NCAA Tournament: Top 5 NBA Prospects In March Madness

Ben DiGiacomo

March Madness will be loaded with NBA talent on display. As we approach the 2023 NBA Draft, which many consider the best in years, here are our top five NBA prospects to which you should pay extra attention over the next three weeks.

5. Gradey Dick, Kansas Jayhawks

The Jayhawk sharpshooter might have the best range in the entire draft, shooting 40% from deep this season. Dick is strong defensively, but the other facets of his offensive game must develop in the pros. At 6’8” with incredible shooting ability, everything else is almost an afterthought.

4. Keyonte George, Baylor Bears

Keyone George might be the best pure scorer in the draft. He has “it.” His self-shot creation and shot versatility will move with him to the NBA, flashing shades of a young Bradley Beal with how he controls his body.

3. Nick Smith, Arkansas Razorbacks

Smith has all the tools to be a high-level NBA combo guard with excellent shot-creating and shot-making abilities while showing flashes of high-level playmaking when the ball is in his hands. His frame is slight (185 pounds), but he could develop into an elite offensive player at the next level.

2. Jarace Walker, Houston Cougars

A talented and very athletic forward, Walker has an NBA-ready body at 6’8” with incredible strength. Defensively, he’s as good as it gets with a college prospect, and while his offensive game is still evolving, the intangibles are there, and we’ve seen improvements and flashes throughout the season.

1. Brandon Miller, Alabama Crimson Tide

Where Miller gets selected remains to be seen due to the off-court allegations, but the freshman is a sensation on the floor. He’d be the No. 1 overall choice in many drafts, but with Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, he’ll settle for the best college prospect.

Offensively, at 6’9”, his range is incredible, with a fluid stroke beyond the arc and improving feel around the rim. Watching him hoop has been fantastic, and his 41-point effort at South Carolina in late February may be the best single performance I’ve seen on the college level in recent history.

He can be a special NBA player, which was not on display on Thursday. As Nate Oats said following Alabama’s first-round win in which Miller was limited to 19 minutes and held scoreless due to a groin injury, hopefully, Miller will “look a lot more like himself on Saturday.”