Phoenix Suns: 5 players to watch in 2018 NCAA Tournament

5. Trae Young, Oklahoma

Trae Young has cooled off considerably from his scorched-earth start to the season that vaulted him to the top of this year’s point guard class, but any player averaging 27.4 points, 8.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 36.2 percent from deep on 10.3 attempts per game is worth an extended look.

Through the first 19 games of the season, some wondered if Young was going to put himself in consideration for the first overall pick, as he was posting a blistering 30.3 points, 9.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game on .467/.394/.812 shooting splits.

The 19-year-old freshman had led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 15-4 record, including wins over ranked opponents like No. 25 USC, No. 3 Wichita State, No. 10 TCU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 16 TCU and No. 5 Kansas.

From there, the responsibility of carrying Oklahoma’s offense against double- and triple-teams started to get to Young. His eye-popping numbers and shooting percentages tapered off, while his problem with turnovers (which was an issue all season long, committing 5.2 per game) came to the forefront.

Over the last 12 games of the season, Young averaged just 22.8 points, 7.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on ugly .376/.292/.919 shooting splits, with the Sooners going 3-9 over that stretch.

More than likely, Trae Young’s time in the tournament will be limited to one or two games. The Sooners face a superior Rhode Island team in the 7-10 matchup of the Midwest region, and even if Young saves his best for the tourney to carry OU to the Round of 32, he’ll be rewarded with a likely matchup against the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils.

Still, the prospect of a Trae Young showdown against fellow draft prospects Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Grayson Allen and Trevon Duval makes him a player worth watching, especially for a Suns team with so much uncertainty at the point guard position. The red-hot sharpshooter who drew Stephen Curry comparisons didn’t just disappear overnight.

However, the Suns would have to fall into that 4-6 range in the draft to consider taking Young over the draft’s more elite prospects, and that — combined with Oklahoma’s short life expectancy in the tournament — drops him to No. 5 on the list.