Bagley has been spectacular this season -- averaging a team-high 20.7 points and a team-high 11.2 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game. He is the ACC Player of the Year. So the 6-11 freshman has proven to be both a great prospect and terrific player -- and the fact that he plays with great energy, almost always, is another positive sign. As I've said and written many times, I understand and respect the arguments for Ayton and Doncic. But I've forever preferred Bagley, and nothing that's happened this season has altered my position. There's just no way, barring injuries, that he's not a high-level NBA player for a long time because of his physical gifts, unique skillset and better-than-good motor.
2
Ayton is the main reason Arizona won the Pac-12 by two games and finished the regular season 24-7. The 7-1 freshman is averaging 19.9 points and 11.4 rebounds -- and he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year in early March. His 7-5 wingspan allows him to alter shots at the rim and even away from the basket -- meaning he's not just an offensive weapon. And though Ayton has not shot well from beyond the arc, the ability to do so is there -- which is why he projects as a future floor-spacing center who punishes opponents from different places on the court.
3
Doncic is a wing with size who has solidified his reputation as one of the best young European prospects ever. The 6-8 Slovenian is averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists for Real Madrid, which is historically great for an 18-year-old playing against older and more developed men. His versatility allows him to play four different positions, meaning Doncic is a fit basically anywhere. Some front offices have him going as high as No. 1 overall. Almost nobody thinks he goes any lower than No. 3.
4
Bamba finished the regular season averaging 13.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game while earning that "unicorn" label from some -- including himself. The 7-foot forward with a 7-9 wingspan alters nearly everything around the rim and projects, at worst, as a future First Team All-Defense member. At best, he'll develop enough offensively to join Golden State's Kevin Durant on the list of one-and-done Texas alums who went on to become franchise-changing superstars.
5
Porter had back surgery in November that robbed him of almost all of his first (and almost certainly last) season of college basketball. And that's too bad. But it isn't expected to cost him too much as it relates to the NBA Draft. The 6-10 wing probably won't slip much farther than this for the same reasons an injured Joel Embiid didn't slip far in the 2014 NBA Draft, i.e., because when you can get a possible No. 1 pick with the third or fourth of fifth pick it's often wise to do it. Obviously, Porter's situation will be decided by what doctors see or don't see during a physical. But if there are no medical red flags, the Missouri product should go in the top half of the lottery.
6
Jackson has been a projected lottery pick for at least a year now. But the 6-11 forward has shown things during his freshman season that have some thinking he's likely more of a top-half-of-the-lottery guy than somebody who will be available in the teens. He'll enter the NCAA Tournament averaging 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks while shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range in 22.2 minutes per game. So what we're talking about here is a long and athletic big who consistently makes shots from the perimeter. He's a special and unique talent who is now Michigan State's best NBA prospect.
7
Sexton's Crimson Tide took a bad turn late and closed the regular season on a five-game losing streak that put their NCAA Tournament hopes in real jeopardy. But it would be foolish to suggest Sexton is the main issue -- though him missing 15 of his 17 3-point attempts in that stretch, and lowering his 3-point percentage to 30.6 on the season, was both problematic for Alabama and enlightening for NBA front offices. Nobody questions the 6-3 point guard's athleticism or aggressiveness -- and it was on display in the final seconds of Alabama's win over Texas A&M in its SEC Tournament opener. But his inability to consistently take over games at this level, and consistently make shots, is a slight source of concern.
8
Young went from college basketball's biggest star to the best player on a team that went 2-8 in the 10 games prior to Selection Sunday. That was neither good nor expected. But most NBA people believe that has more to do with Young's teammates than Young. Opponents started daring anybody but the 6-2 point guard on OU's roster to beat them, and they couldn't. So everything became more difficult -- which is why Young's 3-point percentage dipped to 36.1. But he's still averaging 27.4 points and 8.8 assists. And he still has incredible vision and playmaking skills. And he'll still be the first point guard selected. Or, at least, he should be.
9
Is it possible to have a great freshman season but still be overshadowed by a teammate? Yes. And that's exactly what's happened to Carter -- who is averaging 14.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 assists in 27.5 minutes per game for a Duke team that closed the regular season by winning six of its final seven. Carter's biggest problem, frankly, is that he's not Bagley, who is a better player and prospect. But the 6-10 forward is still a very good player and very good prospect. And he's the reason why Duke should have two top-10 picks in June.
10
I'm not sure anybody, outside of Young, has helped himself more this season with NBA people than Bridges -- who is averaging 17.6 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting a career-best (and impressive) 42.0 percent from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per game for a Villanova team that finished the regular season 27-4. More than anything, the 6-7 wing is making "pro shots" more regularly than ever and doing most of the things any NBA team would want him to do at the next level. His ability to guard multiple positions makes him somebody who could theoretically contribute to a playoff team on Opening Night.
11
Bridges has been criticized by an ESPN analyst for having "no game." But that ESPN analyst doesn't run an NBA franchise. So it would be silly to think it'll keep the Michigan State sophomore from becoming a lottery pick after leading the Spartans to a Big Ten regular-season title. Bridges is averaging 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a 6-7 athletic combo forward who also makes 36.9 percent of his 3-point shots and 88.3 percent of his free-throw attempts. Sure, like everybody else, I wish Bridges were three inches taller. But he's not. And yet he still projects as a meaningful NBA player, according to most.
12
Knox closed the regular season by reaching double figures in points in eight consecutive games while solidifying himself as Kentucky's leading scorer. The 6-9 forward is averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds -- and shooting 35.0 percent from 3-point range. He projects as a combo forward with good size who can guard multiple positions and just generally help teams in a variety of ways that matter.
13
Walker's freshman season didn't get off to a great start -- evidence being how he only averaged 8.1 points in 20.9 minutes per game through Miami's first 15 contests. But the 6-4 freshman averaged 14.0 points in Miami's final five regular-season games to remind NBA scouts why they view him as a strong-framed shooting guard at the next level. Yes, he's only shooting 35.8 percent from 3-point range. But, remember, Walker shot 40.0 percent from beyond the arc two summers ago in the EYBL. So his lower percentage isn't concerning.
14Williams has not had a great (or even good) sophomore season considering he's averaging fewer minutes, fewer shots and fewer points -- and his free-throw attempts and free-throw percentage are also both down. But the 6-9 forward still has attributes that make him attractive to NBA front offices, and he still projects as an athletic rebounder and shot-blocker who could end up just like fellow Texas A&M alum DeAndre Jordan -- which is to say someone who is a better NBA player than college player.
15Simons is a consensus top-10 prospect in the Class of 2018 who is eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft because he's one year removed from high school graduation and will turn 19 this calendar year. The 6-4 combo guard at IMG Academy in Florida is a nice athlete who shoots it well. If he attends college, Florida and Tennessee are considered the favorites. If not, absolutely, he could go in the top 20.
16Musa is a 19-year-old Bosnian who is averaging 20.2 minutes per game for Cedevita in the Adriatic League. The 6-8 wing has long had a reputation with scouts as potential quality scorer in the NBA. The only concern is whether he's a good-enough athlete, and mature enough, to guard his position and flourish in general when he moves to the United States.
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Gilgeous-Alexander was a rare sub-30 high school prospect for Kentucky. But he's emerged as the Wildcats' second-leading scorer and one of their most reliable players. The 6-6 combo guard is averaging 13.2 points and 4.9 assists in 32.9 minutes per
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