Biggest Winners From the First 2 Weekends of March Madness
The storyline of the tournament has been the resurgence of the big man, but how has that affected draft stock come June?
Through the first two weekends of the tournament, evaluators have been blessed with a large amount of basketball at their disposal, scouring the nation for the next crop of talent ready to make the jump to the pros. Much of what one might expect has occurred so far, including the upsets, the magical runs, and, well, the utter dominance of Danny Hurley’s UConn Huskies.
With the first-round upset of the talent-laden Kentucky Wildcats boasting top prospects Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, scouts have had to turn their attention to the upperclassmen who have brought some excellent to the nation’s stage. As disappointing as the 2024 class has been to evaluate, it cannot be overstated enough how many day 1 contributors there are in this draft class. With the era of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) comes older teams playing into the hands of upperclassmen in the tournament leading to deep runs, giving decision-makers plenty of time to form an educated opinion on what to do with their team’s selection(s).
That being said, here are the biggest risers from the first two weekends of the tournament. Enjoy!
Donovan Clingan
With Dan Hurley’s Huskies in quest of back-to-back National Championships for the first time since Billy Donovan’s Gators in the mid-2000s, one man has been at the center of it all. Connecticut kid Donovan Clingan, who grew up less than 50 miles from campus in Storrs, has been brilliant in the Huskies’ run to Phoenix so far. Amid an agonizing Husky defense, Clingan sits ready to pounce to block opposing players’ shots.
Despite sitting out a good portion of the year due to an injured foot, the 7’2” has displayed the P&R ability that left scouts in awe during the Husky’s run to the championship in 2023. In addition to that, Clingan’s defensive versatility has begun to pop as of late, posting games with 8 and 5 blocks, respectively, throughout the NCAA Tournament so far. Look for Clingan to hopefully display that versatility with an offensively potent Nate Oats’ Alabama team with a red-hot Mark Sears.
Dalton Knecht
Rick Barnes and his Tennesse Volunteers had an immensely successful year, which can be largely attributed to his 6'6” Senior Guard, Dalton Knecht. In the Vols’ run to the Elite Eight, Knecht was on a heater, dropping 3 20+ point games, something that’s become a regular occurrence throughout the season in Knoxville. In a draft that lacks underclassmen talent, Knecht takes the cake as one of if not the best upperclassmen, posing himself for a lottery selection come June.
Sunday’s game featuring our next winners, Zach Edey and Knecht, was a back-and-forth battle as the two seniors fought hard for their teams in hopes of reaching Phoenix. Knecht's shot-making ability was very much on display as Barnes and his coaching staff ran the Northern Colorado transfer off of a multitude of screens, flares, and different actions highlighting his ability to make plays.
Zach Edey
The Purdue Boilermakers are into the Final Four, and a large part of that is due to the man pictured above. The reigning Naismith Player of the Year, Zach Edey, has been on a tear all year, and decision-makers are increasingly valuing the Canadian big man. As mentioned similarly to Dalton Knecht, Edey’s dominance is being valued more in this draft due to the lack of depth of the class. Not bad for a guy who, a year or two ago, many did not see a real NBA role in his future.
Edey’s significantly improved his shot-blocking ability while also becoming more mobile (maybe not to the extent scouts want, but still improved from before). Matt Painter has unlocked a player who’s dominated, so look for Edey to continue to dominate in an interesting big-man battle against DJ Burns.