8 NBA Draft prospects rising and falling from the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

And then there were four.

After only few true surprises in the first weekend of March Madness, the second weekend provided us with plenty of unexpected outcomes. The Final Four is set, with No. 4 Alabama and No. 11 NC State sneaking in against the odds. It's a particularly impressive run for the Wolfpack, who ran the ACC Tournament gauntlet to earn their bid. Now, all of a sudden, Kevin Keatts' team can't lose.

Both underdogs will face daunting No. 1 seeds in UConn and Purdue, respectively. The Huskies are the most intimidating team in college basketball right now. Dan Hurley runs a tight ship and there is NBA talent up and down UConn's roster. Purdue, meanwhile, is riding the most dominant NCAA Tournament run in recent memory from Zach Edey.

We were treated to several standout performances over the weekend. The NBA Draft landscape continues to shift and evolve, with front offices no doubt monitoring which prospects have thrived on this stage — and which prospects ultimately fell short.

Here's who is rising and falling through the Elite Eight.

Falling: Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. gave scouts dual visions

Terrence Shannon Jr. was electric in Illinois' Sweet 16 win over Iowa State, scoring 29 points on 19 shots, including 4-of-10 from deep. He also contributed three steals. It was another mesmerizing display of athleticism and shot-making, with Shannon creating advantages as a slasher and providing a disruptive presence on defense.

He followed it up with eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in Illinois' 25-point loss to UConn. Shannon looked hapless against the Huskies' excellent defense, frequently running into a wall at the rim. Donovan Clingan owned the Fighting Illini all game. Shannon has been the driving force behind Illinois' run, but he went frigid at the worst time and it resulted in not only a loss, but a blowout.

NBA scouts will still express interest in Shannon's twitchiness and shot-making. In such a weak class, his regular outlier performances in the scoring department will carry weight. That said, Shannon's final game was a reminder of what can happen when the jumper doesn't fall and elite, NBA-level rim protection gets in his way.

Shannon will go to court in May over an alleged case of sexual battery, which you can read more about here, from SB Nation.

Rising: Alabama's Rylan Griffen checks a lot of NBA boxes

The Crimson Tide are in the Final Four for the first time in program history. Nate Oats has done a tremendous job with this group and there are several members of the Alabama roster who deserve credit. As far as the NBA Draft is concerned, however, none have impressed more than sophomore Rylan Griffen.

At 6-foot-6, the sophomore has a golden opportunity to cement his case against UConn on April 6. The Tide will be heavy underdogs in that matchup, and it's hard to picture the Huskies losing at this point. But, it's called March Madness for a reason, and Alabama has earned its chance to dance. Griffen has showcased every aspect of his well-rounded skill set to date.

He scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting in Bama's win over North Carolina. He followed it up with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the win over Clemson, which he paired with eight assists and zero turnovers. Griffen has good positional size and real playmaking chops, an appealing combination for NBA scouts. He's now shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range for the season, too.

Defense is a concern with Griffen, as is his slender 180-pound frame, but we are talking about a weak draft class. Teams could be convinced to invest in raw physical tools and the upside of a legitimate creator on the wing.

Rising: Baylor Scheierman was excellent in Creighton's Sweet 16 loss

Creighton met its end in the Sweet 16, dropping a hard-fought game against No. 2 Tennessee. It's a disappointing finish for a slew of NBA-bound seniors on the Bluejays roster, chief among them Baylor Scheierman. Despite the loss, however, Scheieman capped off an impressive March Madness with one final all-around display for NBA scouts.

He scored 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-10 from long range. He also contributed six rebounds and two assists, continuing a string of well-rounded performances on the March Madness stage. Scheierman lacks traditional NBA athleticism at 6-foot-6, but he might be too skilled for that to hold him back.

In addition to deep 3-point range, Scheierman possesses a ton of traits that should translate to impact role player status at the next level. He's a dynamic passer, capable of rifling accurate dimes on the move and reading the floor at 5G speed. Scheierman moves actively without the ball and doesn't need copious dribbles to manipulate the defense. He should plug into any scheme and find his way to 3s, rebounds, and nifty passes.

Skilled wings are all the rage in today's NBA. Scheierman needs to prove that he can hang on defense, but the offensive skill set is pretty much undeniable.

Falling: Oso Ighodaro showed his flaws in Marquette's Sweet 16 defeat

Oso Ighodaro's incredible run at Marquette ended with a whimper. He scored six points on 2-of-6 shooting in the Golden Eagles' Sweet 16 loss. He was also ripped apart by the strength and skill of NC State's D.J. Burns on the opposite end of the floor.

Ighodaro is a unique prospect by NBA standards, listed at 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds with nary a 3-point shot to speak of. He operates exclusively in the five spot, initiating halfcourt sets as a passer and scoring on slippery face-up drives. Friday's loss was not without its positive flourishes — Ighodaro still managed 10 rebounds and three assists, with only one turnover — but he largely wilted on both ends.

NBA teams will have serious concerns about Ighodaro's ability to translate his defensive playmaking at the next level. He's too small for a traditional rim protector and stronger bigs have been his kryptonite on occasion. As far as offense is concerned, how consistently can a 6-foot-9 non-shooter score against NBA length in the paint? Ighodaro has soft touch and excellent movement skills, but these are valid concerns — especially after an uneven March Madness run.

