The NCAA Tournament is underway! With the First Four games kicking things off on Tuesday, the Big Dance is really heating up for college basketball fans across the country.
While college hoops die-hards are familiar with the biggest names that will be taking the court this week, there are also plenty of people who will be tuning in for the first time this season.
If you’re looking for a primer on what players will soon be taking their talents to the next level, you have come to the right place.
Plenty of March Madness sensations will soon find themselves in the NBA. These are the five players to keep an eye on for the next three weeks.
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
This should come as no surprise to NBA fans or college basketball fans alike, but John Calipari once again is going to produce multiple lottery picks in this year’s NBA draft.
The first name off the board will likely be Dillingham, who's the most electric guard in the country.
Dillingham is a 6-foot-3, 176-pound stick of dynamite. His offensive skill set is filled with a tight handle, explosive speed and tough shot-making that's been NBA ready since the moment he stepped onto campus.
Dillingham has a flare for the big moment, and if Kentucky finds itself down late in a game, it'll likely lean on its freshman to save the day.
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Dillingham is not the only Kentucky guard that will be projected in the lottery this summer. Sheppard is the most efficient guard in college basketball. Sheppard is a 6-foot-3, 187-pound combo guard who can run point or move off the ball and space the floor.
Sheppard impacts the game in countless ways; he makes 53% of his shots from 3-point range and averages 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
He's also one of the best defensive prospects in the sport, chipping in 2.5 steals per game.
He'll impact winning immediately for any team in the NBA.
Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Another NBA-ready guard is Baylor’s Walter. Walter stepped into the Keyonte George-shot hunter role in Scott Drew’s offense and has done his job admirably, averaging 14.2 points per game.
Walter attempts 6.2 3s per contest and makes them at a 34% clip. He can rise over college defenders with ease and takes and makes contested shots fluidly.
He's best off of movement, making shots off screens and handoffs. He has an advanced arsenal of tough shots in his bag, and has stepped up under pressure for Baylor in the big moments.
Stephon Castle, UConn
Castle is rising up draft boards as UConn’s quest for a repeat national championship continues.
Castle projects as a top-tier NBA defender and has all the intangible things that winning teams need. He plays hard, has a high motor, communicates well and leads this UConn defense despite just being a true freshman.
Because UConn is loaded with college stars, he's not asked to do as much offensively as he can. But he still shows flashes of offensive brilliance as a finisher.
He's a great secondary playmaker as well, averaging 2.8 assists per game to just 1.5 turnovers despite playing primarily off the ball.
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
The best pure scorer is Tennessee’s Knecht, who has one of the more impressive college career arcs in college basketball history.
In just a few short years, Knecht has risen from North Eastern Junior College — where he was an All-American — to D-I Northern Colorado — where he averaged 20 points per game.
He finally transferred to Tennessee, where the entire world was able to see what he's capable of.
Knecht is a three-level scorer who single-handedly carries Tennessee to victory. He has games with 40, 39, 39, 36 and 32 points scored this season.
Knecht could be plucked from Knoxville and immediately inserted into an NBA rotation tomorrow, and he would do what he does best … get buckets.
If there's one player in March Madness to do a full Kemba Walker-impersonation and lead his team to a title through his offense, it would be Dalton Knecht.
