NBA Draft risers and fallers from March Madness

OK, we all knew that Morant was going to be a high draft pick this summer. Yet his triple-double effort against Marquette (17 pts, 16 assists, 11 rebounds) mixed with his 28 points in a loss to Florida State likely cemented him as the No. 2 overall pick. No matter who gets the pick, that team could probably use a guard who can relentlessly attack the basket to create plays for his teammates or who is looking to score. He won't pass Zion Williamson as the top overall pick, but he should be a lock to go next. 

Reddish went to Duke as one of the top high school prospects and will leave Duke as...well... who really knows? It is easy to get forgotten on a squad where Zion Williamson sucks up most of the attention and R.J. Barrett makes sure he gets a lot of the shots up. It was easy for Reddish to get lost in the offense even though the Blue Devils needed him to shine. After two decent games in the tournament, he missed the Virginia Tech game with an injury and didn't play well against Michigan State. He is still a lottery pick, but there are concerns about his assertiveness on the floor. 

Little entered North Carolina as a lock to be a top five pick. He struggled to find his way during much of the season, which caused his draft stock to drop dramatically. While he showed flashes of his potential a few times during the regular season, it was his effort during the first weekend of the tournament that has him back as a likely lottery pick. He averaged 19.5 points in those two games, and scouts saw a guy who has all the athletic tools and tenacity to have a successful NBA career. His four-point outing against Auburn can be written off by a case of the flu.

Happ had a fantastic career in Madison, but it didn't end well. His Badgers were upset by Oregon in the first round and Happ scored just 12 points and turned the ball over five times. He also had a poor defensive showing (the Ducks were using him on screens to create mismatches) and just looked slow. That could be what scares scouts off of using a draft pick on him.

Just as one won't confuse Purdue guard Carsen Edwards for a lottery pick, nobody can blame the undersized junior for entering the NBA Draft following his scintillating tournament journey that nearly included a win over Virginia and berth in the Final Four. Over four games, the 21-year-old accumulated 139 points (34.75 PPG), he scored 42 vs. both Villanova and Virginia and he left no doubt he can bury shots from NBA range. He hit 10 of 19 three-pointers in the loss to the Cavaliers, and his 28 threes over the first four contests of the tournament topped the previous record of 27, per Gabrielle McMillen of the Sporting News. His game may not transition to the pros, but his stock will never be higher.

No. 14 Yale was a sexy pick to be this tournament's Cinderella, in part because of Ivy League Player of the Year Miye Oni. In short, the 21-year-old couldn't have chosen a worse time to produce a clunker. The 6-foot-6 guard scored only five points and shot 2-of-16 from the field and 1-of-10 from distance in the first-round loss to LSU, ending what could have been a dream March not long after an estimated 20 pro scouts flocked to the Ivy League Tournament to watch him play, according to Jared Kotler of Mid-Major Madness. As David Borges of the New Haven Register wrote, multiple outlets project Oni a late second-round selection, at best. Oh, what could have been had he caught fire vs. LSU.

Washington had a good season in Lexington, and many people felt his leg injury during the tournament would derail Kentucky's bid to get back to the Final Four. He looked a bit sluggish at times in his return against Houston but still tallied 16 points and hit six of his eight shots. He was huge in the regional final loss to Auburn (28 points, 13 rebounds) and featured his all-around game. 

The Jayhawks had a subpar season, but Lawson was easily their best player. You may find it hard to believe that a guy who had two tournament games scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds is falling, but it is because of what happened on the other side of the court. Auburn exposed him defensively as he struggled to stay in front of quick players and also in pick-and-rolls. He can be a fantastic scorer, but his lack of defense could cause him to drop on some draft boards. 

Harper wasn't really on anyone's radar as a draft pick, but his outstanding run in the NCAA Tournament changes things. The 5-foot-11 guard was incredible on his dribble drives and kept the Tigers' uptempo offense effective. He scored 26 against Kentucky in the regional final just days after dishing off 11 assists against North Carolina.  He could have a nice career as a change-of-pace backup point guard.

There are times you watch Fernando play, and you just love his freakish athleticism and power. Yet there are times he just fails to do the little things that NBA teams need players to nail down if they want to stay on the court. Though the Terps beat Belmont, the Bruins did some damage isolating Fernando and forced him to guard in space. As the pros have turned into a league where big men are consistently asked to guard on the perimeter, Fernando's struggles in the tournament could cause teams to look elsewhere.  

Windler scored only five points in Belmont's win over Temple in the First Four. The Bruins would lose to Maryland, but Windler was exceptional, scoring 35 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the effort. He has a high basketball IQ and isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint. During the season he had his worst games against the better teams on the schedule, but this 35-point game really opened some eyes and he could be drafted early in the second round. 

Herro had a big game against Houston, scoring 19 points and hitting the big three at the end of the game. That was the highlight in an uneven tournament that ended his uneven season. His reputation is of a long-range shooter, but he shot just 35.5 percent from three for the season and just 3-of-16 during the tournament. He also struggled against quicker guards. If teams don't believe in him as a consistent shooter, then he will certainly fall in the draft. 

