March Madness is back, which means basketball fans are going to get a closer look at the next generation of NBA players.
The top-3 prospects in our latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft are not playing college basketball this season. Victor Wembanyama is an MVP candidate in France’s top-tier league, Scoot Henderson is playing his second professional campaign in the G League and the Thompson twins won a championship in the Overtime Elite.
While the NCAA men’s selection committee was far from perfect, over the course of the next few weeks, we will see several notable prospects play on the biggest stage in college basketball.
If you want to prepare yourself for the draft, below are the prospects you need to familiarize yourself with before the tournament begins.
THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!
1
Brandon Miller (Alabama)
SEED: 1 (South)
FIRST OPPONENT: Southeast Missouri State/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 2:45 p.m. ET, CBS
There are a lot of questions about Alabama’s Brandon Miller following his alleged involvement in the death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris. But on the basketball court, Miller is widely viewed as the best prospect who will play in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. He is 6-foot-9 and shooting better than 40.0 percent on more than seven 3-point attempts per game.
2
Jarace Walker (Houston)
SEED: 1 (Midwest)
FIRST OPPONENT: Northern Kentucky
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT
Houston’s Jarace Walker is an incredibly impactful defender more than capable of guarding both the ball handler and the screener in the pick-and-roll. Opponents are shooting just 29.7 percent in the paint when he is on the floor, per CBB Analytics.
3
Nick Smith (Arkansas)
SEED: 8 (West)
FIRST OPPONENT: Illinois
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS
Nick Smith is one of the first guards who will hear his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft. While he has missed time this season due to injury, it is easy to see what makes him such a highly-touted prospect. Despite his high usage rate, he rarely turns the ball over and he has an excellent scoring touch.
The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
4
Anthony Black (Arkansas)
SEED: 8 (West)
FIRST OPPONENT: Illinois
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS
Anthony Black is a 6-foot-7 playmaker and an above-average perimeter defender. He defends well against ball screens and opponents are just 11-for-42 (26.1 percent) when he contests their 3-pointers, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
5
Keyonte George (Baylor)
SEED: 3 (South)
FIRST OPPONENT: UC Santa Barbara
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 1:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Baylor’s Keyonte George is a solid two-way guard who competes well on both sides of the ball. He is efficient when driving to the basket, he tends to win battles for contested rebounds, and he is always quick to close out on opponents as a defender.
6
Gradey Dick (Kansas)
SEED: 1 (West)
FIRST OPPONENT: Howard
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 2 p.m. ET, TBS
Kansas freshman Gradey Dick is one of the most promising 3-point shooters in this draft class. He is shooting 50.0 percent from beyond the arc when he has finished in transition, per Hoop-Math, which ranks second-best among the 139 players who have had as many opportunities.
7
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
SEED: 6 (East)
FIRST OPPONENT: Providence
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Kentucky’s Cason Wallace is an excellent defensive prospect. While he is shooting just 34.7 percent overall on 3-pointers, you can’t leave him wide open. He is 19-for-42 (45.2 percent) on his uncontested 3-pointers, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
8
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
SEED: 4 (Midwest)
FIRST OPPONENT: Kent State
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 9:55 p.m. ET, TBS
Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino is already a maestro in the pick-and-roll. He is handling 0.24 ball screens per touch, via AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform, which is near the most frequent among prospects participating in the tournament.
9
Kris Murray (Iowa)
SEED: 8 (Midwest)
FIRST OPPONENT: Auburn
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 6:50 p.m. ET, TNT
Iowa’s Kris Murray is a steady, reliable forward who has enjoyed a breakout season as a junior. He has already recorded nine games with more than 25 points, including four performances exceeding 30 points.
CAN YOU SURVIVE? USA TODAY Sports’ Men and Women’s Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $5,000 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!
10
Dereck Lively II (Duke)
SEED: 5 (East)
FIRST OPPONENT: Oral Roberts
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Duke’s Dereck Lively is a vicious rim protector who has recorded multiple blocks in nine consecutive games. He is also averaging 1.11 points per pick as the screener in the pick-and-roll, via AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
11
Terquavion Smith (NC State)
SEED: 11 (South)
FIRST OPPONENT: Creighton
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 4 p.m. ET, TNT
N.C. State’s Terquavion Smith has not had as efficient of a season as scouts would have liked to have seen, but the degree of difficulty on his shots is hard to ignore. He has made the second-most unassisted 3-pointers among all high-major players, per CBB Analytics.
12
Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
SEED: 5 (East)
FIRST OPPONENT: Oral Roberts
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS
Duke’s Dariq Whitehead has had a relatively hot and cold season mostly playing in the second unit for the Blue Devils. But when he has scored more than 10 points, his team has lost just once. If he has a big tournament, he has enough upside to potentially hear his name called in the lottery.
13
Colby Jones (Xavier)
SEED: 3 (Midwest)
FIRST OPPONENT: Kennesaw State
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 12:40 p.m. ET, truTV
Xavier’s Colby Jones is one of the best upperclassmen in college basketball. Defenders are having trouble stopping him: He is shooting 14-for-31 (45.2 percent) on contested 3-pointers, via AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform. Jones also defends very well against drives and in isolation.
14
Jordan Hawkins (UConn)
SEED: 4 (West)
FIRST OPPONENT: Iona
HOW TO WATCH: Friday, March 17, 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS
UConn’s Jordan Hawkins is one of the best catch-and-shoot prospects in college basketball. He uses off-ball screens as well as anyone in the NCAA, and he is a volume shooter from beyond the arc.
15
Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
SEED: 4 (East)
FIRST OPPONENT: Louisiana
HOW TO WATCH: Thursday, March 16, 9:40 p.m. ET, CBS
Tennessee’s Julian Phillips has struggled with his offensive efficiency, but on the defensive end of the floor, he is already a star. Opponents are 3-for-28 on 3-pointers when he defends them, via AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform.
