Phoenix Suns: 5 players to watch in 2018 NCAA Tournament
With the 2018 NCAA Tournament nearly underway, here are five draft prospects the Phoenix Suns should keep their eye on throughout March Madness.
Every year in early March, the focus for nearly half of NBA fans shifts from the playoff picture to the NCAA Tournament. By this point in the basketball calendar, fans of the bottom-feeders, tankers and other lottery teams know their squad won’t be making the postseason, and as March Madness takes centerstage, it’s only natural to start looking ahead to the draft in June.
For the eighth year in a row, the Phoenix Suns fit that category. With the second-worst record in the league, the Suns will have yet another shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft (though if you asked the fanbase, they’d be sure to tell you that pick is almost certain to fall lower than wherever Phoenix is projected to make its selection).
The concern is justified. The Suns have never picked first overall in 50 years as a franchise, and heading into Wednesday’s batch of NBA games, they’re only 3.5 games away from falling to the seventh-best odds at the No. 1 pick.
Still, with a banged up roster and one of the league’s toughest remaining schedules, it’s safe to assume — barring NBA Draft Lottery disaster — the Phoenix Suns will be choosing somewhere in the top five. The question is, as the 2018 NCAA Tournament tips off Thursday, which draft prospects should general manager Ryan McDonough have his eye on?
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To clarify, how a player performs in March Madness is not the end-all, be-all for draft prospects. For every Kemba Walker, there’s a Kyle Singler. It’s also worth noting that many elite NBA players have seen their teams flame out in one or two games in the NCAA tourney, and that draft projections are still going to fluctuate once the college season is done thanks to the NBA Draft Combine and pre-draft workouts.
However, since many of this year’s elite draft prospects made the tournament, and since March Madness is infectious, it’s worth taking a look at five players the Suns should have their eye on for their first pick in the draft. And since Phoenix could have more first-rounders heading its way from the Miami Heat (top-seven protected) and the Milwaukee Bucks (if the pick lands No. 11-16), we’ll throw in a few extra honorable mentions too.
Honorable Mentions: Collin Sexton (Alabama), Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke), Mikal Bridges (Villanova), Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky), Kevin Knox (Kentucky),Lonnie Walker IV (Miami), Aaron Holiday (UCLA)