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ESPN- NBA draft analyst and writer
Joined ESPN.com in July 2017
Founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams - Close
ESPN- NBA draft analyst and writer
Joined ESPN.com in 2023
Covered the NBA and NBA draft for Sports Illustrated from 2015-2023
Conference tournament week is here, which means it's the last chance for several NBA draft prospects to impress scouts at the college level.
Some players have already ensured they will be dancing next week at the NCAA tournament after quality regular seasons, while others will have to guide their teams through tough stretches this week for the opportunity to display their talents on college basketball's biggest stage.
With conference tournaments here, it's time to look at the biggest draft questions from across the country.
What can we expect from Kentucky and its two top-five prospects coming off the bench? Will Kansas turn it around after a recent skid and key injuries? And can either USC or Colorado march through the Pac-12 tournament to prolong the college careers of Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams?
From the ACC to the SEC, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo cover the top storylines ahead of conference tournament week action in this week's draft notebook.
SEC tournament
Is Kentucky the best show in college basketball?
What a transformation it's been for coach John Calipari offensively, going from guiding a plodding, post-heavy squad that rarely shoots 3-pointers, to the architect of the most exciting team in college basketball. The Wildcats rank second among high major teams in pace, are the top-ranked 3-point shooting team in college (41% ) and play a free-flowing, unselfish and highly entertaining style that has helped all 10 of their rotation players emerge as serious NBA prospects.
Their best two prospects -- Rob Dillingham (No. 3 in the ESPN Top 25) and Reed Sheppard (No. 5) don't even start for the Wildcats but often finish out games and will be among the most closely followed players in the coming weeks.
Sheppard's scorching shooting, increasingly effective slashing prowess and outstanding two-way instincts has seen him rocket up big boards despite his lack of ideal physical tools. While some NBA scouts point back to John Stockton and Steve Nash for historical comparisons of point guards with elite feel, pace and creativity that helped compensate for a lack of outlier length and body types, others say undersized guards such as Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley show that there are many different ways to emerge as starting caliber guards in today's NBA for cerebral players in Sheppard's mold.
Dillingham will be fighting some of those same stigmas, as he was measured under 6-foot-2 on several occasions and does not possess the biggest frame or longest wingspan either to compensate. Like Sheppard, he's played some of his best games of the season against top-level competition, but is viewed as a bit more of a wild card as he can be hit or miss with his shot selection and decision-making but is electric when he's operating at his best. Dillingham also draws a variety of comparisons: his ballhandling ability is Kyrie Irving-esqe, his shot-making confidence and porous defense can be reminiscent of Trae Young and his speed and explosiveness resemble De'Aaron Fox.
Not every team is on board with Sheppard and Dillingham being picked as high as we currently have them -- but strong showings in the SEC and NCAA tournaments can help solidify them in that range. -- Jonathan Givony
Can anyone slow down Dalton Knecht?
Hunter Dickinson heads to the locker room after suffering a shoulder injury in the second half.
If Kentucky is the best show in college basketball, Knecht's scoring exploits at Tennessee has to be a close second. The SEC Player of the Year and likely first-team All-American has gone off for 35-plus points five times this season, and is liable to have a big performance in any tournament game moving forward with the way Tennessee utilizes him in their half-court offense, basically running a play for him every time down the floor when they need a bucket.
Knecht is one of the most dynamic shooters in college basketball, but he's proven to be much more than that bullying opponents in transition and the half court with his strong frame and physical style of play. It will be interesting to see how opponents try to slow him down. NBA teams are starting to wonder just how high Knecht can get picked -- who doesn't need a 6-6 wing who can create his own shot, shoot off movement, gets to the free throw line prolifically, doesn't turn the ball over and looks ready to play a big role from day one? His age (he turns 23 in April) and average defense and passing might work against him to some extent, but some additional fireworks in March could go a long way in solidifying his chances as a top-10 pick. -- Givony
Big 12 tournament
Can an injured Kansas stop its recent slide?
UConn fans go wild for Stephon Castle as he gets up for the one-handed dunk.
The Jayhawks head to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City fresh off a crushing 30-point loss to Houston scoring only 46 points and without the services of Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson. After losing three of four, Kansas heads into unfamiliar territory as the sixth seed in the Big 12 tourney, drawing the winner of Cincinnati and West Virginia headed into a potentially huge quarterfinal against Baylor.
