March Madness is one of the peak periods for sports betting in Canada and the United States. But as fans sweat out backdoor covers and pray for comebacks, what is also abundantly clear is the impact the games have on changing the lives of players. March Madness is an opportunity for the players to show out to a huge audience, with millions of eyes tuned into how they perform. It can make or break a player’s case to be a high NBA draft pick.
The 2023 tournament has wrapped, with UConn emerging victorious. Now, NBA evaluators will have to consider what they have seen when determining who to select for the upcoming draft. In this year’s topsy-turvy tournament, where few things went according to plan, who helped their case, and who hurt it? Let’s look at six players whose draft stock was most impacted by this year’s tournament.
Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller had a chance to potentially cement himself into the #2 slot in the draft with a strong showing in the tournament. The star Alabama forward definitely did not do that. Miller scored 28 points across three games, shooting just 8-41 from the field and 3-19 from three. That is an absolute flop of a tournament, and considering Miller has some serious off-court questions, the timing is bad. His performance is a big reason Alabama did not make the run in the tournament many were anticipating, and his status as a consensus top-three player may have been impacted.
Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker’s ability to impact the game in several ways was highlighted in this tournament. The big forward may have earned himself a look as a top-five candidate in this year’s draft due to the versatility he showed off. While Houston flamed out in the Sweet Sixteen, Walker managed two double-doubles, had a game with seven blocks, and had a game with five assists. He showed off the kind of two-way game that lends itself well to the modern NBA. With a big build and unique athleticism, he could be snatched up anywhere in the early lottery range.
Jordan Hawkins
Jordan Hawkins was on NBA radars before the tournament began, but now he has shown that he is the real deal. He has likely set a floor for himself in the first round. Hawkins was a big part of UConn’s dominant tournament run, with timely shot-making skills that should make him, at the bare minimum, a solid shooter off the bench. The sophomore two-guard hit multiple threes in every game this tournament, including a six-three-pointer outburst against Gonzaga. If he develops his off-the-bounce game in the league, he could be a valuable secondary scorer for a good team.
Amari Bailey
Amari Bailey came into the year with hype due to his recruiting status and social media following. His year was mostly up-and-down. But Bailey managed to regain control of the narrative by shining in the tournament as a rash of injuries forced UCLA to give the freshman guard increased responsibility. Bailey mostly delivered. Bailey scored 17, 14, and 19 points in UCLA’s three games and shot 4-6 from three. He passed the ball well and looked in control and efficient. Now, NBA teams will likely begin to look at his recent performances and see the potential he has to blossom into a league-caliber scoring guard. It was a great showing for Bailey to grab the attention of evaluators once again.
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Jalen Hood-Schifino was beginning to inch his way up lottery boards, but his tournament performance could put a halt to any lottery chatter for the Indiana guard. Hood-Schifino was gaining fans for his size and well-rounded game, but he struggled in the bright spotlight of the tournament. Hood-Schifino shot 12-33 across two tournament games, including 3-13 from three. He had five turnovers to six assists and, generally, looked slow. While this performance doesn’t change that Hood-Schifino showed serious upside this year, it might make franchises pause their projections of the young guard as a franchise lead guard.
Nick Smith Jr.
Nick Smith Jr. came to Arkansas with much fanfare as a major recruit to help the Razorbacks take the next step. He battled through an injury-prone season, but teams were still willing to see lead guard potential. His tournament did not help his case. Smith had 17 total points across three tournament games, had only one assist in the whole tournament, and shot 4-16 from the field. No player may have hurt his draft stock more. While the upside with Smith is incredible, he really hasn’t put out enough tape to be having unfortunate performances like this one. While a team can roll the dice on his potential blossoming in the NBA, the tournament was a missed opportunity for Smith.