There may be only eight teams remaining in the 2017 NCAA tournament, but there are a bevy of first-round NBA draft prospects still in action. That gives us a lot of important information to digest in our newest mock draft.
Before getting to the picks and predictions, though, it's worth noting that there have been a handful of key developments since last week's mock. The most important, and perhaps most surprising, among them: Robert Williams, a dynamic rim-protector and improving offensive player who was looking like a guaranteed lottery pick, has decided to return to Texas A&M for his sophomore season. His departure from the player pool helps other bigs such as Miles Bridges--who also helped himself against Kansas--and Lauri Markannen.
Additionally, big performances in the NCAA tournament have helped out an abundance of players. The often enigmatic DJ Wilson was a two-way force during Michigan's Sweet 16 run, averaging 16.0 points, 2.0 threes and 3.0 blocks in the Wolverines' three tourney games. Jordan Bell was all over the place in Oregon's win over Michigan, tallying 16 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Florida's Devin Robinson has always had defensive potential, but going for a combined 38 points on 25 shots against East Tennessee State and Virginia--two of the most efficient defenses in the country--was huge. None of the aforementioned players are guarantees to enter June's draft, but all have proved during March that they deserve first-round consideration should they opt to leave school.
Ultimately, it's a reminder that things change quickly this time of the year--and with more tourney games to be played, more decisions on declaring for the NBA or staying in college to be made, and the draft order yet to be nailed down, there will be a lot more that changes between now and June. Nevertheless, with the Elite Eight upon us and several of the brightest prospects taking center stage, there is no better time to take a closer look at the landscape of the of the first round.
You can click through the gallery for my updated NBA mock draft. Note that order is based on standings as of March 24, 2017. (Getty)
1. Boston Celtics Select Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington
Age: 18 (May 29, 1998)
Size: 6-foot-4, 195 pounds
It certainly doesn't help that Fultz is sitting at home while guys like Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson are tearing up the NCAA tournament, but I'm not budging on the Washington star as the No. 1 overall pick. There isn't anything that he could have done in the Big Dance--outside of an injury--that would have altered his stock either way.
When it comes down to it, Fultz has everything you're looking for in a point guard prospect. He's big and athletic. He can get to the hoop at will, showing an ability to finish in between the trees or dish it to an open teammate. He's excellent in the pick-and-roll. He can shoot. He can pass. He can play off the ball, which is important for a team that already has Isaiah Thomas. He can do it all. Even with middling talent around him at UW, he averaged 23.2 points on 50.2 percent shooting from two-point range and 41.3 percent from three-point range, adding 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per contest. Offensively, he is as polished and versatile as you're going to find in an 18-year-old. (Getty)
2. Los Angeles Lakers Select Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA
Age: 19 (October 27, 1997)
Size: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds
The argument for Ball over Fultz would be that he is elite at one thing (passing), while the UW point guard is simply good-to-great at a lot of things. Fultz's overall offensive polish and the fact he's seven months younger ultimately gives him the nod, but the Lakers won't mind as long as they have the second pick.
Ball's ability to run an offense--especially an up-tempo one--and make everyone around him better with his absurd court vision and passing would be perfect for the Lakers, who desperately need a floor general and are already experimenting playing D'Angelo Russell off the ball. Though Ball certainly didn't help himself with 10 points on 10 shots, eight assists and four turnovers in the Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky, the Lakers would still be helped greatly by a pass-first point guard.
If the Suns can out-tank L.A. or get some luck with the ping-pong balls, this pick becomes Josh Jackson. (Getty)
3. Phoenix Suns Select Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas
Age: 20 (February 10, 1997)
Size: 6-foot-8, 207 pounds
After raising some off-the-court questions marks when he received a one-game suspension during the Big 12 tournament, Jackson is doing himself a lot of favors in the Big Dance. He tallied 23 points with two steals and two blocks against likely lottery pick Miles Bridges and Michigan State, then followed that up with 15 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block in a drubbing of Purdue.
He can score from all three levels, he's electric in the open-court, he's a fantastic passer, and perhaps most importantly, he can be a high-level impact guy defensively. Simply put, he's a playmaker on both ends of the court, and he at least belongs in the conversation for the No. 2 pick. The Suns, a team that could especially use him on the defensive end, would be glad to get him here. (Getty)
4. Orlando Magic Select Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke
Age: 19 (March 3, 1998)
Size: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds
Tatum's last college game was one to forget: 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, one assist, five turnovers and five fouls in an upset loss to South Carolina. But don't read too much into it. Another former Blue Devil, Jabari Parker, had a similar collegiate finale (14 points on 4-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds, four turnovers) and he ended up fine.
