NEW YORK -- The first two major NBA draft scouting events of the season happened over the past few days.
Scouts got to see Kansas and Michigan State twice as well as Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and Indiana, with plenty of potential lottery picks hitting the court.
Which prospects impressed and disappointed the most?
By my count, five projected lottery picks, 10 players in our top 30 and 22 players in our Top 100 were on the court Tuesday night in New York at the Champions Classic. That number would've swelled to seven lottery picks, 13 players in our top 30 and 25 players in our Top 100 if Duke's Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden weren't sidelined by injuries.
First impressions, while often terribly misleading, really matter, and a couple of players made great ones, whereas others came up very short.
I spoke with a number of NBA GMs and scouts during and after the Champions Classic to get their takes on the prospects from these six teams.
Here's a look at the players they are buzzing about.
Stock: Hot
Malik Monk, G, Fr., Kentucky
No player helped himself more on Tuesday than Monk, who scored 23 on 7-of-11 shooting from 3-point range.
Monk already has elite athleticism. Scouts question the consistency of his shooting ability and his lack of elite size for a 2-guard (6-foot-3, 185 pounds). If he's going to shoot like that all season, the first question will be nullified.
But can he initiate the offense? There was no solid evidence on Tuesday that he has point guard skills, the lack of which might be an impediment to his remaining in the draft's top 10.
OG Anunoby, F, So. Indiana
Anunoby has been drawing raves from scouts all fall thanks to his chiseled frame (featuring enormous thighs). Now he's supposed to be making the transition from defensive specialist to two-way wing with NBA 3-and-D potential.
So far, pretty good. Against Kansas, not only did he shut down Josh Jackson, but he showed he could score with efficiency, hitting three 3s in seven attempts.
Thomas Bryant, C, So. Indiana
Bryant was impressive against Kansas on Friday, scoring in the paint and on the perimeter. He looked lighter on his feet than he did last year and much more confident in the paint on offense.
Lauri Markkanen, F, Fr., Arizona
A Finland native, Markkanen has been a small mystery to some after foregoing basketball at the highest level to come to Arizona. He has the NBA body and a lethal outside jumper. He just needs to continue to get more comfortable on the court.
Markkanen was solid against Michigan State (13 points and six rebounds) and dominant against CSU Bakersfield (26 points and 8 rebounds). He has a lot to work on, but the raw talent is there.
Kobi Simmons, G, Fr., Arizona
Simmons is coming off the bench for the Wildcats, but that didn't stop him from scoring 18 points and hitting 2-for-3 from beyond the arc in Arizona's opener against the Spartans.
Simmons already has great size and athleticism for his position. If he can show a consistent jumper and some court vision, he could end up firmly in the first round on draft night.
Frank Mason, PG, Sr., Kansas
Mason is coming off two monster games: a 30-point, nine-assist, seven-rebound game versus Indiana and a 21-point, five-assist performance against Duke.
Mason is tough, super quick, fearless taking it to the basket and a pesky defender. His lack of size is a question mark, but if he plays like this all season, he has a good shot at getting drafted.
Luke Kennard, SG, So., Duke
Kennard impressed teams with his shooting and heady passing in the game against Kentucky.
Billed as an elite shooter coming out of high school, he shot just 32 percent from 3-point range as a freshman. He's shooting better than 50 percent in his first three games at Duke, and if he can stay in the 40 percent range all year, he has a real shot at the first round in a draft without many elite shooters.
Stock: Cold
Grayson Allen, G, So., Duke
For a second straight year, Allen really struggled at the Champions Classic. He scored just six points on 2-of-11 shooting last year versus Kentucky. This year, he scored 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting against Kansas.
Allen clearly has elite athletic abilities and is a great shooter, but he struggled again against the length and athleticism of both Kentucky and Kansas. Last year's performance really put a lid on his draft ceiling. This year didn't do him any favors either.
Edrice Adebayo, PF, Fr., Kentucky
Bam Adebayo looks like a mini Dwight Howard when he's standing on the court, but he's still figuring out how to play like him.
Bam had just six points and five rebounds along with five turnovers against Michigan State. He clearly has an NBA body and athletic ability, but his feel for the game still looks like a major question mark early.
Stock: Neutral
Josh Jackson, G/F, Fr., Kansas
Jackson didn't play anything like a potential No. 1 pick in his opener against Indiana. His jumper wasn't falling, and he struggled to get into any sort of flow offensively, ending with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting.
He bounced back against Duke, scoring 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including a nine-point run that put Kansas in the lead in the second half. He was more aggressive taking the ball to the basket and, had he not been in foul trouble much of the night, looked like he could've had an even bigger game.
He's still figuring out his role in the offense and how to dial it back just a bit on the defensive end. It's a work in progress, but nothing scouts have seen are causing them to back off his spot as a top-five pick -- yet.
Miles Bridges, F, Fr., Michigan State
Bridges was dominant for the Spartans in the opening game versus Arizona, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds while showing a full arsenal of offensive skills, including dunks, post-ups and the ability to create his own shot off the bounce. His jump shot is still a work in progress, and he can be careless with the ball, but his unique athletic abilities and skills for his size clearly stood out.
He was a mess against Kentucky, scoring just six points and shooting 2-of-11 from the field with nine turnovers. He struggled with the extra defensive attention he saw and couldn't get his jumper to fall. He did get 12 rebounds and three blocks, but overall it was a rough night.
Still, the scouts I spoke with felt like Bridges has top-10 talent, maybe even top-five if he starts to settle down and let the game come to him a little more.
De'Aaron Fox, PG, Fr., Kentucky
Fox is an absolute blur on the offensive end. He's one of the fastest players end-to-end in college basketball, and that has some appeal to scouts.
However, his jump shot and ability to finish through contact at the rim are still major question marks. He's 0-for-7 from 3-point range so far.
Carlton Bragg, F, So., Kansas
Bragg has been productive when he has been on the court, but foul trouble limited him in the Indiana and Duke games; he has played just 17 minutes per game.
If he can stay on the floor, there's no reason he average 17-20 points per game and 7-10 rebounds per game. Scouts really like what they see in the early going.
Frank Jackson, G, Fr., Duke
Jackson had a quiet first half against Kansas after two pretty dominant games coming off the bench. However, he got going in the second half and hit a huge 3-pointer that tied the game in the final seconds.
Jackson's ability to play both guard positions and his shooting could push him much higher up the board if his production can continue once Duke's elite freshman trio returns to the lineup.
Lagerald Vick, SG, So., Kansas
Vick didn't play a big role for Kansas as a freshman, but he's seeing significant minutes off the bench this year and looks like he can be a very solid contributor if he can get his jump shot to fall; he's just 1-for-7 from 3-point range so far. I'm not sure he's a first-rounder this year, but there's some real potential there.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, G/F, Jr., Kansas
Mykhailiuk showed some signs in the Indiana game that he could be in for a breakout year. When he's hitting 3s and playing with confidence, he looks the part of a NBA role player.
He played a much smaller role against Duke, making a couple of passes that were impressive.