After a brief hiatus, welcome back to another edition of the Beej Knows Best. I know you guys missed me as much as I missed you. After a thrilling, unpredictable and maddening beginning to March Madness, we have reached the epic finale, the Final Four. Although we as fans have had so much fun cheering for underdogs and against Duke, this tournament can significantly impact a player’s draft stock. From Stephen Curry’s magical performance at Davidson to Austin Rivers laying belly-up for Duke, the NCAA tournament has, as the old saying goes, “giveth and taketh away.” Having momentum heading into team interviews, workouts and the draft process is essential, and here are a few players who have helped themselves, along with a few that have hurt their stock.
RISERS:
Julius Randle (Kentucky)
Although technically he probably won’t be rising as many slots as some other players, Julius Randle has probably made the biggest impact to the NBA draft by forcing teams to throw him into discussion for the top overall pick. He has propelled Kentucky to the Final Four by being an absolutely unstoppable beast in the paint. He has averaged 15.8 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and about a steal and a block per game. His ability as a leader of a freshman-dominated team has been vital and a major reason of their success thus far. He is their anchor, and the NBA has certainly noticed. His skills in the post, as well as his overall strength, will definitely translate to the NBA. I see him becoming similar to Zach Randolph, but instead of being numbers-obsessed, Randle will be a team player from day one. Randle had always been considered to be a Top Eight pick. Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if he followed up this performance with great workouts and made a push for a Top Three spot, maybe even No. 1 as well.
Shabazz Napier (UConn)
What a comparison. What UConn point guard in recent memory took on the role of captain and led his team to a storybook Final Four appearance and eventual championship victory? Who raised his draft stock and proved to scouts that he was not only talented and seasoned as a basketball player but also as a leader both on and off the court? Kemba Walker. And Shabazz Napier is essentially Kemba 2.0. Between clutch shots, expert decision-making and a shooting range that spans a country mile, Shabazz Napier has been a revelation for the Huskies. He has clearly had help from his teammates, but Napier has orchestrated this offense and has been a true leader. Coming into this tournament, I would have said that he would have fallen anywhere between the end of the first to early second round. Now, I peg him going as high as 15 and no lower than 25.
FALLERS:
Aaron Craft (Ohio State)
I was really pulling for him. With the odds stacked heavily against his favor, Aaron Craft kept improving his craft year after year at Ohio State. He might go down as one of the best defensive guards in college basketball, one of the best leaders in college sports and one of the most clutch performers in Ohio State basketball history. Time after time, Aaron Craft gave everything he had, including a circus shot with five seconds left to put Ohio State up against Dayton. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Craft needed to make a run this tournament, to prove to his detractors that he didn’t need to be a scorer to be an effective point guard at the next level. But losing in the first round will be enough to potentially put a nail in his coffin. Could I see Craft carving out a long career as a backup point guard, followed by stints as a broadcaster or even a head coach? Absolutely. I could even see him pursuing medical school with his 3.9 GPA. He certainly has options. However, I always believed in Aaron Craft, and unfortunately, there is a high probability that he will not be able to showcase his skills at the next level due to a dud performance at March Madness.
Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)
Perspective is so important during this time of analyzing draft prospects. Putting Andrew Wiggins in a fallers list is almost an oxymoron; he most certainly will be a top-three draft pick. However, coming into the season, Wiggins was enshrined as the next basketball messiah. He had potential pouring out of his ears, superstardom emblazoned on his chest and a shrine at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, waiting to be filled with the accolades he most certainly would accumulate throughout a prosperous NBA career. And this tournament has no bearing on what I think of him as a player because I do believe that he will have a great career. What I saw was a young player who seemed to get lost in the game, fail to take control and disappear for long stretches at a time. I’m not asking him to shoot the ball 30 times, but what I am asking is for the best player on the court to act like it. Having a draft class so stacked at the top, his performance might have instilled a shred of doubt among NBA GMs. And that might be enough to push Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker (who also played poorly), Dante Exum or even Julius Randle to the top.
– By Jayson Patel
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