10 NBA Draft prospects on breakout watch in 2024 March Madness

3. Kansas' Johnny Furphy is the 3-and-D wing NBA teams covet

Kansas plugged Johnny Furphy into the starting lineup midway through the season and he has been soaring up draft boards ever since. With so little settled at the top of the 2024 draft, it's not hard to understand why teams might buy into the athletic 6-foot-9 wing who can splash threes and impact winning with his live-wire intensity.

Furphy still has a long way to go in terms of skill development. He is extremely limited on the ball, with little to show in terms of playmaking or self-creation. But, he's shooting 37.6 percent on a healthy volume of threes, with the straight-line driving ability and attentive off-ball movement necessary to plug right into any offense. Furphy should be able to get by right away at the next level, even as the rest of his skill set gestates.

It's not clear how much of Furphy's defense will translate to the NBA. He doesn't handle twitchy ball-handlers in space very well, and his thin frame is going to land him in hot water in certain professional matchups. Even so, Furphy competes hard, his awareness is sharp, and the rebounding for his position is above average. Factor that in with a high-feel approach on offense, highlighted by his preternatural understanding of when to cut and where to move without the basketball, and Furphy should get plenty of NBA scouts excited if he can hit shots in March.