5 players Spurs fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament

1. Kentucky's Rob Dillingham is exactly what doctor ordered for Spurs

If the Spurs pick from the college ranks, it should probably be Rob Dillingham. The Kentucky sixth man has been limited only by John Calipari's inexplicable rotation. When he's on the floor, Dilly regularly delivers star-level moments that few in this class have been able to match. He has been particularly red-hot in SEC play, so there's a lot of positive momentum going into March Madness.

Dillingham is probably the best passer on the board. His creativity working out of pick-and-rolls is a sight to behold. In a draft defined by a perceived lack of upside, the jittery self-creator who can deliver advanced passes, bury pull-up jumpers, and stretch defenses with his 3-point range is hard to pass up. The Spurs need a legitimate backcourt engine to supplement Wembanyama. Dillingham will create advantages, force breakdowns in coverage, and feed Wemby easy looks at the rim.

There are natural concerns tied to Dillingham's skinny 6-foot-2 frame. He's a below-the-rim finisher who, despite his best efforts, is regularly targeted on defense. That will only happen more frequently in the NBA. It's becoming less and less common for NBA teams to take the plunge on small guards, especially near the top of the draft. Unless there are true outlier attributes, such as Trae Young's passing or Darius Garland's pick-and-roll expertise, it's an extremely risky proposition.

Watching DIllingham play, however, those outlier attributes appear to be in the place. He's a completely nutty pull-up shooter, capable of uncorking half-turned jumpers that don't look right until the ball is falling effortlessly through the net. Dillingham creates a ton of space with his handles and he understands how to manipulate the defense before rifling zippy passes to the open teammate. The shot-making displays are getting increasingly absurd, and the passing should appeal particularly to San Antonio. This is one of the best team-prospect fits out there.