March Madness is upon us, and 2014’s college basketball stars are out to make an impact on their draft value with strong performances in their most-watched moment of the season. Here’s a look at a few names who could benefit from a strong March-April ahead of what is expected to be one of the most stacked NBA Drafts of all times.
Jabari Parker
Jabari Parker has been lighting it up with Duke this season, averaging a double-double while pulling the Blue Devils into the top tier of teams in the college hoops. Still, sportsbooks like TopBet list Creighton’s Doug McDermott as the odds-on favorite over Parker to take home the John R. Wooden award given to the best player in college basketball. A massive ACC Tournament and March Madness run might bring the award back in range Parker, and in turn spike his 2014 NBA Draft ranking.
Marcus Smart
After being considered a likely top-five pick in the 2013 draft, Smart chose to return to Oklahoma State this season, where he has put up even better numbers than in 2012-2013, averaging 17 points, five rebounds, and almost five assists a game.
But on-court play isn’t everything. Smart’s altercation with a fan led to his suspension, and the Cowboys’ guard could now use a big run in the big dance to help NBA teams forget his potential for controversy.
Andrew Wiggins
The consensus No. 1 pick coming into the 2013-2014 season, college basketball’s prodigious Canadian has seen his value drop, mainly on account of playing on another strong Kentucky team. While there’s little doubt Wiggins will be a top three pick, a NBA superstar, and the beneficiary of one of the most lucrative apparel deals in history, the Jayhawks forward would still benefit from proving he can be the difference on a championship winning team.