Draft stock watch: What's next for Bagley, Carter and Williams?

What's next for the top NBA draft prospects eliminated from the NCAA tournament?

We break down the stock for Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Robert Williams and more players.

Marvin Bagley III | F/C | Duke

Bagley put up solid numbers in Duke's overtime loss to Kansas, with 16 points and 10 rebounds in his 22nd double-double of the season. Still, he didn't always have the impact you may have hoped considering his talent level and the fact that he was being defended for most of the night by players four to six inches shorter than him. Kansas' defense did a very good job of preventing Bagley from getting the type of deep paint touches he's made a steady living off of all season, and he did not always react well to the double-teams that were thrown his way every time he did get the ball.

Bagley's poor instincts defensively are one of the biggest reasons Duke elected to abandon man-to-man schemes altogether earlier this season and commit to playing zone for forty minutes. His lack of awareness on that end of the floor was still very much apparent against Kansas, as on numerous occasions he failed to react to simple rotations and made no effort to put himself in position to make plays to prevent easy baskets. Kansas' guards seemingly dribbled around him at times like he was barely there. Bagley generated only one steal (against Iona) and didn't have a single block in four NCAA tournament games, emphasizing just how little of an impact he makes on that end of the floor. Since 1996, only five lottery big men have posted similar season averages of one block and one steal or worse per 40 minutes: Lauri Markkanen, Trey Lyles, Domantas Sabonis, Julius Randle and Derrick Williams.

At this stage, there are not many questions remaining about whether or not Bagley will be a negative at the NBA level defensively. The main question is how much he can improve in this area with better coaching and experience, and what might be the best way to mask his deficiencies in that area, starting with what position he plays.

Looking forward: Bagley is a lock to put up numbers at the NBA level due to his tremendous scoring instincts, pogo-stick athleticism and terrific motor. He's been as productive as any player in college basketball this season and has given NBA teams drafting in the top three plenty to think about on both ends of the spectrum with his play. -- Givony

Wendell Carter Jr. | C | Duke

The 18-year-old center struggled mightily in his final NCAA game, never getting into a rhythm on either end of the floor in part due to early foul trouble (he eventually fouled out in 22 minutes). While some of the whistles against Carter were questionable, his troubles staying on the floor have become a theme throughout the season, and it's clear that he puts a tremendous amount of pressure on himself with every mistake he makes.

Carter's inability to play loose and tension-free showed up on numerous occasions against Kansas in a game that Duke severely needed him to be an offensive weapon and floor-spacer against a less mobile Udoka Azubuike. Carter badly missed all three of his 3-point attempts, misfired on an elbow jumper, air-balled a left-handed jump hook down the stretch of regulation and looked heavy-footed as a finisher both in space and traffic. Carter did give Duke a quick spurt in the second half with a couple of finishes around the rim while also showcasing impressive verticality in shot-blocking situations on the other end. But the 6-10 center also gave up a handful of offensive rebounds, looked tentative as a passer out of the post, lost the ball on a quick spin along the baseline and was unable to help alleviate some of the pressure Bagley faced from aggressive double-teams and loaded up weakside defenses.

Looking forward: Although it's only one game, Carter did little to convince scouts that he's a lock to go ahead of big man competition such as Jaren Jackson Jr., Mohamed Bamba or Robert Williams. With that said, Carter is the type of prospect who will certainly help himself throughout the pre-draft workout process with an NBA-ready frame, a 7-3 wingspan and touch out to 3. He has a lot more in his skill package than he was able to show at Duke, and he figures to earn some points throughout the interview process as well.

It's not easy to find centers who can protect the rim, space the floor, play out of the post, facilitate and rebound at a high level, even if he's not quite elite in any one area. It's also worth keeping in mind that Carter more or less functioned as a power forward at times for Duke, with Bagley doing most of his damage on the interior and the 260-pounder serving as a high-low passer. Although he might be more comfortable playing off of perimeter stars as a secondary option, Carter's high floor remains intact as a safe top-10 pick despite a forgettable NCAA swan song. -- Schmitz

Robert Williams | F/C | Texas A&M

Williams ended his inconsistent sophomore campaign on a high note despite Michigan's 27-point drubbing of Texas A&M in the Sweet 16. Fresh off of arguably the most active game of his NCAA career against UNC, the 20-year-old center again played with consistent energy and showed a considerable amount of fight, which hasn't always been the case for him this season. He gave NBA scouts a glimpse of the role he can play at the next level even with the Aggies playing him out of position at power forward.

