NBA Draft: Potential Draft Picks In National Championship
By Cody Powers
Apr 6, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Aaron Harrison speaks at a press conference during practice before the championship game of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
It all wraps up tonight in Arlington, Texas. All the hard work that has been put in this year, leads up to tonight. Will the young guys from Kentucky get it done, or will the veteran squad at UConn complete another magical run to a National Championship?
As exciting as tonight’s game should be, there are players that Jazz fans should keep an eye on. With the NBA Draft quickly approaching, we could possibly be watching a guy or two that could be suiting up in a Jazz uniform next season. Who are they? Check them out below.
Julius Randle
Randle has been a projected top five pick all season and since before the season even began. The Jazz are currently holding the fifth worst record in the league, so in all lotteries, the Jazz are at number five. With most mock drafts having Randle going between the three to five range, there is a very real possibility that we could be seeing him play in Utah next season.
Randle is a double-double machine. He works hard on the glass and is great around the basket on offense. A lot of people like Randle, but there have been a few who have expressed that they would rather pass on him. On the biggest stage in college basketball, keep an eye on how big of an impact he can make. My guess, he will make a pretty big one.
James Young
After Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, Young has been said to be the next best small forward in the draft. He has a pretty nice shot when he gets going. Young has been pretty big for the Wildcats in this tournament, especially in their Final Four win over Wisconsin. A lot of guys were struggling to get anything going, and Young led the way with his 17 points.
He has some upside but I really wonder about him. I like comparing him to other Jazz players he reminds me of, and the biggest one that comes to mind is C.J. Miles. They both shoot left handed, they both can score if they get hot, but seems inconsistent. If he has a big game tonight, however, that would be a wrap on a great tournament for him personally.
Harrison Twins
It is a good thing that they have a number on their jersey because I can’t ever tell them apart. The main reason that I can now tell them apart is that Aaron is clutch! In this tournament, Aaron has hit clutch three’s to give Kentucky the lead for good in the waning moments of the game. As clutch as he has been this tournament, there is some things I don’t like about him or his brother.
At the next level, both will more than likely play the point guard position. Neither one of the two dish out a ton of assists. Andrew is dishing out the most with 3.9 assists per game, but he is also averaging 2.7 turnovers per game. Aaron is only averaging 1.9 assists per game, and is averaging 1.6 turnovers per game to go along with that. I don’t like those stats and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates into the NBA.
Shabazz Napier
Napier has been incredible. Not just in the tournament, but all season long. Analysts across the nation have been talking about how Napier very well could be the best point guard in the nation. He has a knack for getting to the basket and has a great shot from the outside. He won a National Championship his freshman season when he backed up Kemba Walker. Now he has a chance to do the same thing.
Staying all four years at Connecticut is a good thing. He is very mature, and a lot of NBA teams will like him. Will he be a starter in the NBA? Probably not, at least not for quite awhile. He will however, be a great backup point guard for a team.
There are other guys that you should keep an eye on. DeAndre Daniels and Ryan Boatright have NBA futures. Also, Alex Poythress has been great in this tournament and should be in the league next year. Another guy from Kentucky that won’t be playing tonight that will be in the league next season is Willie Cauley-Stein. He has already been ruled out for tonight’s game.
There are no NBA games tonight, so all eyes should be on the National Championship. These guys, in particular, should be on everyone’s radars.