2017 March Madness Predictions – Top NBA Prospects Who Could Carry Their Teams: The NCAA Tournament is quickly approaching, and while it takes a special team to survive the madness and cut down the nets, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have an elite individual player to help carry the load. With that in mind, I’m taking a closer look at some of top NBA talents set to play in the NCAA Tournament, the type of players who have the ability to put their teams on their back backs and carry them to the Final Four and beyond.
2017 March Madness Predictions: Top NBA Prospects Who Could Carry Their Teams
Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA Bruins
Ball is the straw that stirs the drink for a UCLA offense that leads the country in points per game. For his part, Ball leads the country in assists per game, and he can control the pace of a game as a floor general or take over offensively when needed. When Ball is on his game, the Bruins can overwhelm opponents with their offensive firepower, and he could fuel a run to the Final Four and beyond.
Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky Wildcats
When Monk has his shot working, he is the most lethal scorer in college basketball. He can flat out take over a game on the offensive end, and he has shown throughout the year that he can put the Wildcats on his back and carry them to a win. A memorable March Madness run for Monk could lead to a Kentucky run to a national title.
Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
He has been shooting up draft boards throughout the season, and Jackson has shown steady improvement in all aspects of his game. His two-way impact is particularly intriguing, and he is currently averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He is also becoming more of a threat from beyond the 3-point line. Jackson is being mentioned among the candidates to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, and if he plays like a transcendent talent during the NCAA Tournament, and already loaded Kansas team could be tough to stop.
Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona Wildcats
The versatile big man is locked in as a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft, and his combination of size, range and ball-handling is tough for any team to defend. Defense has never been an issue for Arizona, and the Wildcats once again have a top 30 scoring defense. If Markkanen can be the offensive difference-maker Arizona has lacked in the past, this could be the group that gets the Wildcats back over the hump.
Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke Blue Devils
If you have watched Tatum play, you can tell that he has all the physical tools to be an elite wing player at the next level, and at times, he is able to dominate opponents on both ends of the court. The question for Tatum right now is whether he can knock down shots with regularity, because when he is, the Blue Devils are a different team. Tatum has kicked off the ACC tournament with back-to-back 20-point efforts, and if he stays hot throughout March, Duke could return to the promised land.
Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga Bulldogs
A lot of people are dismissing Gonzaga’s dominant regular season because they play in a smaller conference, but the Bulldogs have legit talent, led by a likely lottery pick in Collins. Granted, Collins comes off the bench because the Bulldogs have an experienced starting lineup, but he is averaging in double figures while shooting 65.3 percent, and he leads the team with 1.5 blocks per game. The level of competition Gonzaga is going to face is about to go way up, but an elite talent Collins could be the X-factor in a Final Four run.
Jonathan Isaac, PF, Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles finished tied for second in the rugged ACC during the regular season, and while Dwayne Bacon is the team’s leading scorer, Isaac is the team’s most talented player. The athletic big man has scouts drooling, and he is currently projected as a top 5 pick. He will need to add a lot of muscle to succeed in the NBA, but his skinny frame isn’t an issue right now. After all, there aren’t many 6-10 guys who can slash to the basket off the dribble, knock down 3-pointers at a decent clip and take over defensively. If Isaac asserts himself during the NCAA Tournament, the Seminoles could be one of the darlings of March.
You can get expert 2017 March Madness picks and 2017 March Madness predictions this month from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers plus a pre-filled downloadable and printable 2017 March Madness Bracket to help you win your office pool!
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