March Madness has arrived which is a great time not just for college basketball fans, but those who follow the leadup to the NBA draft. This year’s tournament will feature a number of top prospects, including what feels like the entire Duke team.
Now that Zion Williamson is back on the court, the Blue Devils starting lineup is made up of likely first-round draft picks. Williamson has almost assuredly locked up the top spot, but it will be interesting to see how the NCAA tournament could impact the No. 2 pick.
For the first time in our mock draft, we have Murray State’s Ja Morant jumping RJ Barrett for the second pick. Morant helped Murray State upset Belmont in the Ohio Valley tournament to punch their ticket to March Madness. If Murray State can notch a win or two, it could help Morant overtake Barrett.
Barrett likely will have more tournament games with Duke entering March Madness as a championship contender. Most of the talk has been about Williamson, but an interesting subplot is the race for the No. 2 pick.
Zion Was 13-of-13 in His Return Against Syracuse
After missing the better part of six games, Williamson made his return in Duke’s first game in the ACC tournament against Syracuse. Williamson did not miss a shot as the Duke big man went 13-of-13 in the game. Williamson finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and five steals in the matchup.
Here’s a look at our latest NBA mock draft, and the order is based on the standings as of Friday, March 15th, courtesy of Tankathon.
NBA Mock Draft 2019: 1st Round Picks
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| No. 1 Knicks | PF Zion Williamson, Duke |
| No. 2 Suns | PG Ja Morant, Murray State |
| No. 3 Cavaliers | SG RJ Barrett, Duke |
| No. 4 Bulls | SF Cam Reddish, Duke |
| No. 5 Hawks | SG Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech |
| No. 6 Hawks (via Mavericks) | SF Romeo Langford, Indiana |
| No. 7 Grizzlies | PF Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga |
| No. 8 Wizards | PG Darius Garland, Vanderbilt |
| No. 9 Pelicans | F De’Andre Hunter, Virginia |
| No. 10 Hornets | SF Nassir Little, UNC |
| No. 11 Lakers | PF PJ Washington, Kentucky |
| No. 12 Magic | SG Keldon Johnson, Kentucky |
| No. 13 Timberwolves | PG Coby White, UNC |
| No. 14 Celtics (via Kings) | PF Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga |
| No. 15 Heat | C Bol Bol, Oregon |
| No. 16 Pistons | SF KZ Okpala, Stanford |
| No. 17 Nets | SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech |
| No. 18 Celtics (via Clippers) | PF Sekou Doumbouya, Guinea |
| No. 19 Jazz | SF Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State |
| No. 20 Spurs | C Jaxson Hayes, Texas |
| No. 21 Thunder | SG Kevin Porter, USC |
| No. 22 Celtics | G Tyler Herro, Kentucky |
| No. 23 Blazers | PG Tre Jones, Duke |
| No. 24 Cavs (via Rockets) | C Jontay Porter, Missouri |
| No. 25 Sixers | F Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State |
| No. 26 Pacers | C Daniel Gafford, Arkansas |
| No. 27 Nets (via Nuggets) | SF Cameron Johnson, UNC |
| No. 28 Warriors | SF Admiral Schofield, Tennessee |
| No. 29 Spurs (via Raptors) | G Jaylen Nowell, Washington |
| No. 30 Bucks | F Chuma Okeke, Arizona |
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NBA Mock Draft 2019: RJ Barrett & Coby White Go in Lottery