The first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues on Friday with 16 more games before we move to the second round. Even for the most dedicated basketball junkies, that’s a lot of games to watch and keep track of.
If you’re a fan of the Utah Jazz, what you’re likely most interested in are the collegiate players that could end up on the Jazz roster after draft night.
If the Jazz keep their lottery pick, it’ll be a top-eight selection. With that in mind, here’s a watch guide for Friday’s March Madness games that feature players who could be top-eight draft picks.
All games are on Friday, March 20, and all times are MDT.
Tennessee (6) vs. Miami OH (11) — 2:25 p.m.
The Volunteers are a heavy favorite to beat the RedHawks, in large part because of forward Nate Ament, who averaged 19 points and six assists during SEC play this season while shooting 36.8% from 3-point range.
Ament is widely regarded as a top-10 NBA draft pick and many believe he could be off the board by pick No. 7, so he’s definitely someone who could be in the Jazz’s range come draft night.
And even if you are looking at the Jazz roster and think they should be looking for a backcourt player, when it comes to draft night the most likely scenario for every team is that they take the best talent on the board, no matter need.
Florida (1) vs. Prairie View (16) — 7:25 p.m.
This one is a bit of a stretch, but I think it’s at least worth mentioning Florida’s Thomas Haugh. It’s more likely that he’s a late lottery pick, somewhere in the 10 to 14 range, mostly because he is a junior and isn’t the most flashy offensive player.
But he is a versatile, two-way player who makes winning plays on both sides of the floor. At 6-foot-9 he has positional size that makes it easy for him to slot in at multiple possessions and he doesn’t take defensive possessions off. He’s been the steadying force for the top-seeded Gators and he is likely to be a player that can be inserted into an NBA rotation and contribute from Day 1.
Don’t sleep on the upper classman!
Kansas (4) vs. CA Baptist (13) — 7:45 p.m.
Everyone in the country has been waiting to see what Darryn Peterson looks like when the lights are brightest, and that moment has come.
He’s in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft and after BYU’s first-round loss to Texas, and Cameron Boozer’s less than stellar outing for Duke in their first-round win, Peterson has a chance to make a real case for himself in tournament play.
The Jayhawks’ lead guard will have all eyes on him on Friday night, and that includes any NBA fan that is hoping their team lands the No. 1 pick.