March Madness Prospect Preview
Which prospects have the most to prove to scouts down the stretch?
With March Madness beginning this week, many prospects have lots to prove down the stretch to solidify their status for June. Chaos has already ensued amongst the world of NBA prospects, truly displaying the impact of NIL, especially with how loaded the bubble is this year. A name that comes to mind on that front is Bub Carrington and his looming decision. Pitt is firmly on the bubble and should hold their breath come tonight.
March can make or break whether a prospect decides to stay in school, and with the dynamics of this year’s class, a strong showing in front of scouts on the big stage could prove to be pivotal as to how high a player could land come June. As for the breakdown of the 2024 prospect pool, it’ll be interesting to see how scouts value “winners,” as the teams who make runs at a National Title should have increased eyeballs on their players, helping them surge their stock. A player like Andre Jackson of UConn comes to mind when mentioning a “winner”.
Without further adieu, here are the 3 prospects who I believe have the most to prove down the stretch as they try to chase a title.
Johnny Furphy
There’s no doubt in the eyes of NBA decision-makers that Kansas’ 6’8” Australian Wing Johnny Furphy contributes to winning, as shown through his marvelous stretch through the heart of Big 12 conference play. To close the season, Furphy has put in some poor performances albeit coincided with poor performances all-around from the Jayhawks. However, with a healthy Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar, Furphy should have all the help he needs to return to form as he regains the lay to the claim of “stock-riser”.
Weathering the storm of the first weekend of the tournament should do wonders for Bill Self and his Kansas team as they look to find form. Winning games should be all that Furphy thinks about, as with the nature of this draft, NBA decision-makers will want to see how Furphy performs when the lights are shining the brightest.
Cody Williams
With the status of Tad Boyle’s Buffaloes officially solidified for the big dance, NBA scouts will be monitoring how Cody Williams, brother of OKC Thunder Wing Jalen Williams, performs down the home stretch. Despite team success out in Las Vegas at the last-ever PAC-12 conference tourney, Williams has taken a backseat to upperclassmen amidst a bit of a slump.
Keeping track of how Williams can affect the game off the bench will be vital to how NBA decision-makers view Williams’ long-term impact at the next level. As inconsistent as Williams has been, I do believe it’s worth noting that development is never linear, and for those of you looking for encouraging signs, I do believe he is further along in that process than his brother was at this age, so there are some positives surrounding his future.
Stephon Castle
Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies are poised to be the NCAA first back-to-back champion since Billy Donovan’s Gators did it in 07’ and 08’. A potential X-factor in that run will be the impact of Freshman Guard Stephon Castle and how much he will be able to leave his DNA on the game. Despite an up-and-down freshman campaign, there’s no doubt that Castle is everything NBA decision-makers are seeking right now and even more so in a “down” draft.
Proving that he can knock down an open jumper would do a world of help for Castle’s stock heading into workout season. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if he can solidify his place within the rotation as impactful minutes defensively, alluding to a potential immediate role when he officially steps on an NBA court.
Wrap-Up
Selection Sunday is today, so keep your eyes peeled for the biggest risers over the next couple of weeks. Although I only wrote about 3 prospects today, there’s no doubt that the next month or so holds significant importance for other potential risers (Collin Murray-Boyles 👀). Another thing to keep in mind as the next couple of weeks unfold is that winning is king. If your team wins, there’s a high likelihood a potential prospect played his way up or onto draft boards.