A performance recap of three potential draft prospects from yesterday’s third round games.
The first weekend of the NCAA tournament is over. If your bracket is still in good shape, then you must be a sadist.
On Saturday, five potential NBA draft prospects were highlighted for their performance. Only three of them advanced, and yesterday, another saw his NCAA run end prematurely.
Justin Anderson – Virginia
On Friday, the UVA star came off the bench after recently recovering from an injured shooting hand, and an appendectomy. Sunday against Michigan State, Anderson started, but he struggled to find his shooting form, finishing with just eight points on 2-7 shooting as the Cavaliers were upset by the 10th seeded Spartans. Anderson was shooting 45.2 percent from the 3-point line entering the game, but went 0-4 from behind the arc. Regarded as a potential 1st round draft pick before the injuries, Anderson did not get the deep tournament run that could have re-ignited interest in him. Still, he proved to be one of the best corner 3-point shooters in the country this season, so should he declare he already has a niche to showcase for NBA teams come the combine.
Justice Winslow – Duke
Winslow recorded a double-double Sunday, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds, but also added five assists, four steals, and three blocks, as Duke cruised to a 68-49 win over San Diego State. While Jahlil Okafor led the Blue Devils in scoring with 26, Winslow put in an all-around performance that should boost his draft stock. As Zach Reynolds wrote in his NCAA tournament primer, Winslow could jump into the top 10 with a strong tournament, and playing like this will certainly help him in that regard.
Domantas Sabonis – Gonzaga
Considered more of a 2016 draft prospect, Sabonis put in a strong performance off the bench that will at least raise the eyebrows of NBA teams should he decide to leave after this season. Sabonis finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 6-10 from the field, while going 6-8 from the free throw line. Gonzaga rolled over Iowa easily 87-68, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA.
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