Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant helped the Irish through to the Elite Eight.
The NCAA tournament resumed last night with the start of Sweet 16 action. There were close, competitive games, and then there was Kentucky vs. West Virginia.
Looking past the match-ups, how did a handful of potential NBA prospects do?
Jerian Grant – Notre Dame
Grant struggled to score, finishing with just 9 points on 3-8 shooting in 40 minutes of action. Instead, he was the facilitator, ending with 11 assists, and creating scoring chances for the other four Notre Dame starters who each scored in double figures. The Irish only led by three at halftime, but a strong second half extended their lead out close to 20 at various points. Grant is ranked 12th in Zach Reynold’s latest mock draft, and will get another shot at improving his stock this Saturday.
Justin Jackson – North Carolina
Jackson has turned things on of late, and put in another good performance in UNC’s 72-79 loss to top ranked Wisconsin, finishing with 15 points, on 6-11 shooting, going 3-3 from the 3-point line. Averaging 10.7 points per game as a freshman during the regular season, Jackson averaged 15 points a game during the tournament. While he could benefit from another season in college, his 6-8 frame has likely already caught the interest of NBA scouts.
Stanley Johnson – Arizona
The Arizona Wildcats held off Xavier in the Sweet 16, with Johnson finishing with a solid 12 points and six rebounds. Johnson, considered a potential top-5 pick, has been a key player this season, but has been up and down in the tournament thus far, scoring 22 points in the second round against Texas Southern, but just four in third round against Ohio State. He has rebounded the ball well however, and last night’s performance was more in line with his season averages.
Tyler Ulis – Kentucky
While playing 26 minutes off the bench, Ulis finished did not make a field goal, going 0-4, and scored just two points from free throws. He did four assists however. Ulis is one of the lesser known freshman on Kentucky, and will more than likely be back next season. Before last night’s game however, he was having a strong tournament, averaging 10 points (almost double his season average of 5.7) and four assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns – Kentucky
While Kentucky rolled over West Virginia 78-39, Towns was a non-factor thanks to foul trouble, playing just 13 minutes and finishing with just one point and two rebounds. Fortunately for Towns, his teammates dominated West Virginia so much that he wasn’t needed, but he cannot afford to get into foul trouble, as their future opponents should provide more of a challenge.
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