It’s been a rare few weeks in the NCAA Tournament, even by March Madness’ often wild standards.
Three of the remaining teams – Florida Atlantic, San Diego State, and Miami – have never been to a Final Four. It’s the first time that’s happened since 1970.
Going back a round, it’s the first time ever a No. 1 seed hasn’t reached the Elite Eight.
FAU had never won an NCAA Tournament game prior to this year.
All this makes sifting through these teams for potential NBA prospects a fairly daunting task.
In fact, according to David Cobb of CBS Sports, there are a grand total of zero McDonald’s All-Americans in this year’s Final Four. It’s the first time that’s happened since 1979 when the NCAA first began seeding the tournament.
That doesn’t mean all four teams – adding Connecticut into the mix – are completely devoid of NBA talent. Even in the crazy world of college basketball in one of the craziest tournaments in recent memory, these teams wouldn’t be where they are without skilled players.
Having said that, which of the players in this (admittedly small) group could be fits for the Portland Trail Blazers at the next level?
4. Adama Sanogo, Connecticut Huskies
Sanogo has greatly increased his draft profile during UConn’s tournament run. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center has dominated inside, often looking like the best big man on the floor regardless of matchup.
Sanogo averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds on 60 percent shooting during the regular season. The junior seemingly has a knack for the moment, though, as those numbers have jumped to 20 points and 10 rebounds on 65.5 percent shooting in the postseason.
Even against Gonzaga, one of the best and most efficient teams in the country, Sanogo posted a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. He helped get the Zags’ Drew Timme – a three-time All-American and a finalist for this year’s Naismith Player of the Year Award – in foul trouble, which essentially removed Timme from the game as the Huskies beat Gonzaga by 28 points.
Sanogo has been the most dominant big man in the tournament. The Blazers could use someone like that.
3. Jordan Miller, Miami Hurricanes
Miller had the game of his life in the Elite Eight, essentially carrying the Hurricanes down the stretch to beat second-seeded Texas.
The 6-7 forward had 27 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting. He went 13-for-13 from the free-throw line for good measure.
Miller was Miami’s offense in the second half. He owned multiple Texas defenders in one-on-one situations, using his length, quickness, and a few nifty left-handed finishes at the rim the Longhorns weren’t ready for.
In the event the fifth-year senior didn’t get to the rim, he found open shooters or big men under the basket, showing good offensive IQ and a bit of passing chops.
Miller’s 23 years old, doesn’t have much of an outside shot, and is a skinny 195 pounds. He won’t be the same matchup nightmare in the NBA as he was against Texas. There’s something to his good-at-everything, great-at-nothing game, though, that should give him a shot at the next level.
Portland could do a lot worse than adding a wing with Miller’s skill set to its summer league roster and seeing what develops.
2. Andre Jackson Jr., Connecticut Huskies
Jackson is the 40th-ranked player on ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s big board.
He’s part of the new wave of tall, long, pass-first point guards to enter the league in recent seasons. He’s an athletic 6-6 and uses that size and athleticism well as a versatile defender who can shut down both wings and forwards.
In UConn’s four games this tournament, he has 31 assists and 28 rebounds.
He’s excellent at crashing the defensive glass and immediately getting his team started on the break. The 21-year-old uses his court vision to find open teammates anywhere on the floor.
He’s just as efficient doing that in a half-court setting; he’s a smart player who keeps the Huskies offense humming.
Similar to Miller, Jackson isn’t a threat from the outside; he has trouble scoring points in general.
The Blazers, though, could use someone in Jackson’s mold – a long, athletic, defensive-minded, pass-first point guard – to pair with the limited size and defensive skills of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.
1. Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut Huskies
Hawkins’ dead-eye shooting ability had him in the conversation to be a lottery pick before the tournament began. That conversation is now heating up.
In the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, Hawkins scored 44 total points and shot 47 percent from deep. He’s averaging 17 points through the tournament’s first four games and is hitting a ridiculous 51.6 percent of his nearly eight threes a game.
That shooting isn’t a fluke, either. Hawkins connected on 38 percent of his 7.7 threes per game this season as a sophomore.
Whether it’s running off screens, off dribble handoffs, on spot-up threes or off the dribble, the 6-5 guard is a pure shooter. That’s a translatable skill that will get Hawkins minutes as soon as he reaches the NBA.
He’s not a one-trick pony, either. There have been times during the tournament when he’s recognized teams closing out too hard on him and made them pay by pump faking and attacking those closeouts.
He’s versatile in that respect, as well; he’s gotten to the rim, pulled up from mid-range, or gotten to the free-throw line off those drives.
Maybe Hawkins isn’t the most ideal fit in Portland’s backcourt, but when he’s this much more talented than any other player in the Final Four, talent should win out.