3 players who raised their NBA Draft stock on Day 1 of March Madness

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BUFFALO, NEW YORK – MARCH 17: Teddy Allen #0 of the New Mexico State Aggies celebrates with Sir’Jabari Rice #10 after defeating the Connecticut Huskies in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 17, 2022 in Buffalo, New York, 3 players who raised their NBA Draft stock on Day 1 of March Madness. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) /

3 players who raised their NBA Draft stock on Day 1 of March Madness: Teddy Allen, New Mexico St.

ESPN Rank: N/R

Teddy Allen had what was probably the most memorable performance of the day. He led New Mexico St. to a huge upset over the UCONN Huskies.

New Mexico St. was the 12 seed while UCONN was the five seed. And the craziest part of the contest? No one else on the Aggies scored in double digits on the night. Allen scored 37 by himself.

He had more than half the team’s points, getting things done from all over the court. In addition to his 37 points, Allen totaled three assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Allen shot a somewhat underwhelming 10-of-24 from the field but paired it with a 4-for-7 performance from behind the arc, and even managed to shoot 13-of-13 from the free-throw line.

The Aggie star is a 23-year-old fifth-year player who is at his third school in five years. He’s a 6’6” forward who is not currently ranked in ESPN’s top 100 players.

While his crazy scoring numbers were what most people will remember from the win over UCONN, it was Allen’s flair that stood out the most. He played with amazing passion and intensity, and it was the sort of energy that scouts should take notice of.

Similar to Doug Edert, Allen’s performance won’t be enough to shoot him up draft boards just yet, but with how well he played on Day 1, he’s definitely made sure to put himself on scouts’ radars.