Okafor, Winslow, and Sabonis battled it out for a trip to the Final Four.
Of the prospects highlighted entering the first day of Sweet 16 action, three made it to Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup between Gonzaga and Duke. While the final scoreline of 66-52 suggests otherwise, the game was incredibly close up until the final minutes, when Duke went on a 13-1 run to pull away.
Jahlil Okafor – Duke
The star big man struggled to get going, and finished with only 9 points and eight rebounds on 4-10 shooting. Known for his offensive ability around the basket, Okafor kept in check by 7’1, 288 pound Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski. Being unable to score in the post, Okafor settled for outside jump shots at times. On Saturday, Okafor will get a re-match against Michigan State, a team put up 18 points on 8-10 shooting against in an 81-71 win last November.
Justise Winslow – Duke
No Duke player has helped their stock more this tournament than Winslow, who scored 16 points and five rebounds Sunday. Winslow was tenacious all game, and helped spark Duke’s late 13-1 run by attacking the hoop, and drawing a key fourth foul on Gonzaga’s Karnowski. Ranked just outside the top 10 in Zach Reynold’s latest mock draft, Winslow will likely find himself closer to the top five come the end of the tournament.
Domantas Sabonis – Gonzaga
The freshman forward finished with 9 points and four rebounds, but was limited to just 18 minutes after getting into foul trouble early. Sabonis had a strong tournament, averaging 11.5 points a game. He will likely be back at Gonzaga next season, but with a strong sophomore season, Sabonis could vault up draft boards for the 2016 draft.
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