At the end of the day, Tatum is a polished offensive player whose amalgam of size, shooting and high skill level will allow him to contribute right away. That's exactly what the Magic need, as they have some nice pieces but rank 29th in offensive rating. (Getty)
No. 7 New York Knicks: SG Malik Monk
School: Kentucky
Position: Shooting Guard
Size: 6'3"/200 pounds
Class: Freshman
2016-17 Stats: 19.8 ppg, 2.3 apg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 spg, .450 FG%, .397 3P%
Outlook: Just when you think things cannot get more dysfunctional in New York, Phil Jackson holds a postseason press conference where he essentially goes public with the idea that Carmelo Anthony needs to move on to another team. After that, Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit interview as a protest to all that is wrong with the Knicks. If the NBA had a Hard Knocks series like the NFL, the Knicks would undoubtedly be high on the list for fans to be entertained by their organizational turmoil. The good news for Knicks fans is they will have a high draft pick in June. Malik Monk is a perfect fit for the Knicks and would be a great player to pair with Porzingis. (Getty)
6. New York Knicks Select De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky
Age: 19 (December 20, 1997)
Size: 6-foot-3, 187 pounds
The Knicks, who will likely lose Derrick Rose via free agency, fall into a favorable position here, as they get their pick of point guard not named Markelle or Lonzo.
Smith, De'Aaron Fox and Frank Ntilikina are three very different players, but Fox is using March to separate himself. Boasting electric speed and lateral quickness, he's a down-hill player who can get to the rim at ease, can distribute to teammates, has a really good mid-range game and can be disruptive defensively. His stock was already rising thanks to the improved shot he had shown lately, but it took off on a rocket ship Friday night, as he put up a ridiculous 39 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and just one turnover against Lonzo Ball and UCLA. He was nearly unguardable, and he proved that he is a legitimate Top-5 talent. (Getty)
7. Sacramento Kings Select Jonathan Isaac, SF, Florida State
Age: 19 (October 3, 1997)
Size: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds
The Kings are in full-on rebuild mode, and Isaac is the perfect player for such a situation. He still lacks some consistency and at his current weight, he'll likely get pushed around at the next level, but there is no limit to his potential.
Standing at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and an offensive game that extends to the three-point line, he is a matchup problem waiting to happen. And on defense, he gave a good example of what he can do during FSU's four postseason games, averaging 10.5 defensive rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocks. (Getty)
8. Minnesota Timberwolves Select Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona
Age: 19 (May 22, 1997)
Size: 7-foot-0, 230 pounds
Markkanen went out with a fizzle on Thursday, tallying just nine points (3-of-9 from the field, 1-of-6 from deep) and eight rebounds in a Sweet 16 loss to Xavier. He also got sealed pretty easily on the Musketeers' game-winning basket, highlighting the defensive concerns.
Nevertheless, while the defense is a bit of a problem, seven-footers with Markkanen's offensive skill set don't come around all that often. On the year, he shot 42.3 percent from three, while also showing the ability to post up or take slower defenders off the dribble. A frontcourt of Markannen and Karl-Anthony Towns would cause all kinds of matchup problems, while the latter's ability to protect the rim would somewhat blunt Markannen's defensive struggles. (Getty)
9. Sacramento Kings Select Dennis Smith, PG, NC State
Age: 19 (November 25, 1997)
Size: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds
The Kings will be happy to see Smith, a potential top-five pick, still available here. Though he enters draft season with zero momentum, his explosive speed and athleticism--which could still even get better, as he was just 15 months removed from a torn ACL this season--combined with his fearless aggression attacking the rim and elite production (18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game) makes it tough for him to drop any further. (Getty)
10. Dallas Mavericks Select Frank Ntilikina, PG, France
Age: 18 (July 28, 1998)
Size: 6-foot-5, 170 pounds
With Yogi Ferrell's role decreasing, and J.J. Barea and Devin Harris not exactly building blocks for the future, it wouldn't be surprising if the Mavs targeted a point guard here, especially if one of the Smith-Fox-Ntilikina trio is still available.
The 2016 FIBA Under-18 MVP, Ntilikina has good size, has shown the ability to play multiple positions, and can make an impact on both ends of the court. He scored 31 in the U-18 finals against Lithuania, displaying his explosive offensive ability, but he's also regarded as one of the better perimeter defenders in the draft. Throw in the fact that he's pretty polished despite being the youngest player in the Top 10 (two months younger than Fultz), and there's a lot to like here. (Getty)
11. Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
12. Portland Trail Blazers: Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina
13. Detroit Pistons: Justin Patton, C, Creighton
14. Chicago Bulls: T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA
15. Denver Nuggets: Isaiah Hartenstein, PF, Germany
16. Miami Heat: John Collins, PF, Wake Forest
17. Indiana Pacers: Jarrett Allen, C, Texas
18. Milwaukee Bucks: Bam Adebayo, C, Kentucky
19. Atlanta Hawks: Johnathan Motley, PF, Baylor
20. Portland Trail Blazers: Ivan Rabb, PF, California
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville
22. Los Angeles Clippers: Rodions Kurucs, SF, Latvia
23. Orlando Magic: Allonzo Trier, SG, Arizona
24. Brooklyn Nets: Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga
25. Utah Jazz: Luke Kennard, SG, Duke
26. Brooklyn Nets: D.J. Wilson, SF/PF, Michigan
27. Portland Trail Blazers: OG Anunoby, SF, Indiana
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Terrance Ferguson, SG, Adelaide
29. San Antonio Spurs: Caleb Swanigan, PF, Purdue
30. Utah Jazz: Juwan Evans, PG, Oklahoma State
NBA Mock Draft 2017: 1st-Round Projections, Elite 8 Edition