Williams had a ferocious chase-down block, caught a pair of lobs well above the rim, switched onto guards and recovered to blocks, covered ground quickly on closeouts, forced turnovers at the top of A&M's late-game press, converted a couple high-low passes and made his presence felt on the backboards. Williams still showed some of his shortcomings by bobbling passes, turning the ball over out of the post, failing to convert basic finishes and jogging back on defense at times, but overall he ended the season with enough highlights to remind scouts why he was considered a potential top-five pick heading into the season.

Looking forward: To the naked eye, Williams didn't help his draft stock with a surprise return to College Station after turning down a likely top-10 selection last season. His offensive repertoire remains unpolished and his motor is still in question. Even so, it's easy to envision Williams looking much better in the NBA than the NCAA, and it's important to consider context when evaluating his sophomore campaign.

With uninspiring guard play and little to no spacing playing power forward next to an interior scoring center, Williams couldn't fully display his freakish explosiveness and vertical spacing abilities, and was rarely put in position to succeed on offense. He's an explosive, springy athlete who is built for a Clint Capela role as a rim-runner, lob-catcher, rebounder, and switch-capable rim protector. Even while playing out of position, he managed to finish fifth among ESPN Top 100 draft prospects in defensive rebounding percentage and third in blocks per 40 minutes based off of sheer physical talent.

He still needs to improve his motor, set harder screens and answer questions about his focus, but if Williams is thrust into the right role with skill players and veterans around him, he may very well end up developing into the top-five pick we thought he could become heading into the season. -- Schmitz

Tyus Battle | G/F | Syracuse

The ever-confident Battle continued his impressive tournament run by willing the undermanned Orange to a narrow loss against Duke. Battle showcased his versatile -- and sometimes erratic -- scoring attack by stepping into catch-and-shoot 3s, rising over defenders for pull-ups and knifing into Duke's zone to drop in floaters or connect on lobs or kick-outs. Battle still settled for low-percentage shots, exposed the ball in traffic and showed his shortcomings as a shooter when he isn't able to rely on upward momentum to get to his release point.

Battle's defensive effort in the Syracuse zone also tended to waver at times. But overall he more than showed his talent level as a 6-7, 210-pound powerful athlete who puts pressure on the rim in transition, creates shots out of spread pick-and-rolls and gets to a pull-up jumper in isolation situations. He was never afraid to take and make big shots all tournament long, which is something scouts can certainly appreciate when projecting him as a bench scorer at the next level.

Looking forward: Battle certainly showed his talent in March by leading a mediocre Syracuse roster to the Sweet 16. He isn't short on question marks, though, with a hitchy jumper and sometimes wild style of play. The 20-year-old posted a lowly 42.8 true shooting percentage over his last five games and still has concerns to address about his overall efficiency.

With that said, Battle was forced to shoulder a heavy load at Syracuse. He has NBA size and makes things happen with the ball is in his hands, possessing more playmaking ability than he was able to show in college. Battle could be an interesting option for an outside-the-box team that would consider giving him freedom playing on the ball in a bench lineup. Battle's herky-jerky style and shot-creation acumen should look even better when surrounded by shooters on a spaced NBA floor. Battle, who was more of an energy defender in Team USA settings prior to Syracuse, has more than adequate size, quickness and physicality to be a plus defender of one or two positions at the NBA level, as well. In a draft seen as top-heavy and lacking in depth, Battle could certainly garner first-round interest, especially if he shoots the ball well during the pre-draft process. -- Schmitz

Kevin Knox | F | Kentucky

Knox's uneven performance against Kansas State was a perfect microcosm of his freshman season in Lexington. The 18-year-old, 6-9 forward was more or less a non-factor in the first half, scoring only on a transition runouts, struggling to finish in traffic and failing to impact the game in other areas. Knox came alive in the second half,, knocking down a host of perimeter jumpers both when set and on the move, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Despite some impressive shot-making against Kansas State, Knox didn't attempt a field goal during the final five minutes of action and gave up a critical and-1 after getting beat from the perimeter with UK up one and just over three minutes remaining.

Knox did do a better job on the defensive backboards in total, but he failed to come up with a key defensive rebound in a tie game with one minute left. Knox's lack of physicality in cutter-bumping situations and so-so awareness helping off the strongside corner burned the Wildcats at times, even though he also rotated for a block and did a decent job keeping guards in front. Overall, Knox showed his versatile scoring attack and some of his defensive potential, yet failed to answer questions about his toughness, ability to make others better and effectiveness when his jumper and floaters aren't falling.

Looking forward: Knox can be a frustrating prospect to watch, but he's an easy fit at the NBA level given his combo forward tools and shooting stroke. He's made great strides with his jumper since his high school days and appears to have as much shooting potential as any combo forward in the 2018 class. It's also important to remember that he's one of the younger players in the draft, not turning 19 until Aug. 11. He may still have some untapped athletic potential to grow into.