Whether Kansas can rediscover its momentum -- without its two injured leading scorers in projected first-rounder McCullar and the productive Dickinson -- will be one of the more interesting subplots of this tournament. There will be added stress on the supporting cast, including potential one-and-done freshman Johnny Furphy, veteran guard DaJuan Harris Jr. and high-energy forward KJ Adams, to hold the line. -- Jeremy Woo
Are Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter and Yves Missi ready for primetime?
Baylor's two projected first-round freshmen have more to prove in the coming weeks, and a big platform ahead with potential matchups against Kansas, Iowa State and Houston lying ahead if the seeding holds. Walter remains in the lottery mix but finished the regular season shooting just 34% from 3, albeit on high volume. His calling card in the draft will have to be the room for growth as a top-tier shooter. There's evidence on film of his shooting acumen, but the numbers haven't necessarily spoken to that after 30 games. He's also shooting just 43% on 2-pointers, a concerning number for a high-volume scorer. If Walter can get going this week and in the NCAA tournament, a late-season push would likely help bolster his case as a top-10 pick. If not, there's some uncertainty here.
Missi has had productive flashes but profiles as a project pick wherever he's drafted, with some scouts intrigued by his athleticism and upside and others turned off by the raw nature of his game and somewhat limited feel at this stage. He's likely going to need seasoning in the G League should he turn pro regardless, but supplying energy and finding ways to impact the game in his minutes as he enters the biggest stretch of games of his young career would help to leave a positive impression. Missi's rebounding and defense have been inconsistent but will need to be his hallmarks as a pro. While he can't change the fact he needs to gain playing experience before impacting high-level NBA games, he has an opportunity to create some added optimism around his projection this month. -- Woo
How far can Jamal Shead lead Houston?
The Cougars enter the week essentially locked in as a No. 1 seed but also quite banged up, with JoJo Tugler done for the season, Shead battling tendinitis and J'Wan Roberts dealing with an injured hand. While Houston doesn't necessarily need to shell out for seeding due to its current résumé -- being healthier for the NCAA tournament is a bigger issue -- it'll be an interesting test for the ultra-competitive Shead, who has made a strong sleeper case this season and has appeal in the second round as a potential solid long-term backup.
Shead's size will impede his draft stock, but his toughness, defense and intangibles give him many of the traits teams look for when searching for undervalued guard depth. Proving he can be a big-time shot-maker when it counts and continuing to lead a top team through adversity will be big for him in March, as he attempts to play his way into guaranteed money in the NBA. It's hard not to like what he brings to the table, and he can continue to help himself with good showings. -- Woo
Big East tournament
What version of Stephon Castle will we get?
Illinois utilizes multiple defenders to block Zach Edey from scoring.
UConn's Castle is one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft -- some teams view him as a top-five pick candidate, while others say they struggle to see his fit on their roster. Part of that is due to the extreme ups and downs we've seen from Castle, especially against high-level competition where he has struggled.
According to Bart Torvik, in 14 games against top-50 caliber opponents, Castle is shooting 43% from 2-point range, 28% for 3, with more turnovers than assists. With UConn widely expected to go on a deep NCAA tournament run that will likely include games against several high-level opponents, Castle has a great opportunity to reverse that trend and show he can be productive against elite-level defenses. Castle's jump-shot, in particular, is a concern projecting to the NBA -- he's hit just 16 3-pointers in 25 games this season, and is often guarded like a non-shooter, with teams hiding big men or weaker defenders on him, daring him to beat them from the perimeter, which he's often appeared reluctant to do.
Assuming the Huskies advance past the winner of the Big East opening round game (Butler or Xavier) in the quarterfinals, games against a desperate Seton Hall or St. John's teams -- both of which are clinging to their NCAA tournament hopes -- and possibly Creighton or Marquette in the final, would be high profile matchups for Castle to excel in. -- Givony
Is this Devin Carter's last stand?
With Providence currently slated in ESPN's Joe Lunardi's "next four out column" and said to require at least two wins in the Big East tournament starting Wednesday, NBA teams will want to see what Carter looks like in some of the biggest games he's played in his career to this point.
