Elite 8 Recap: North Carolina/Kentucky

North Carolina

Justin Jackson
6-8, SF, Junior
19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-17 FG, 1-5 3FG, 4-7 FT

Jackson didn't shoot the ball as well as he normally does (38% from three), but he did a lot of little things in this game that make you believe he is going to be highly drafted in June.  Jackson flashed some passing ability while attacking closeouts in addition to his automatic floater. He still tends to take wild shots not in flow or rhythm, but he has that green light from the coaches to do that. He isn't an elite athlete and doesn't have the first step burst to get to the rim but often times, it doesn't matter because his trigger is so quick. He could be a microwave scorer who can hit shots off screens, spot ups, on the move, etc. He has enough in his one dribble pull up/float game to be that type of player.

Sweet 16 Recap: Kentucky/UCLA

Kentucky

De'Aaron Fox
6-4, PG, Freshman
39 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 13-20 FG, 13-15 FT

This will be Fox's best game in a Kentucky uniform.  From the very tip, he took the matchup against Lonzo Ball seriously and was out to prove a point to everybody who the best player in the gym is.

Sweet 16 Recap: Oregon/Michigan

Oregon

Dillon Brooks

6-6, SF, Junior

12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-13 FG, 2-4 3FG

Brooks didn't quite have his best game against Michigan.  Brooks did a great job using his 6-6, 215 pound frame to take advantage of smaller guys in the post early on.  He also did a great job of getting other guys involved, making some nice advanced passes on the move and in isolation. He gets pretty one dimensional with his dribble, going right a lot and setting for his jumper at times, but he's a bully. When he puts his head and wants to get to the rim, he can do it whenever he wants. He doesn't have many dribble moves but he has a quick first step and explosiveness off of both feet.

Second Round Recap: Arizona/St. Mary's

Arizona

Lauri Markkanen

7-0, PF, Freshman

16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 9-10 FT

Markkanen had his ups and downs in this game on both ends.  Markkanen's biggest question at the next level is always going to be how well he can move and defend in space.  He runs up and down the floor with short strides and is always a step behind in guarding ball screens.  He doesn't really sit well in a stance which makes it hard for him to make fast and reactive moves.  He also gets buried underneath due to his frame and poor stance.  Landale had his way with Markkanen in the post a few times. Lauri always seems a step behind and almost lost, not knowing how to see man and ball but always turning his head a lot of different directions.

Second Round Recap: Louisville/Michigan

Louisville

Donovan Mitchell
6-3, SG, Sophomore
19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-17 FG, 3-8 3FG

Mitchell has a fearless attitude and relentless motor.  He plays passion and hard all the time.  He can get in his own way with it at times, but when he gets going, he's a fun player to watch.  His jumper waxes and wanes (35.4% from three on the year), and he has a tendency to bury his head at times, driving into traffic with nowhere to go.  There are plenty of times, however, where he knows how to make the right read on the floor and find the open man.  For an off guard, he knows how to keep the offensive chain moving, and his jumper is good enough to where he should be able to hit open threes.

Second Round Recap: UCLA/Cincinnati

UCLA

Lonzo Ball
6-6, PG, Freshman
18 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 7-10 FG, 4-7 3FG

Ball is so impressive and fun to watch.  He brings so many things to the table that contribute to winning.  No other player in the country can fill the stat sheet and have the sixth sense on the court that Ball has.

Second Round Recap: Florida State/Xavier

Florida State

Jonathan Isaac
6-11, SF, Freshman
8 points, 12 rebounds, 4-7 FG

Isaac is a projected top ten pick, potentially top five, and there were plenty of things to see in this game that made you believe why. Even though Florida State got their butts kicked, Isaac stood out in a plethora of ways.

Second Round Recap: Duke/South Carolina

Duke

Frank Jackson
6-4, PG, Freshman
15 points, 2-5 3FG, 5 turnovers

Jackson is playing out of position with Duke.  He isn't a point guard but has had to play point guard due to the roster deficiency at that position.  Jackson showed why he isn't a point guard in this game, throwing the ball away five times and struggling to bring the ball up against PJ Dozier's pressure.  Jackson is tough attacking the basket in a straight line and showed that he can go both ways, but he doesn't have many dribble moves to create separation from pressure. 

Second Round Recap: Kansas/Michigan St

Kansas

Frank Mason
5-11, PG, Senior
20 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6-16 FG, 0-4 3FG, 8-8 FT

Mason's incredible senior year continues, putting up another 20 point game in a Kansas win.  Mason's become one of the most well rounded players in college basketball.  Even though he missed all of his threes this game, he has always been an elite three point shooter that has reached ridiculous levels this year (48.4% from three).  He also gets his teammates involved and has a nice two man chemistry with fellow backcourt mate Devonte Graham.  He's tough to stop in ball screens because he'll either hit the jumper or snake his way to the rim and get to the line (6.7 attempts per game).

