NBA Draft: Top 3 teams to watch during March Madness
By Rylan Stiles
Arkansas has an overload of NBA Draft talent and a solid recent history of producing pros.
When: The Arkansas Razorbacks will begin their March Madness run against the Fighting Illini of Illinois on Thursday at 3:30 P.M. central time.
Who: Nick Smith Jr, Anthony Black, Ricky Council IV, and Jordan Walsh.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have developed a lot of pro basketball players recently. As Eric Musselman took over the program in 2019, the Hogs have put eight players in the NBA in that time.
From Daniel Gafford to Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams, and Moses Moody, the Razorbacks are starting to remind me of how we viewed Villanova during the Jay Wright era. The Wildcats constantly put good, serviceable players into the NBA that understood how to make a winning impact. Of course, those Wildcats are highlighted by Jalen Brunson but also include Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and others.
Nick Smith Jr can use this tournament to solidify himself as a top-ten pick, while Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black are trying to climb their Lottery status.
Ricky Council IV is perhaps the most interesting of the foursome; for now, he rests on most people’s boards as a second-round pick, but with a strong March Madness run and NBA Combine, it would not surprise me if he were tabbed as an end of the first round player come June.