednesday's victory over Texas. The Musketeers are battle-tested on this stage, and Swain offers a combination of size, rim pressure, and defensive playmaking a lot of NBA front offices will talk themselves into.