6 first-round matchups NBA scouts can't wait to see in March Madness

[ASFN Admin]

As always, when the NCAA men's basketball tournament begins, NBA scouts will have an extra close eye on some March Madness games more than others.

For this exercise, we looked at teams meeting in the first round that have potential pros suiting up for both teams. So while Duke may have the most pros (e.g. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, etc.) on its roster, their opening round matchup against Mount St. Mary's likely won't exactly give much for talent evaluators to learn.

Perhaps the most compelling matchup for scouts is (8) Connecticut vs. (9) Oklahoma in the West region. UConn's Liam McNeeley and OU's Jeremiah Fears are both currently projected as top-20 picks in our latest mock draft.

1. Missouri vs. Drake​

Top players to watch: Bennett Stirtz (Drake), Anthony Robinson (Missouri)

When to watch: Thursday, March 20, 7:35 p.m. (truTV)

2. Mississippi State vs. Baylor​

Top players to watch: V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor), Rob Wright (Baylor), Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State)

When to watch: Friday, March 21, 12:15 p.m. (CBS)

3. Memphis vs. Colorado State​

Top players to watch: Nique Clifford (Colorado State), PJ Haggerty (Memphis)

When to watch: Friday, March 21, 2 p.m. (TBS)

4. Marquette vs. New Mexico​

Top players to watch: Kam Jones (Marquette), Donovan Dent (New Mexico)

When to watch: Friday, March 21, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)

5. Connecticut vs. Oklahoma​

Top players to watch: Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), Liam McNeeley (UConn), Alex Karaban (UConn)

When to watch: Friday, March 21, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)

6. Illinois vs. Xavier​

Top players to watch: Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), Will Riley (Illinois), Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois), Dailyn Swain (Xavier), Ryan Conwell (Xavier)

When to watch: Friday, March 21, 9:45 p.m. (TNT)

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 6 first-round matchups NBA scouts can't wait to see in March Madness

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