Draft stock up, down after first day of March Madness

Shannon's another older draft prospect, and like Knecht, he needed to dominate. He did it on both ends Thursday.

Johnny Furphy, Kansas
The Australian freshman wing didn't have a huge game as the Jayhawks held off Samford, but he showed off some traits that should make him a first-rounder like his excellent finishing at the rim.

Furphy doesn't handle the ball much for a loaded Kansas team, so his statistics can depend on his teammates finding him. But he scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, got a block and a steal, and made two three-pointers. When he maximizes his hustle plays, you can see how Furphy could fit in the NBA, where he'll also have to make plays without the ball in his hands.

Stock Down
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
The freshman guard was an analytics darling during his first college season, putting up the ninth-best box-score plus-minus in 16 years, ahead of Lonzo Ball and just behind James Harden. A big part of that was his scoring, as Sheppard made 52.5 percent of his three-pointers and logged a true shooting percentage of over 70 percent. He also grabbed 2.5 steals a game and blocked 0.7 shots, impressive numbers for a 6-foot-2 guard without impressive athleticism.

But he struggled as his Wildcats got upset by Oakland University, 80-76. He made only one of his five shots and didn't get to the foul line. While his shooting may be elite, it's very difficult for a short guard to do well in the NBA without being very explosive or able to draw and score through contact. He's still probably a lottery pick, but he might not be the top-five pick some projected him to be.

Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Like his teammate Sheppard, Dillingham struggled against Oakland, shooting 2-for-9 but scoring ten points thanks to four free throws and two triples. Dillingham did show his talent for difficult shot-making when he sunk a truly difficult three-pointer to get Kentucky back in the game. It's not a total disaster if you have a clip like this for your mix tape.

This loss is arguably more on Kentucky's coach than their star freshmen. Oakland could limit Kentucky's stars by using a zone, which baffled John Calipari. While losing to Oakland certainly wasn't good for Dillingham's draft position, he looked better than teammates Sheppard and D.J. Wagner, who went scoreless.

Teams might also like Dillingham's intensity, which was displayed in a Kentucky Selection Sunday gathering video. While his teammates celebrated their No. 3 seed, Dillingham looked deadly serious.

Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
The Gamecocks power forward was getting a lot of draft buzz after a hot end to the season. But for a 6-foot-7, 230-pound man, he was invisible as Oregon upset No. 6 seed South Carolina. The Ducks held Murray-Boyles to six points, and he had more turnovers (three) than made baskets (two).

As a player who doesn't shoot threes, Murray-Boyles needed to show he can still be effective as an inside player. After this six-point effort following a four-point performance against Auburn in the SEC Tournament, Murray-Boyles might fall out of the first round or even go back to school next season.