10 NBA Draft prospects on breakout watch in 2024 March Madness

6. North Carolina's Elliot Cadeau can still go one-and-done

Before the season, there was plenty of speculation about North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau as a potential one-and-done prospect. That all dissipated fairly quickly, as there's a limited NBA appetite for 6-foot guards who don't shoot well. Cadeau is still struggling from 3-point range overall (18.2 percent), but there are a ton of intangible traits that keep him stubbornly on the NBA Draft radar.

Cadeau has really come into his own as UNC's point guard, aggressively pushing the tempo in transition, expertly navigating pick-and-rolls in the halfcourt, and showcasing the type of outlier passing vision (4.2 assists to 1.8 turnovers) that could offset height and skill concerns elsewhere. Feel is the most underrated trait in a prospect, and Cadeau has it in spades. He's a true point guard; the game comes naturally to him.

The effort level never wavers with Cadeau. He gets after it at the point of attack on defense. He can blow up passing lanes, sneak around back for steals, and kickstart transition offense with his unique speed. That said, in the end, he has a lot of work left to prove to NBA teams that he can overcome a 6-foot-2 wingspan. He's an easy target for smart offenses and, frankly, it's fair to wonder how the dribble penetration will translate against longer, more athletic NBA defenses who don't guard him behind the 3-point line.

So, yeah, it's far from a done deal. Odds are Cadeau needs another year or two in college to really make his case for the next level. But, that could change if UNC goes deep in March and Cadeau continues to flourish.