Second Round Recap: Kentucky/Wichita State

Kentucky

De'Aaron Fox
6-4, PG, Freshman
14 points, 2 steals, 5-13 FG

This wasn't Fox's best game statistically.  He only ended up having one assist and was mainly looking to get downhill and finish.  He is unstoppable going left, but really only wants to go left.  If you sit on it and make him go right, he isn't as effective.  He had a couple impressive dunks in the halfcourt, showing off his explosiveness and speed.  The jumper is ugly, even though he did hit one mid range shot.  His three point shooting percentage (23.8%) and free throw percentage (73%) don't bod well for the future in that department either.

Second Round Recap: Villanova/Wisconsin

Villanova

Josh Hart
6-6, SF, Senior
19 points, 5-9 FG, 8-10 FT, 5 turnovers

Hart is as tough as they come.  Whether it comes to being the man to hit big shots down the stretch, or get a stop, he's up to the task.  He's really stretched his game this year to be more of a playmaker, it showed in this game. He was relentless attacking the basket going both directions and if he didn't finish the layup, he got to the line.

He has underrated athleticism. He looked comfortable going off both feet in the air. He had a nice dunk off his right foot where he got up high, surprising for a right handed player. His jumper looks better than it did last year, but he still shoots it on the way down sometimes, leaving the shot short. Hart projects to be a 3-and-D wing who can also create a little bit, attack a closeout and make a play.  There's a large chance he is the highest senior drafted in June because of that.

Second Round Recap: West Virginia/Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Bonzie Colson
6-5, PF, Sophomore
27 points, 8 rebounds, 10-15 FG, 4-5 3FG

Colson was even more impressive in this game than he was in round one. The ankle seemed fine when he was guarding guys, even getting up and doing a decent job protecting shots at the rim with his 7-0 wingspan.  The three ball was falling as well, and if he can do that consistently, he is a legit pro prospect.

First Round Recap: SMU/USC

USC played almost the whole game in a 2-3 zone, making it tough to evaluate what kind of defensive skills their players might be able to translate to the next level.

First Round Recap: Michigan/Oklahoma St

Michigan

Derrick Walton
6-0, PG, Senior
26 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-13 FG, 6-9 3FG


Walton has been on fire down the stretch of the season and he carried it over to this game.  It was a career game for Walton, and he got the best of the star studded matchup with Jawun Evans.  Walton made life miserable for Evans bringing the ball up the floor and showed great poise on the other end handling the pressure from Evans.  He has an edge and toughness about him when he plays and despite being only 6-0, he isn't afraid of contact.

First Round Recap: Gonzaga/South Dakota St

Gonzaga

Zach Collins
7-0, C, Freshman
10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks

Collins is a lottery pick in the making. There are so many things that the freshman did in this game that made me fall in love with him. His physical tools are elite for the center position. Although he has a light frame for a center, he still competes extremely hard, grabbing rebounds out of his area and pushing South Dakota State's Mike Daum off the block when guarding him. His lateral and vertical athleticism is as good as any center in this draft. He had one impressive chase down block in transition that stood out. He switched onto guards and contained them very regularly, something that is rare for a guy his size. He is the complete package defensively.

First Round Recap: Notre Dame/Princeton

Notre Dame

VJ Beachem
6-8, SF, Senior
2 points, 6 rebounds, 1-9 FG, 0-3 3FG

Beachem was pretty much a non factor in this one, which could've been for a few reasons. Notre Dame's system is very well shared across the floor and encourages ball movement. You can see that in a lot of Beachem's box scores, scoring 20 points one game and then 6 points the next. Beachem plays the four and is often setting a lot of screens, something that he more than likely won't be doing in the NBA.

NCAA First Four Recap: Wake Forest/Kansas State

Wake Forest

John Collins

6-10 PF, Sophomore

26 points, 9 rebounds, 9-13 FG, 8-8 FT

Collins has been a late riser on a lot of consensus draft boards.  He is very bouncy, even from a two foot stand still, and has a very nice frame that should fill out over time.  He is a young sophomore, still only 19 years old, making him a very enticing project for someone.  There were flashes of things that make it seem like Collins could be a highly ranked prospect.  He thrives in the face up game and is automatic from the 15-18 feet area.  He made all his free throws and has shot well (74.5%) from the line for the year.  He stroke is decent, making it seem like he might be able to stretch it out later on his career, even though he's only attempted one three in his two seasons at Wake Forest.

John Collins 16-17 Shot Chart