Clarke didn't get as much publicity as his teammates, but he showed just how good he is during the Zags' run to the regional final. His 36 points, eight rebounds and five blocks against Baylor was special. He showed his effectiveness on the defensive end even though he still lacks some defensive discipline. If a coach can correct that part of his game, he could be an ideal pick for the right team. 

This may sound harsh, but Okeke's injury certainly impacts his draft value. If he chooses to leave Auburn for the draft, the team that picks him will have to wait quite some for Okeke to heal from a torn ACL. Realistically, it may take an entire season for him to get back on the court, which leaves his future up in the air. If he stays in school, it is very well a two-year decision, as he will likely have to redshirt his junior year then play the following year to show his wares. That could force him to bolt now and ask a team to take a chance as it waits for him to get healthy. Surely that hurts his draft stock, as he was Auburn's best pro prospect. 

Virginia sophomore De’Andre Hunter entered March a shutdown defender headed toward lottery status. As both The Athletic's Sam Vecenie and Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports  pointed out, the 21-year-old saved his best for last, torching Texas Tech to the tune of 27 points and nine rebounds and also draining the biggest shot, to date, of his life, a three-pointer with under 15 seconds remaining in regulation that ultimately sent the contest to overtime. Hunter, who locked down future lottery selection Jarrett Culver throughout the evening, buried another attempt from beyond the arc in the extra period that gave the Cavaliers the lead for good. He silenced worries about his offensive arsenal and repertoire, if only for one night.

Reid is the kind of player whom fans see as making those jaw-dropping explosive plays, while scouts see all the mistakes he makes. He averaged 12.3 points in the tournament but shot an ugly 15-of-37 from the field for a big man. (He missed 10 of his 11 threes.) He was pushed around by Michigan State's frontcourt and had eight turnovers to go with his four assists. 

Despite not being a starter, Kabengele was the Seminoles' leading scorer this season. In the 'Noles first weekend of games, against Vermont and Murray State, he averaged 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while holding his own defensively on Ja Morant. He didn't play well against Gonzaga, as he got in foul trouble. Still, he showed many skills that NBA teams covet — shot blocker, defender, shooting and quickness — and he could sneak into the first round if he decides to leave school. 

One forgettable NCAA Tournament outing doesn't sink a career, especially for an 18-year-old such as Iowa State guard Talen Horton-Tucker, who possesses a 7-foot-1 wingspan, as ESPN's Jonathan Givony wrote. Besides, No. 6 seeds often fall to No. 11 opponents. Ohio State made the freshman a footnote in the opening round matchup, as Horton-Tucker was held to two points in 15 minutes. After going 5-of-9 from behind the arc in a win over Baylor in mid-March, he failed to convert on nine three-point attempts over his final three collegiate games. Horton-Tucker should still be a first-round pick for a franchise in need of a backup guard, but concerns about his shooting and conditioning remain following the one-and-done tournament appearance.

King had a great NCAA Tournament, scoring 17 points against Wisconsin and 16 apiece against UC-Irvine and Virginia...following a fine showing in the Pac-12 Tournament. He has nice size and a good shot. (He was 11-of-18 from three in the NCAA tournament.) It will be interesting to see how the draft process goes for him. The Ducks lose a lot of talent to the NBA in this draft...but it was talent that wasn't there during their postseason run. King may stay in school to try to make a Final Four run with the Ducks, or he may strike while the iron is hot.  

Thybulle is an outstanding defensive player and will likely have to attract NBA teams as a defensive stopper. If he could hit some threes, his stock would rise tremendously. In the NCAA Tournament he scored just 12 points in two games (and just two against North Carolina) and was 5-of-17 from the field and 2-of-9 from three. He will likely become a project of sorts at the next level. 

Michigan State guard Cassius Winston faces a life-changing decision following March Madness. Unlike many players spotlighted here, Winston won't be a first-round pick in 2019, and the 21-year-old could rise up mock drafts and also win a title, as Brian Manzullo of the Detroit Free Press explained, if he returns to the Spartans for one more season. Winston's stock is high coming off multiple noteworthy March Madness performances — John Niyo of The Detroit News called that stock "undervalued" in early April — and it's possible knowing his name will be called before this year's draft concludes could entice him to go pro rather than risk his health and future playing for MSU.

Duke star R.J. Barrett started the NCAA Tournament as a polarizing prospect, and he did little to convert doubters into believers ahead of the school's postseason elimination at the hands of Michigan State. Yes, Barrett scored 21 points against the Spartans, but his questionable decision making and lack of efficiency reared their ugly heads when the Blue Devils needed each of their stars to play his best basketball. While he made three of six three-point attempts vs. MSU, he shot 0-of-7 from distance in the nervy Sweet 16 win over Virginia Tech. CBS Sports' Reid Forgrave  forecasted the 18-year-old, who often sports figurative blinders on the court, "at worst, a volume scorer in the Shabazz Muhammad mold" in a mock draft published on March 21. Those who believed such assessments then likely feel vindicated following March Madness.