NCAA First Four Recap: Thoughts on Michigan/Tulsa

Both Michigan and Tulsa were shocking inclusions in the NCAA tournament given their poor resumes and low standing in the RPI comparatively to teams in the field. It was only fitting that the two would meet in the First Four Wednesday night in Dayton. There wasn't much to scout from this game outside of a few players who might have a shot in the NBA.

2016 NBA Draft

Shaq Harrison, SG, Tulsa

23 points, 10-13 FG, 1-1 3FG, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

The Hurricanes' best player didn't even think his team would be in the tournament on Selection Sunday, and now he is dropping 20 points against a Power 5 school on the second day of game action. Harrison is an interesting player, even if he doesn't have the necessary size to be an everyday NBA player. At 6-4, 190 lbs, it is hard to imagine him having the type of success in the league he had at Tulsa when he goes up against bigger wings. He doesn't have the elite vision to be a point guard, but he still make plays in the half court. His first instinct is to score, but he showed a willingness to create an advantage and find the open guy when he broke the defense down. Despite hitting a three, he only shot 17.5 percent from deep this year. He takes and makes a lot of tough shots in the mid range and at the rim. He has NBA athleticism, routinely beating his defender off the dribble and getting into the paint. If he can be passable on defense, he should be a guy who gets on a Summer League roster and earns an extended look on a D-League team somewhere.

2017 NBA Draft

Zak Irvin, SF, Michigan

16 points, 6-12 FG, 2-5 3FG

Irvin was a kid who came out of high school as a top 25 recruit as was expected to contribute much in the same way typical Michigan wings do. He has flashed it at times in his college career, but never consistently enough to make you feel good about his draft stock. He gets minutes at both forward spots, guarding wings and power forwards. He has the strength to hold his ground on guys backing him down but is a step slower than wing players. He doesn't have the athleticism needed to be rotation wing the NBA, which makes him an undersized power forward. Although he is strong enough to do that at the college level, he isn't big enough to do that full time in the NBA.

Even though he hit two threes in this game, his three point percentage has gotten worse every year he has been at Michigan. His mechanics are inconsistent, sometimes shooting on the way down from his jump. He always tries to get to his one dribble pull up going right and doesn't have the speed to get to the rim the majority of the time. He has some potential to get a back to the basket game, hitting a turnaround jumper in this game out of the post. He doesn't move the ball or crash the glass enough, which worries you about his ability to fit in on an NBA team if he isn't the primary scoring option. Coming back for a senior year and putting everything together would be the only way I see Irvin getting drafted.

Keep an eye on…

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, SG, Michigan

16 points, 5-16 FG, 0-3 3FG

Duncan Robinson, SF, Michigan

13 points, 5-10 FG, 2-5 3FG, 11 rebounds, 4 assists

Both Michigan wings have the measurements and athleticism to hang in an NBA game. Abdur-Rahkman isn't shy in getting up shots, but he can at least create his own offense off the dribble. Robinson's game is different, mainly relying on spot up threes, which is perfect for the NBA. He is one of the best shooters in all of college basketball, hitting his threes at a 44.8 percent clip this year. Both will more than likely come back next year with another chance to show improvements to their game and evaluate their draft prospects as NBA wings.

Derrick Walton Jr, PG, Michigan

12 points, 4-10 FG, 2-7 3FG, 2 steals, 3 turnovers

Walton was one of the top high school point guard recruits and has suffered from injuries that have kept him sidelined most of his career at Michigan. When he is healthy, he looks like the only Michigan player that would fit on an NBA floor today. He has shiftiness and speed that help him create separation on offense and his jump shot mechanics look nice. For a point guard, however, he is severely behind the curve when it comes to making reads and creating for others. He is looking for his shot too much, especially when he is playing with high usage wings who have a better chance at carrying the offense. He can be a pest on defense at times due to his small stature and quickness, but it can also hurt him because he isn't strong. He had trouble guarding Shaq Harrison whenever he was switched on to him. Walton looks like a long shot to make the NBA unless he can improve his playmaking significantly next season.