A Jazz fan's guide to the Madness: Here are players to watch in the NCAA Tournament

SALT LAKE CITY — Ah, the first weekend of March Madness.

The brackets, the upsets, all the hours pretending to work; it's a beautiful time to be a basketball fan.

And if you're a Utah Jazz fan, you have another reason to tune in. The Jazz have three first-round picks in the 2023 draft — and many of their potential targets will be playing this weekend.

Here's a list of some of the players to watch during the NCAA Tournament:

Anthony Black, Arkansas (freshman, PG, 6-7)

Season averages: 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists

Black is a crafty passer and playmaker who can operate out of pick and roll. His size has helped him be one of the better point-of-attack defenders in the NCAA (even though he's not the most freakish of athletes) and would allow him to play both guard positions at the next level. The one major knock on Black is he's only shoots 31% from the 3-point line.

Projection: Mid-to-late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Illinois, Thursday, 2:30 p.m. MDT

Nick Smith, Jr., Arkansas (freshman, G, 6-4)

Season averages: 14.0 points, 2.0 assists

Smith Jr. — Arkansas' other likely lottery-bound guard — came into the season as a potential Top 3 pick. A knee injury derailed his season a bit (he's played in just 14 games) and so a strong impression at the tournament may lift his stock back up. He's got a lot of quickness and bounce, and has the look of a potentially lethal offensive weapon. He has struggled to get to the rim and often settles for inefficient floaters (he's only shot 41% from 2-point range this season).

Projection: Mid-to-late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Illinois, Thursday, 2:30 p.m. MDT

Keyonte George, Baylor (freshman, G, 6-4)

Season averages: 15.8 points, 4.2 rebounds

George is a high volume scorer but is only shooting 39% from the field this season. He has a lot of tools: He can get to the rim, can create space in a number of ways, and is comfortable dribbling in tight spaces. He can pull up, step back, hit floaters — he's a true three-level threat, though, he doesn't have that much explosive ability at the rim. But can all that lead to a more efficient scorer?

Projection: Mid-to-late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. UCSB, Friday, 1:30 p.m. MDT

Cason Wallace, Kentucky (freshman, G, 6-4)

Season averages: 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists

Wallace is very good at a lot of things. He is among the best point-of-attack defenders in the draft, he shot 45% on open looks from 3-point range, and doesn't turn the ball over at a high rate. He might not have the shot creation ability or athleticism to really be a star in the NBA — like some of the previous Kentucky guards before him — but there's a lot to like with Wallace.

Projection: Mid-to-late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Providence, Friday, 7:10 p.m. MDT

Gradey Dick, Kansas (freshman, wing, 6-8)

Season averages: 14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds

He's one of the best shooters in college basketball. Dick is a 40% 3-point shooter on 5.8 attempts per game and he gets them in a variety of ways, too — running off of screens, catch and shoots, gunning in transition. He's also improved on attacking overzealous closeouts, but can he defend at the NBA level? That'll be the question heading into the draft.

Projection: Late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Howard, Thursday, 2 p.m. MDT

Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana (freshman, PG, 6-6)

Season averages: 13.5, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists)

At his best, Hood-Schifino looks special: a big, ball-handling guard with versatile shot-making at all three-levels, playmaking creativity and some defensive toughness to boot. But those highs have been mixed with moments of poor shot selection, decision-making, and interior finishing. Still, he's quickly risen up draft boards, and a strong tournament would only continue that climb.

Projection: Late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Kent State, Friday, 9:55 p.m. MDT

Kyle Filipowski, Duke (freshman, PF/C, 7-0)

Season averages: 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds

You might be thinking: Wait, the Jazz have Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, why would they need another big? That's a fair question, but Filipowski is unique enough it might make sense. He can shoot the 3-pointer a bit, and Duke uses him as a big ball handler in big-big pick-and-roll sets. He could create some fun options for Will Hardy.

Projection: Mid-to-late first round

Tournament schedule: vs. Oral Roberts, Thursday, 7:10 p.m. MDT

Dariq Whitehead, Duke (freshman, SF, 6-7)

Season averages: 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds

Whitehead — one of the nation's top recruits coming into Duke — has a big chance to move the needle on his draft stock in the coming weeks. He's been slowed by a couple different injuries this season, but has still shot 41% from 3-point range. His finishing and shot creation has been limited due to a lack of burst. If he can prove that his athleticism is returning (his high school tape shows he has plenty of it), he might just climb back into the lottery.

Projection: Mid-to-late first round

Tournament schedule: vs. Oral Roberts, Thursday, 7:10 p.m. MDT

Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut (sophomore, SG, 6-5)

Season averages: 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds

Hawkins scored over 20 points in nine of UConn's final 13 regular season games. How? By generating a ton of 3-point attempts. Hawkins is probably the best player in the draft of flying off picks and firing. He's almost Kyle Korver-ish in that way. He never stops moving, running his defender through screen after screen and then he's able to quickly turn and get a shot off. It's impressive stuff that shows the makings of an elite NBA floor spacer.

Projection: Mid-to-late lottery

Tournament schedule: vs. Iona, Friday, 4:30 p.m. MDT

Related topics