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The Round of 64 of the men's NCAA Tournament got underway on Thursday with a full slate of games as March Madness began. The tournament is a time for young players to show what they can do and improve their draft stock for when the time comes in June.
The Philadelphia 76ers won't know if they will have a first-round pick until the lottery drawing on May 12 as their pick is only top 6 protected. As they sit in their current situation, the Sixers are working on trying to be in the best position possible in order to keep that pick.
With that being said, day 2 of the NCAA Tournament featured some elite talent and players who are potential selections for the Sixers if they can keep their first-round pick:
Stats in win over (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks
Flagg will be the No. 1 pick in June's draft so the Sixers would have to get extremely lucky, but there is always a chance in the lottery. The Atlanta Hawks made the play-in tournament in 2024 and still ended up nabbing the No. 1 pick so grabbing Flagg is still technically a chance. He is going to have an immediate offensive impact on the floor for any NBA team who chooses him.
Stats vs. (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Maluach is a guy who the Sixers could look at in the 4-5-6 range. He stands at 7-foot-2 and he uses his size to his advantage on a nightly basis. He has soft hands which helps in the pick-and-roll game and would be a solid candidate for Philadelphia in the draft.
Stats vs. (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Knueppel had a quiet start to the tournament, but that's mainly because Flagg and Tyrese Proctor took over the scoring load for the Blue Devils. He only took four triples and made one of them, but he has the ability to be a rotational wing in the NBA.
Stats in win over (8) Mississippi State: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Edgecombe has some elite NBA-level athleticism that will make him an immediate player in the league. He still has some cleaning up to do in terms of his shot, but he is ready for the league right now and one has to believe Edgecombe would make an impact right away.
Stats in win over (11) Xavier: 16 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds
Jakucionis will be a top pick come June and if the Sixers can grab him, it would be helpful. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and has a high basketball IQ for somebody so young. He has the makings of somebody who can hop off the bench and give a team some good production as a bigger guard or even some playmaking from the wing.
Stats in loss to (6) Ole Miss: 1 point, 1 steal
It was a tough, short tournament run for Jackson who went 0-for-3 from the floor and 0-for-2 from deep. A good 3-point shooter, Jackson is better than what he showed against Ole Miss and would be worth a second-round flier.
Stats in win over (15) Robert Morris: 1 point, 8 assists
Philon didn't do much in terms of scoring the ball, obviously, but his playmaking was on full display. He didn't turn the ball over and the eight assists are a big number for a potential backup point guard. One has to wonder if the Sixers would go in this direction in Round 2, but Philon is an option.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: March Madness Day 2 recap: Wrap up of potential Sixers draft prospects
Continue reading...
The Philadelphia 76ers won't know if they will have a first-round pick until the lottery drawing on May 12 as their pick is only top 6 protected. As they sit in their current situation, the Sixers are working on trying to be in the best position possible in order to keep that pick.
With that being said, day 2 of the NCAA Tournament featured some elite talent and players who are potential selections for the Sixers if they can keep their first-round pick:
Cooper Flagg, Duke
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Stats in win over (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks
Flagg will be the No. 1 pick in June's draft so the Sixers would have to get extremely lucky, but there is always a chance in the lottery. The Atlanta Hawks made the play-in tournament in 2024 and still ended up nabbing the No. 1 pick so grabbing Flagg is still technically a chance. He is going to have an immediate offensive impact on the floor for any NBA team who chooses him.
Khaman Maluach, Duke
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Stats vs. (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Maluach is a guy who the Sixers could look at in the 4-5-6 range. He stands at 7-foot-2 and he uses his size to his advantage on a nightly basis. He has soft hands which helps in the pick-and-roll game and would be a solid candidate for Philadelphia in the draft.
Kon Knueppel, Duke
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Stats vs. (16) Mount Saint Mary's: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Knueppel had a quiet start to the tournament, but that's mainly because Flagg and Tyrese Proctor took over the scoring load for the Blue Devils. He only took four triples and made one of them, but he has the ability to be a rotational wing in the NBA.
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
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Stats in win over (8) Mississippi State: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Edgecombe has some elite NBA-level athleticism that will make him an immediate player in the league. He still has some cleaning up to do in terms of his shot, but he is ready for the league right now and one has to believe Edgecombe would make an impact right away.
Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
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Stats in win over (11) Xavier: 16 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds
Jakucionis will be a top pick come June and if the Sixers can grab him, it would be helpful. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and has a high basketball IQ for somebody so young. He has the makings of somebody who can hop off the bench and give a team some good production as a bigger guard or even some playmaking from the wing.
Ian Jackson, North Carolina-2nd Round option
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Stats in loss to (6) Ole Miss: 1 point, 1 steal
It was a tough, short tournament run for Jackson who went 0-for-3 from the floor and 0-for-2 from deep. A good 3-point shooter, Jackson is better than what he showed against Ole Miss and would be worth a second-round flier.
Labaron Philon, Alabama-2nd Round option
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Stats in win over (15) Robert Morris: 1 point, 8 assists
Philon didn't do much in terms of scoring the ball, obviously, but his playmaking was on full display. He didn't turn the ball over and the eight assists are a big number for a potential backup point guard. One has to wonder if the Sixers would go in this direction in Round 2, but Philon is an option.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: March Madness Day 2 recap: Wrap up of potential Sixers draft prospects
Continue reading...