He's still firmly in the second round conversation, but Ighodaro botched an opportunity to meaningfully improve his NBA Draft stock.

Rising: Tennessee's Dalton Knecht is that dude

Tennessee put together a tremendous effort in Sunday's Elite Eight loss to Purdue, but ultimately the powers of Zach Edey were too great to overcome. It's a shame, as this Volunteers team was a real treat to watch. Dalton Knecht put together one heck of a final statement, scoring 37 points on 14-of-31 shooting (8-of-19 from deep). The fifth-year senior now enters the pre-draft cycle with a ton of positive momentum.

Knecht has been scorching nets all season, and especially since SEC play began. This was, in a way, his masterpiece. Although it came in a loss, Knecht went blow-for-blow with college basketball's best player on its biggest stage. He scored in every manner — movement 3s, pull-up jumpers, shifty drives — and he put the Volunteers in position for the upset. A few more moments swing Tennessee's direction, and we're talking about Knecht's chances at Tournament MVP in a week.

He's not new to draft boards, but March Madness has been an excellent proving ground for Knecht. He was consistently excellent against a few quality programs. He out-gunned Creighton in the Sweet 16, and he buried Texas the week before. The Boilermakers are on a run of destiny it feels like, but Knecht's defeat should not diminish how special his season was.

He could end up as the rare 23-year-old to come off the board in the top 10. That is how high Knecht's stock has risen. There are too many obvious NBA traits to ignore.

Falling: Duke's Kyle Filipowski couldn't deliver when it mattered most

It's tough and borderline unfair to demand outright March Madness excellence from a sophomore. Most true college stars have four years to earn their flowers on this stage; just ask the likes of Zach Edey, or Dalton Knecht. In the end, however, Kyle Filipowski always shouldered the burden of expectation for Duke. And, in the end, he fell short.

The Blue Devils lost 67-52 to No. 11 NC State in the Elite Eight, an ACC Tournament rematch that ended with the same result. The Wolfpack are "on one," as the kids would say, but Duke was the better team on paper. By a lot. This was a bad way to end what was shaping up to be a magical March Madness run for Jon Scheyer's squad. In the loss, Flip went radio silent — 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting, including 0-of-3 from deep, with nine rebounds.

On the whole, Flip didn't hurt his stock in March. In fact, he performed well against No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 and he regularly contributed in the ancillary departments, despite lulls as a scorer. Filipowski crashed the glass, forced disruptions on defense, and created offense with his unique dribble-pass ability at the five spot.

Still, Flip was one of the best players in college basketball this season and the lifeblood of a good Duke squad. He was supposed to shine on this stage and we never quite got that signature moment. He's still a potential top-10 pick, but this was an unfortunate way to bow out.

Rising: Zach Edey finally has Purdue on the precipice of greatness

It's fun to hate on Zach Edey and Purdue — there has been some wild stuff from the Tennessee fanbase after Edey's innocuous statement of self-belief after the game — but we cannot deny the excellence in front of our eyeballs. Edey is the best player in college basketball, a two-time Naismith Player of the Year who is finally getting his due in March.

Edey has essentially willed Purdue to this moment. He dropped 27 points and 14 rebounds on Gonzaga's hapless frontcourt in the Sweet 16. Then, faced with red-hot Dalton Knecht and the explosive Tennessee offense, Edey channeled a more superhuman mode. He scored 40 points on 21 shots, earned 22 free-throw attempts, and inhaled 16 rebounds.

Now, there will be those who contest the "earned" part of that statement. The manner in which Edey is officiated is a constant source of controversy and it's an interesting wrinkle in the NBA Draft conversation. Can Edey rely on a steady stream of free-throw attempts at the next level? Probably not.

At the end of the day, though, it's not difficult to comprehend why the 7-foot-4, 300-pound post savant is at the charity stripe so often. Even more impressive is his success rate (14-of-22). There aren't bigs like Edey in the NBA right now, but he's too good to ignore. He might break the mold.

Rising: Donovan Clingan has UConn looking unbeatable

It took Donovan Clingan time to establish himself as UConn's anchor, but he has been the Huskies' best player in March Madness by a wide margin. UConn is the most talented and balanced team in college basketball, but the star-level output of Clingan is recent weeks has made UConn virtually unbeatable. If he keeps it up, Alabama won't have much of a shot on Saturday.

Clingan plowed through Illinois in the Elite Eight, tallying 22 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals on 9-of-13 shooting. The 7-foot-2 sophomore spearheaded a remarkable 30-0 run from the Huskies, stonewalling every Fighting Illini drive on defense and manhandling the frontcourt on offense.

He's not blessed with elite footwork or touch on the block, but Clingan is a master of establishing position and using his 265-pound frame to finish with power. He sets textbook screens, makes himself available for lobs, and dominates with the simple plays. From second-chance points on the offensive glass to razor-sharp passing instincts, Clingan's impact his hard to erase. He didn't register a single turnover in the win over Illinois.

On defense, Clingan wasn't even credited for his full body of work. He blocked more than five shots by the count of ESPN's Jonathan Givony, but the scorekeeping was wonky. He shut down one of college basketball's most potent offenses. Illinois had no way around Clingan. His 7-foot-7 wingspan sealed off the paint and deterred several shots attempts, in addition to the shots he simply wiped clean.

We are at the point where Clingan is receiving legitimate top-five buzz.