Who’s The Third-Best NBA Prospect This Season?

Mar 19, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Providence Friars guard Kris Dunn speaks during a press conference before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Providence Friars guard Kris Dunn speaks during a press conference before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
1 of 6
2015 NBA Draft's No. 1 pick, Karl-Anthony Towns
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being picked first in the 2015 NBA draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The 2015-16 college basketball season has the potential to be one of the best in recent memory. Like I’ve stated before, there’s no clear-cut choice of a team that will cut down the nets in April.

Of course, Kentucky’s loaded and so is defending champion Duke, but the field seems much more open then last season. Plus, the array of potential NBA talent may be even better than last year’s crop of college studs.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: 50 Greatest NBA Players of the 1990s

DraftExpress, one of the world’s most trusted talent hoops elevator sites, has a 2016 NBA Mock Draft (last updated on Sept. 2), and seven of their top 10 selections are incoming freshmen. Like most experts and analysts, Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere and LSU’s Ben Simmons are No. 1 and 2 (or Simmons at the top, pending on which board you look at).

Personally, I would agree that Labissiere and Simmons are the two best NBA prospects entering this season, but it led me to an interesting thought. If Labissiere and Simmons do go 1-2 in next year’s draft, who is going No. 3?

Here are some viable candidates for the “Anthony Davis role” (if you will) of college basketball this season.

Next: Jaylen Brown, California