Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Michigan, 6’5″
Hardaway has been up and down at times but has been solid in Michigan’s two wins. With 35 points on over 50% shooting, Hardaway has been a stabilizing force as teammate Trey Burke, the Big Ten Player of the Year, has struggled both offensively and in terms of taking care of the basketball.With Hardaway’s length and scoring ability, NBA teams will be watching him closely the remainder of the tournament.
Glenn Robinson III, SF, Michigan, 6’6″
Robinson is not playing like a freshman so far in the tournament. Averaging over 17.5 ppg and shooting nearly 80%, Robinson has an outside chance to be a lottery pick — and if he continues to play like he has it would not be a surprise to see him be the first Wolverine selected in the draft, presuming he declares.
Hold your breath, Michigan fans.
Laquinton Ross, SF, Ohio State, 6’7″
Ross has been a steady contributor for the Buckeyes this year but was instrumental in the win over Iowa State. For much of the game the Buckeyes relied on a smaller lineup featuring Ross with Deshaun Thomas. At one point during his high school career, Ross was one of the top recruits in the country — and he showed why Sunday hitting shots all over the court and displaying deep NBA range. Ross has the most pro potential of any Buckeye.
Russ Smith, PG, Louisville, 6’1″
Smith has been consistently dominant for the Cardinals so far, averaging 25.0 ppg. With a legitimate shot to win the national championship, Smith is scoring all over the court and creating so many scoring options for teammates. From an NBA standpoint, Smith is an electric scorer that could be a Jason Terry-type 6th man.
With each dominant performance, Smith boosts his stock from a the second to the first round.