10 NBA Draft prospects who can rise or fall in ACC Tournament
We have arrived at the greatest month in basketball. It's March Madness, and it all starts with conference tournaments. Over in the ACC, several potential contenders are vying for the conference crown and favorable seeding in the big dance.
Eyeballs tend to gravitate toward Duke and North Carolina, but Virginia is a staple in the NCAA Tournament at this point. Clemson is also a lock from the looks of it, while ESPN's projections place Wake Forest and Pittsburgh squarely on the bubble. Syracuse and Virginia Tech are in the mix, too. There is a lot at stake in the week to come.
Obviously, there's an auto bid for the winner, so all it takes is a timely hot streak to land another team in the mix. The stakes aren't entirely rooted in college either. The next month could have a pronounced impact on the NBA Draft landscape. The 2024 draft class is relatively weak at the top, but depth is not an issue. The ACC in particular is ripe with future NBA players.
Several have a chance to alter their fortunes in the ACC Tournament. Here are the 10 that most deserve your attention.
10. Florida State's Baba Miller needs to wake up
We have been waiting for the Baba Miller breakout for two years now. He missed half of last season due to a suspension and never really recovered. After a strong offseason in overseas competition, however, there was renewed confidence in the Spaniard entering his sophomore campaign. That confidence has not been rewarded.
The physical tools and the rough outline of a dream modern wing will keep NBA scouts invested. Miller is 6-foot-11 with the mobility to guard multiple positions. He finishes well around the basket, handles the rock fluidly in transition, and delivers the occasional high-level dime. But, unfortunately, 7.8 points in 24.8 minutes per game won't cut it.
Miller too often fades into the background. He doesn't shoot 3s particularly well (29.9 percent) and his garbage free throw rate (52.9 percent) fuels the fire of that particular concern. Miller needs to operate assertively and really make his case to NBA scouts. If not now, then he might end up pushing his NBA Draft entrance back another year.
9. North Carolina's Harrison Ingram checks a lot of boxes
The junior transfer from Stanford has completely reshaped his game at North Carolina. Once prized for his ball-handling reps with the Cardinal, Ingram has transitioned to a more complementary role in Chapel Hill. He's attacking seams in the defense, spraying 3s at a career-high clip (38.0 percent on 4.6 attempts), and supplying invaluable connective tissue to the UNC offense.
Ingram checks too many boxes not to be on NBA radars at this point, and a deep March Madness run from the Tar Heels could cement his standing on draft boards. Ingram will need to prove that his shooting development is real, but 6-foot-8 wings who can shoot, pass, and handle in ball screen situations are generally very valuable.
He's even contributing on defense, averaging 1.5 steals. Ingram is the best NBA prospect on a team destined to make some noise over the next few weeks, so expect his stock to receive a boost if all goes to plan.