NCAA Day 2 Draft Rooting Interests

Jake Pavorsky covered yesterday's crop of future Sixers here. Today, I'll run over some of the games and the people to watch, along with notable draft rankings courtesy of Draft Express.

15. New Mexico State vs. 2 Kansas

Kansas players to watch: Kelly Oubre (12), not Cliff Alexander (31), Wayne Selden (78)

New Mexico State players to watch: /insert that shrugging guy thing

Kicking things off is Kansas, who you should root for because you like Joel Embiid, and that's his team. They also have the tragically misused Kelly Oubre, a candidate for the Heat selection if converted. The Jayhawks' Wayne Selden is also in the DX Top 100, but eh. New Mexico State has no Top 100 prospects but did produce Sim Bhullar, who is going crazy by virtue of gigantic-ism and Reno's fast-paced Grinnell College offense in the NBA D-League.

10. Georgia vs. 7 Michigan State

Georgia players to watch: N/A

MSU players to watch: Branden Dawson (97)

Not much going on in this game between two big-conference teams draft-wise. Michigan State has produced plenty of NBA players under Tom Izzo, but the way they play bothers me, mostly because I like efficient offense, and most of the time I see Michigan State play they're launching shots with feet on the three point line. So I guess root for Georgia?

12 Wyoming vs. 5 Northern Iowa

Wyoming players to watch: N/A

UNI players to watch: N/A

Wyoming knocked Temple out of the NCAAs, according to the people who decided UCLA would make too much money to leave out, and so I'm personally rooting against them. Both teams are from non-power conferences, so I'm going with UNI on this one.

12 Buffalo vs. 5 West Virginia

Buffalo players to watch: N/A

WVU players to watch: Juwan Staten (92)

Staten will be 23 by the time he plays basketball professionally, so he's not that much of a prospect. Buffalo represents the MAC, which is weird because I don't think of Buffalo being in the middle of America. Feel free to root for chaos in this one.

10 Indiana vs. 7 Wichita State

Indiana players to watch: Yogi Ferrell (42), Troy Williams (48)

Wich St players to watch: Ron Baker (51)

This is a toss up. I guess go with the two prospects over the one prospect, but I personally like watching the Shockers more.

15 Belmont vs. 2 Virginia

Belmont players to watch: N/A

Virginia players to watch: Justin Anderson (25), Mike Tobey (75)

Justin Anderson is older, and probably over-ranked at 25, but he's someone (like a Cleanthony Early last season) who could help his draft stock with a strong tournament. Root for Virginia in this one.

13 UC Irvine vs. 4 Louisville

UC Irvine players to watch: N/A

Louisville players to watch: Montrezl Harrell (18), Terry Rozier (40)

Guys, I have something to say.

/clears throat

I don't really like Harrell's game, especially if it came to the Sixers drafting him. He's 6'7" and a load, but he can't shoot, and I'm not sure short lineups without shooting are areas I want to navigate in. I'd rather just re-sign Thomas Robinson than the three years younger, three inches shorter version of him.

(But maybe he can prove me wrong. Root for Louis)

13 Valparaiso vs. 4 Maryland

Valpo players to watch: N/A

UMD players to watch: Jake Layman (34), Melo Trimble (62)

Root for Maryland, because if I don't say that, Pavorsky and Tanner would kill me. Melo Trimble is a lot of fun.

9 Oklahoma State vs. 8 Oregon

OK St  players to watch: LeBryan Nash (NR)

Oregon players to watch: N/A

I remember LeBryan Nash being a draft prospect, probably because of his awesome name. Amazingly, neither of these teams registered in the Top 100, so I'm rooting for Nash to do what he does.

16 Robert Morris vs. 1 Duke

Robert Morris players to watch: N/A

Duke players to watch: Jahlil Okafor (1), Justise Winslow (9), Tyus Jones (27)

Root for Robert Morris anyway because screw Duke.

10 Davidson vs. 7 Iowa

Davidson players to watch: N/A

Iowa players to watch: Aaron White (85)

White is a 22-year-old senior and future NBA summer leaguer, so I suppose you should just default to rooting for the underdog. Davidson gave us Stephen Curry after all.

14 Albany vs 3 Oklahoma

Albany players to watch: N/A

Oklahoma players to watch: Buddy Hield (52)

Again, not too much in the prospect category, so root for more 14 over 3 madness.

16 Coastal Carolina vs. 1 Wisconsin

CC players to watch: N/A

Wisconsin players to watch: Frank Kaminsky (10), Sam Dekker (22), Nigel Hayes (44)

Wisconsin needs to play Kentucky in the end just so that Kentucky can beat the tar out of them, so root for Wisconsin and their gritty future NBA bench players.

Was that harsh? Eh, I'm not sure anyone here is a future Sixer, so why not?

9 St. John's vs. 8 San Diego State

SJU players to watch: Chris Obekpa (87)

SDST players to watch: Malik Pope (NR)

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15 North Dakota State vs. 2 Gonzaga

NDST players to watch: N/A

Gonzaga players to watch: Domanatas Sabonis (46)

Arvydas Sabonis would have completely changed the way we looked at basketball in the 90s if his prime basketball days were not spent playing in Europe. The Americanized version of Sabonis was the most Americanized version of anything ever, in that he gained 50 pounds and smoked a pack a day but STILL got things done and made you marvel at his skills.

Dirk Nowitzki ended up being the guy who first played the majority of his professional career in the NBA, and is largely considered the greatest non-Kobe European basketball player yet, but Sabonis could have easily outpaced him had he played primarily in America.

So root for his kid, a second-round draft prospect.

11 Dayton vs. 6 Providence

Dayton players to watch

Providence players to watch: Kris Dunn (17)

Kris Dunn, potential future Sixer, caps off Friday with a game against Dayton. Root for Providence.