It was about this time one year ago where the Dallas Mavericks were in the midst of winning 16 of their last 18 games in the regular season, en route to a 50-win campaign and a trip to the NBA Finals. What a difference a year makes, as four of the five starters from that team are not playing for this team down the stretch this year. So, where does that leave us? Well, March is about the madness and the Mavericks are set to have a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. With that in mind, let’s dive into Thursday’s opening round of the NCAA Tournament with several players you should make a point to watch.
(14) Montana vs (3) Wisconsin
Guard John Tonje, Wisconsin
You’ll notice a trend here, with the focus being on guards or versatile wings and bigs that can step out and shoot. Tonje, who was originally slated to be at New Mexico this year before getting a better NIL package at Wisconsin, runs point for the Badgers but is a natural scorer. Tonje is averaging over 19 points per game this season while shooting just shy of 39% from deep. He likely won’t be a draftable player, which means the Mavericks could pick him up as an UDFA.
(16) SIU-Edwardsville vs (1) Houston
G Milos Uzan, Houston
Uzan, who transferred to the Cougars last summer from the Oklahoma Sooners, has rediscovered the stroke from deep from his freshman year. Milos is shooting 42% from 3 this season, which exceeds his career high of 40% from his freshman year. He likely won’t come out this year, but he’s a player worth keeping an eye on.
(16) Alabama State vs (1) Auburn
Center Johni Broome, Auburn
Broome is a player that I still can’t quite convince myself of. He is going to finish top two in the Wooden Award balloting, which is the National Player of the Year award in college, and yet I can’t figure out if he’s actually good. He’s averaging 19 and 10 on the overall number one seed in the tournament, so he’s obviously doing something right. But I’ll be watching him closely here.
Yale v Auburn Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
(11) VCU vs (6) BYU
Guard Egor Demin, BYU
Demin is a fascinating prospect. Projected as a late lottery pick, Egor is super young and very raw, but he’s got the size and skillset to be something special. The main issues you’ll find when watching him are typical struggles for young guards — he can’t shoot (20% from 3, just 63% from the FT line) but he’s also 6’9 as an 18-year old. An NBA weight and nutrition program, which he’s starting to get acclimated to under BYU head coach Kevin Young (former assistant for the Phoenix Suns), should help him continue his development. He’s a very real option for Dallas in the late lottery.
NCAA Basketball: Brigham Young at Arizona State Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
(9) Georgia vs (8) Gonzaga
Guard Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
Does the Nembhard name sound familiar? Well, Ryan’s brother Andrew is in the NBA already, playing for old friend Rick Carlisle on the Indiana Pacers. Ryan is not quite the scorer that Andrew is, but Ryan is a bonafide point guard that I think he can play in the NBA. Nembhard averaged 9.8 assists per game this year for a Gonzaga team that is criminally underseeded. Keep an eye on the Zags to make some noise.
(10) Arkansas vs (7) Kansas
Guard Boogie Fland, Arkansas
Fland has been out for a couple months now, nursing a right thumb injury. If you’re willing to trust the recruiting rankings, in which Fland was a five-star guy coming out of high school, then getting him in the late first round or early second could be a steal. If you look at production, a different story is painted as Fland was inconsistent before missing 15 games with that injury. But for a team like the Mavericks, who has shown very recently that they’re willing to ignore a down year in college and trust the talent (see: Dereck Lively II), Fland starts to make sense.
NCAA Basketball: Arkansas at Louisiana State Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
(13) Yale vs (4) Texas A&M
Guard John Poulakidas, Yale
Poulakidas will likely not be an NBA player. However, you should watch Yale play basketball. They run a fantastic movement offense, a system that will give the Aggies some issues. The Ags are firmly on upset alert for me. On the Aggies side, keep an eye on Wade Taylor. If he’s on his game, he is one of the more delightful players to watch in the sport. However, because he relies heavily on shotmaking, if he’s off it’s really bad.
(12) UC San Diego vs (5) Michigan
Forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, UCSD
One of the best names in college hoops on one of the best stories in the sport. UCSD is eligible for the tournament for the first time this season, after transitioning from Division-II. This team is led by a group of transfers, but Tait-Jones has been there for a couple years and is their best player. Also keep an eye on Tyler McGhie, who I went to school with at Division-II Southern Nazarene University. Roll Storm!
Forward/Center Danny Wolf, Michigan
Wolf is the most versatile seven-footer in this class. Wolf shoots 37% from three and is a willing and very good passer at the top of the key. Michigan gets a lot of its baskets off of cuts that are fed by Wolf’s passes, similar to some of the action Dereck Lively ran early this season. He’s a player the Mavericks should keep an eye on.
(14) UNC-Wilmington vs (3) Texas Tech
Forward JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Yes, another player with an NBA brother, as the brother of Indiana Pacer’s forward Obi is Texas Tech’s best player. Toppin averaged over 18 points per game and is very active defensively. When the Mavericks owned a second round pick, Toppin would’ve been a guy I wanted the Mavericks to target just purely due to his athleticism. As it is, it’ll take the Mavericks buying their way back into the second round to land JT.