Kentucky prospects can often be tough to evaluate given the finite role they play in John Calipari's system, and Knox fits that description to a certain degree as UK used him strictly at the 3 all season. While a large portion of that is likely due to Knox's preference and Kentucky's personnel, he figures to look much more adept attacking in space when operating as a modern 4 at the next level. Knox didn't solidify himself as a lock top-10 pick this March, but he's a comfortable lottery selection with a healthy combination of floor and ceiling despite some inconsistencies and shortcomings. -- Schmitz

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G | Kentucky

Kentucky's season ended in disappointing fashion, with a loss to No. 9 seed Kansas State stopping what appeared to be a cakewalk path to the title game. In the midst of as impressive a 10-game stretch as perhaps any player in college basketball, Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came down to earth at the worst moment possible for the Wildcats, having a very difficult time generating offense against a tenacious Kansas State squad that seemingly built its entire defensive game plan around him. Defenders collapsed on Gilgeous-Alexander after every pick-and-roll, preventing a path to the basket and forcing other Kentucky players to beat them instead.

Gilgeous-Alexander's inability to punish defenses with his very slow jump shot was evident in this contest, as KSU had no issue going underneath ball screens. While fluid and highly creative with the way he creates shots and finishes around the basket, using polished footwork and long strides, Gilgeous-Alexander still struggles at times to generate high-percentage looks for himself inside the paint because of his just-decent first step and at times high dribble; he's not always able to get to where he wants with the ball. He also doesn't finish around the basket as effectively as you might hope because of his lack of strength and explosiveness, a big reason he shoots just 50 percent from inside the arc while generating just a decent number of free throw attempts. He made just two of his eight 2-point attempts in this contest, and was 0-2 from beyond the arc, dishing out five assists alongside five turnovers.

Gilgeous-Alexander benefited from Kansas State being in foul trouble all game long and capitalized on the double-bonus situation by knocking down 11 of his 12 free throw attempts, many of which came off broken plays.

Looking forward: Gilgeous-Alexander elevated his stock firmly into lottery territory with an amazing month of March, including helping Kentucky win the SEC tournament and making the Elite Eight, which is a strong accomplishment considering how this team looked in the middle of February. A huge part of the resurgence is due to Gilgeous-Alexander emerging as UK's best player (and likely best prospect), but he still does have his fair share of flaws, as he demonstrated in the Wildcats' final game. -- Givony

Zhaire Smith | F | Texas Tech

Smith showed his strengths and weaknesses vividly in this contest, coming up with a fairly typical performance from what we've seen in the second half of the season.

He spent considerable time guarding Villanova's most important player, Jalen Brunson, and made life very difficult with his lethal combination of length, lateral quickness and tremendous intensity. Smith stepped into a 3-pointer confidently early in the first half, not looking bashful at all to fire away when left open, which is a great sign for a player who didn't knock down a single jump shot during the Nike EYBL season in 2016. And he demonstrated his typical energy level by flying all over the floor, getting in the passing lanes and coming up with one very impressive tip-dunk, showing off his freakish explosiveness off two feet.

Looking forward: There were still plenty of moments that reminded us of how raw Smith's skill level is at the moment, along with his lack of experience. His inexperience led to some pointless fouls as he swiped down aimlessly on shooters, getting into foul trouble in the process. He also had a very difficult time creating offense off the dribble because of his rudimentary ball skills, going 2-for-6 from inside the arc with zero assists and two turnovers. The deep tourney run likely helped accelerate Smith from a 2019 prospect to a 2018 first-rounder, though, if he decides to enter the draft. -- Givony

Grayson Allen | G | Duke

Allen had a poor game by his standards but almost ended up as the hero after generating and knocking down four straight free throws late in the game, and then seeing his potential game-winning shot narrowly rim out. Outside of that, it's tough to take too many positives away from Allen's performance, as he looked completely frazzled for much of the evening, having a difficult time finding a good balance between passing and scoring. He hoisted up a number of difficult shots outside of the rhythm of the offense and was just 2-of-12 from the field before a meaningless 3-pointer fell after the game was well out of hand.

We've talked in the past about Allen's concerning splits comparing his performance against better competition (43 percent from 2, 36 from 3, 79 games) and lesser opponents (57 percent from 2, 41 percent 3, 62 games), and unfortunately he didn't do much to dispel that notion in the tournament.

Looking forward: Allen has had a great college career and will be firmly in the mix for a spot in the late first or early second round with a solid draft process. -- Givony