Providence is an elite defensive team -- in no small part due to Carter -- but struggles to score consistently on offense. The Friars will need Carter to be ultra-aggressive creating shots for himself and others while hitting 3-pointers to have any chance of defeating Creighton -- who they will meet in the quarterfinals as long as they defeat Georgetown on Wednesday. The Big East has more first-round prospects than usual this year and will have a healthy number of NBA executives at Madison Square Garden scouting its talent. -- Givony
Will Tyler Kolek be healthy for the Big East and NCAA tournaments?
Kolek missed the final three games of the regular season for Marquette due to an oblique injury, games that didn't mean much for conference tournament seeding purposes. For the Golden Eagles to have any chance of repeating as conference tournament champions, they'll need Kolek -- arguably the best point guard in college basketball -- on the floor and as close to full strength as possible to take down Villanova, and then the winner of Creighton/Providence, before a likely meeting with UConn in the championship game. Marquette was upset in the NCAA tournament's round of 32 last year by Michigan State, with Kolek having his worst game of the season, and he'll surely want to go out on a much stronger note in what could very well be the final games of his college career. -- Givony
Big Ten tournament
Can anyone stop Zach Edey?
Carlton Carrington is automatic from 3-point land
So far, the answer has been no: Edey looks poised to repeat as the Wooden Award winner after another monster season, leading Purdue to the top seed in the Big Ten tourney and a likely No. 1 berth next week in the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten tourney offers yet another opportunity for Edey to show scouts what's made him such an impossible cover at the college level, facing teams who know him well and will continue to throw the kitchen sink at him in an attempt to upset the Boilermakers and notch a huge late-season win going into Selection Sunday.
Edey has solidified himself as a likely first-rounder in the eyes of the NBA, essentially checking every potential box he can to make a convincing case that he breaks the mold for a player his size. Still, he remains polarizing for scouts due primarily to the questions surrounding the utility of super-sized big men in today's NBA. There are valid questions with him on the defensive end that will play a determinant in how early he's drafted, but he's a pretty convincing player to watch in person due to his nonstop motor, physicality and sheer effectiveness at the college level. There may not be many scouts left for Edey to win over -- at a certain point you either buy that his game translates or you don't -- but as Purdue looks to avenge last year's early loss in the NCAA tournament, a big March run, beginning in the conference tournament, can only help. -- Woo
Can Payton Sandfort carry Iowa to the NCAA tournament?
Iowa sits very much on the tournament bubble entering the week, with a Nos. 7-10 matchup against Ohio State on Thursday likely spelling the end of one of those teams' chances. Each game presents a final opportunity potentially for Sandfort, Iowa's sharpshooter who has put together an excellent stretch in conference play and has begun to showcase more of his all-around game. A win over the Buckeyes would lead to a huge matchup against an Illinois team that held Sandfort to 12 points Feb. 24, in what would be a major late-season résumé-builder.
Sandfort has likely earned himself at least a combine invitation at this point, with good positional size and feel for his role as a wing shooter and having put together a strong season despite often being the focal point of opposing defenses. Earning a tournament berth with a couple of wins in the conference tourney would extend his audition, if nothing else. -- Woo
How will Kel'el Ware's last games for Indiana be remembered?
The 18-13 Hoosiers have won four straight entering the Big Ten tourney but are projected out of the tournament field. While it's been too little, too late in the context of their season, Ware has been playing the most productive basketball of his career in the past month or so, most recently logging 26 points and 11 rebounds against Minnesota last week and following it with 28 points and 12 rebounds against Michigan State on Sunday. The big knock on Ware from NBA scouts has always surrounded his inconsistent motor and lack of consistent competitive mettle, but he's started to at least produce like a first-round caliber talent and has likely earned himself money next season due to what he's shown.
Ware will likely have to show well in workouts and interviews to fully back up the season he's having, as teams try to figure out whether he's truly turned a corner. But in keeping with his recent performances, scouts will want to see him go out fighting. Ware is the type of long, mobile big that teams are often willing to roll the dice on and who often get long opportunities to stick in the league, and he's certainly talented enough to justify it. Finishing his season on a productive high note will help to back up his case. -- Woo
ACC tournament
Will this be the final games for Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George?
Isaiah Collier keeps the defender on his hip before knocking down the jumper while being fouled.
