March Madness closes its Sweet 16 round with four big games on Friday night, many of which involve key NBA prospects. The action gets underway with North Carolina vs. Marquette at 7:15 p.m. on CBS and continues with Kansas vs. Richmond at 7:27 on TBS, Ohio State vs. Kentucky at 9:45 on CBS and Florida State vs. VCU at 9:57 on TBS.
Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger Among Prospects To Watch In Sweet 16 Games
These matchups are less exciting on paper than the four we had on Thursday night, but there are probably more NBA prospects that are in action. Harrison Barnes of North Carolina and Jared Sullinger of Ohio State lead the way, but others include Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight of Kentucky, Marcus and Markieff Morris of Kansas, Chris Singleton of Floria State and Justin Harper of Richmond.
Can any of those players wow NBA fans like Arizona’s Derrick Williams did on Thursday night? Here’s what has to happen for everyone to be impressed.
Harrison Barnes: Barnes played well in his first two games of the NCAA Tournament, but Marquette offers a really big challenge for him, one that can simulate a professional environment. Marquette is not as big or as talented as North Carolina, but they are tough defensively and have a variety of athletic, physical wing players who can take a guy like Barnes out of his game. Barnes has struggled with quick, physical defenders all season, and they have succeeded in turning him into a jump shooter. If he can overcome Marquette’s physical defense and still play well, it will go a long way toward cementing his status at the top of the NBA Draft.
Jared Sullinger: Sullinger hasn’t been tested much in the NCAA Tournament thus far, but Kentucky has a competent post defender in Josh Harrellson that most teams do not possess. You’d think Kentucky would let Harrellson do his job and not give him much help defending Sullinger, preferring instead to cut off Ohio State’s three-point shooters. If so, Sullinger needs to take advantage. If he cannot, the criticisms many scouts have about his game (too small, too slow) will come back into the forefront of the discussion.
Terrence Jones: Jones has the ability to take most defenders into the post, but Ohio State has a number of wing players who can deal with him there. That means Jones needs to be more of a complete player, because he won’t have the mismatches he usually has.
Brandon Knight: Knight probably is the major reason Kentucky was able to beat West Virginia, but Ohio State is a huge opportunity for him. He has the capability of taking advantage of Sullinger’s lack of mobility in pick and roll situations, and if he starts hot, he could once again carry Kentucky to a win. If so, he’ll vault up the NBA Draft boards.
Marcus and Markieff Morris: The Kansas big men will have their chances to dominate against a small Richmond front line and help their draft stocks, but they will have to get the ball from their guards to do it. They’ll also need to show some athleticism against Richmond’s Princeton offense, which pulls its big man away from the basket. In a way, it’s a good simulation of a pro environment.
Chris Singleton: The Florida State star is still recovering from injury, but is likely to see more action against VCU. If so, maybe he will flash the skill that made him one of the nation’s top interior defenders.
Justin Harper: Kansas’ wing players are very athletic, which is a bit problematic for Harper because tough wings can take him out of his game. But if he can overcome that, NBA scouts could be impressed by his diverse perimeter game and his athletic ability.
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