A March Madness run for the ages can vault an NBA draft prospect from a potential first-rounder to a sure-fire lottery selection. Think Kemba Walker's magical 2011 that helped him become the No. 9 overall pick. Or, perhaps closer to Trail Blazers fans' hearts, CJ McCollum's 30-point performance that helped Lehigh take down Duke and put a small-school guard on the national radar.
Maybe the next CJ is out there for Portland - the next under-the-radar prospect that sends himself flying up draft boards with an epic NCAA tournament.
Or maybe the Blazers just get lucky on lottery night, land the No. 1 overall pick and don't have to worry about anything that happens over the next few weeks because they can take whoever they want.
Portland Trail Blazers 2024 NBA mock draft roundup
Here's a rundown of three recent 2024 NBA mock drafts, one of which includes the Blazers finding themselves in that win-the-lottery, best-case scenario. And not to be left out, a few potential March Madness breakout stars as well.
Blazers win the NBA draft lottery, pick Zaccharie Risacher
In a dream scenario that Portland fans hope becomes true, general manager Joe Cronin lucks into the No. 1 overall selection and takes French wing Zaccharie Risacher, who Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (subscription required) has as the top player on his board.
Risacher is an 18-year-old, 6-foot-8 wing who's consistently shot in the mid-40-percent range from three this year in both EuroCup and French league games. He can hit from deep in catch-and-shoot situations but is just as deadly running off screens, pin-downs and dribble handoffs.
He has a high basketball IQ, which makes him a good passer and connector on offense and a good help defender. Coupled with his length, he has the potential to guard two through four in the NBA.
Risacher struggles to create his own shot, though, and he may never develop that skill (although he'll only be 19 on draft night so there's time to grow). That may limit his NBA ceiling, but a knockdown shooter with size, length and defensive versatility is a sought-after archetype and would fit well in Portland.
No. 14: Ja'Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
With their second lottery pick, courtesy of the Golden State Warriors, Vecenie has the Trail Blazers grabbing Baylor freshman Ja'Kobe Walter. This would be an upside play as Walter hasn't been the shooter and scorer scouts thought he would be this season in the Big 12.
The 19-year-old is a 6-foot-5 guard/wing who could eventually become a Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson sixth-man type if everything comes together. His ceiling may not be any higher than that, but it's worth taking a flier on one of those late in the lottery of a poor draft class.
Next: Two potential March Madness stars end up in Portland
Blazers gamble on upside of Cody Williams and high-floor of Kyle Filipowski
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Cronin grabbing a boom-or-bust prospect in Colorado's Cody Williams and following it up with a safer bet on Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski with his second selection.
No. 5: Cody Williams, F, Colorado
Wasserman's comp for Williams is Minnesota Timberwolves' defender and glue guy extraordinaire Jaden McDaniels. Williams' size (6-8) and length point to an above-average defender, but his lack of shot creation and scoring ability, at least to this point in his career, have him all over the place in mocks.
At the very least, he can develop into a good wing defender and a point-forward who could be an excellent distributor. But Cody is a more highly-touted prospect than his brother Jalen was (who now stars for the Oklahoma City Thunder), so the potential to be a high-level two-way wing is certainly there.
Williams is coming off an ankle injury that could dampen his chances at a standout March Madness run - he only played 11 minutes and went 0-for-4 in the Buffaloes' first-four win over Boise State - but there aren't many prospects in the 2024 draft with his potential.
No. 14: Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
Filipowski could have entered the draft last year but decided to return to Duke for another season. It was a good call as he's improved across the board, both statistically and in the eye-test department.
Filipowski's attractiveness as a prospect stems from his ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot from the outside, score in the paint, make passes that keep an offense humming and defend multiple front-court positions. He's a 7-footer with guard-like skills and versatility, even if he doesn't have one standout attribute.
If he lands in Portland, Filipowski could play next to Deandre Ayton and the Blazers could have one 7-footer grabbing a rebound and leading a fast break with another athletic enough to run alongside him. That would be unique, to say the least.
Next: Trail Blazers grab the most likely college player to breakout in March
Portland takes G League star Ron Holland, potential one-and-done national champion Stephon Castle
Kyle Irving of The Sporting News has what may be the most exciting scenario for the Blazers, even including that lottery leap to the No. 1 overall pick.
No. 5: Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
Holland was the best player on a terrible Ignite team this season. He showed the most potential and improved the most from start to finish before his season ended early due to a thumb injury.
Holland is a strong 6-foot-8 wing with a high motor that never stops. It's Russell Westbrook-ian. He's one of the best defenders in this class, and even with a shaky jump shot and limited shot-creation skills, he managed to average more than 20 points in the G League simply on effort and elite physical gifts.
He could be an ideal complimentary two-way player for the Blazers.
No. 13: Stephon Castle, G, UConn
Castle is poised to be the breakout star of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He's a starter for the Huskies, a team that will almost certainly make a deep run and is the favorite to win the whole thing.
The 6-foot-6 freshman would slide perfectly into Portland's rebuild as a guard/forward hybrid who can playmake and defend at a high level. He's an interesting and wildly enticing combination of a big guard and a versatile, lock-down wing.
Castle can play as a true point guard who can run an offense, as a secondary ball-handler and shot-creator or as a scorer who can use his size and strength to get to the rim. All that's left offensively is for him to develop a reliable jump shot.
The physical attributes that allow him to be such a versatile offensive weapon help him on the defensive end. With his size and quickness, he can guard one through four with almost limitless switchability.
The issue with this Castle pick is that after he likely shows out on a national stage over the next month, there's no way he's still available at No. 13. If he's there at No. 5, though, Portland would do well to grab perhaps the best future NBA player in the entire 2024 draft early.