5 NBA Draft prospects to watch heading into 2024 NCAA Tournament

March 19, 2024

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March Madness is here, and besides college basketball fans training their brackets and hoping to see a classic upset, some of the NBA’s future players are working hard to increase their draft stock. You will be standing on the wood.

This year’s top draft prospects will be playing in the NCAA Tournament, and while their minds will be on winning it all, NBA teams will see how they fare in the race to win or go home. I’ll be watching closely to see what happens.

With that said, here are some star college players who could be selected high in this June’s draft.

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Kentucky Wildcats No. 15 Reed Shepard celebrates during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC Basketball Tournament quarterfinals on March 15, 2024 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

PG Rob Dillingham – Kentucky

Projected to be a top-five pick and the player some believe to be the best prospect in college basketball right now, Rob Dillingham’s competitive spirit is building toward March, and he ‘s skill is undeniable.

Dillingham’s style of play seems to have been born on a pickup basketball court, but that’s the kind of grit it takes to advance to the next round this time of year. In his freshman season, Dillingham averaged 15.4 points, 3.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 48.2 percent from the field.

Dillingham was unable to perform in key situations due to Kentucky’s early exit from the SEC Tournament, but Dillingham will play Thursday when the No. 3 seed Wildcats face No. 14 Oakland. Dillingham will shine.

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PG/SG Reid Shepherd – Kentucky

Dillingham’s teammate, sharp-shooting Reed Shepard, is a player who comes off the bench and provides the scoring that head coach John Calipari loves. Bench depth is extremely important for a team that wants to hoist a national title trophy.

Shepard averaged 12.8 points per game on 52.5 percent 3-point shooting and 4.4 attempts per game. He also dished the rock well, dishing out 4.5 assists and grabbing 4.3 rebounds per game.

Shepard is also expected to be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft if he leaves after his freshman year.

Cody No. 10 of the Colorado Buffaloes as the Colorado State Rams clinched the game in the second half of CSU’s 88-83 victory Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado. Williams responded. (Aaron Ontiveros/The Denver Post)

F Cody Williams – Colorado State

Cody Williams already has some idea of what his transition from college to the NBA will be like, thanks to his older brother Jaylen Williams, a forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At 6-foot-8, Williams can play almost anywhere on the floor, as his defensive ability is now beloved by NBA scouts. He has also performed well offensively for the Buffaloes, with the freshman averaging 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 21 games thus far.

Because of his two-way style of play, evaluators expect him to be somewhere in the top 10.

C Kyle Filipowski – duke

Kyle Filipovski is a mainstay on this year’s Blue Devils team and runs Duke University’s offense. He’s a 7-foot sophomore, but his game doesn’t just work in the paint.

He has improved in many ways since his freshman year, averaging 17.1 points (compared to 15.1 points last season) and improving his shooting from 28.2 percent to 35 percent from beyond the arc.

Duke Blue Devils No. 30 Kyle Filipowski reacts after a dunk against the Virginia Cavaliers on March 2, 2024 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

The Blue Devils will need him at his best if they want to advance in a bracket that includes Kentucky, No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Marquette.

As for the draft, Filipovski is expected to be taken in the middle of the first round.

SG Jacoby Walter – Baylor

Looking at NBA mock drafts, Jacoby Walter has gone from No. 5 overall to No. 15 overall. It depends on which team projects what his game will be like at the next level, but scoring is expected.

The Bears’ star freshman is averaging 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 33 games, but he cooled down at the wrong time. Despite some believing he is the best 3-point shooter in this year’s draft class, he shot just 34 percent this season.

What better way to prove the doubters wrong than with a solid showing in the NCAA Tournament? Walter could certainly boost his draft stock with a red-hot shot to help the team return to the national championship they won in 2021.

#0 Rob Dillingham of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots the ball in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies during the SEC Basketball Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. do. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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