Going into the season, no one projected Carrington and George as potential one-and-done first-rounders. That's exactly where they both currently stand in our most recent mock draft, though, causing a degree of urgency among NBA teams to get a potential last look at them in the ACC tournament.
In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, George's Hurricanes have been disappointing this year, causing them to earn just the No. 14 seed in the ACC bracket and a matchup with No. 11 Boston College in Tuesday's first round. The winner of that game gets Clemson on Wednesday. NBA teams will want to see how assertive George looks on both ends of the floor -- they love his size (almost 6-9), shooting (42% for 3) and basketball instincts, but have been disappointed at times by his lack of urgency and physicality on both ends of the floor. George has gotten better as the year progressed, and it will be interesting to see how much juice he has stepping foot in a likely empty arena Tuesday with possibly more NBA scouts than fans watching his every move.
Pitt and Carrington come to Washington D.C. in very different circumstances -- having won nine of their past 11 games, earning them the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament. They still need to win a game or two to make the NCAA tournament, per bracketologists, and will likely face another desperate team in Wake Forest in the quarterfinals, setting up a possible lose-and-out scenario for both teams. Carrington has been inconsistent in ACC play but is playing some of his best basketball as of late and will need to continue to shoot the ball effectively and make good decisions in the biggest games of his career to this point to try to extend his season and not end up in the NIT. -- Givony
Can Hunter Sallis extend his season?
Two weeks ago, Sallis was coming off the best game of his college career -- a 29-point (5-for-6 from 3), six-rebound effort in a win versus Duke that appeared to solidify Wake Forest's NCAA tournament credentials. Then the Demon Deacons dropped games to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, with Sallis shooting 15-for-42 from the field, putting them back on the outside looking in. Wake will likely need to win two games now in Washington D.C. -- first versus the winner of Notre Dame/Georgia Tech, and then a matchup with Pitt for the right to play North Carolina in the semifinals. Sallis -- Wake Forest's best player -- will be asked to deliver in a major way for his team to not end up in the NIT. -- Givony
Pac-12 tournament
Has Isaiah Collier done enough to help his stock?
Since returning from a hand injury in early February, Collier has played much better than he showed early in the season. And while no longer regarded as a No. 1 pick candidate, Collier and USC have a bit of momentum going into the week, having won four of five games, including an upset of Arizona at the Galen Center this past weekend -- the Trojans' biggest win of the season. Collier's stock has begun to tick back upward as a pretty firm lottery candidate, and while not without some level of risk, his combination of strength, size, burst and passing ability helps to separate him from the other guards in this class.
While the Trojans have to win the Pac-12 tournament to prolong their season -- an unlikely proposition as the No. 9 seed -- Collier will be tracked closely by NBA scouts in Las Vegas hoping to get a final look at him. The biggest question surrounding him at this point, in addition to his streaky jumper, surrounds his capacity to lead a winning team and how far away he is from maturing to that point. Collier is a major talent, but his decision-making can be hurried and his downhill-oriented style will be harder to get away with at the NBA level unless he learns to pick his spots better and truly command a team. To his credit, he's gotten his season back on track individually, and any more positive results USC can eke out this week won't hurt. -- Woo
Can Cody Williams find some momentum going into the pre-draft process?
Williams was near the top of our rankings in January, but has since struggled to build his case as a potential early-draft selection after a string of inconsistent showings underscored the fact that he won't necessarily be a ready-made rotation player upon arrival in the NBA. There's quite a bit to like about Williams in the long run due to his positional size, unselfish style and room to grow offensively, but his inability to consistently impose himself on games as a scorer at the college level raises fair questions about his readiness and where he projects on the offensive end. His defensive ability gives him a good base as a prospect, but he'll need to start making shots, refining his ball skills and showing more aggressiveness as a scorer for teams to trust him.
Colorado is on the bubble entering the week and needs to snag as many wins as it can, beginning Wednesday night in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. Scouts in Vegas will be watching Williams to see if he can channel some of what made him so interesting earlier in the year. Much will come down to interviews and workouts for Williams and lottery teams in the end, but any favor he can win back in the postseason could matter as front offices split hairs over the top prospects in the coming months. -- Woo
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
Jeremy Woo is an NBA analyst specializing in prospect evaluation and the draft. He was previously a staff writer and draft insider at Sports Illustrated.