Which potential prospects could Dallas pursue at the top of the NBA Draft? And how are they doing in March Madness?
We preface any talk of the upcoming NBA Draft, especially as it relates to the Dallas Mavericks, by reminding you that a) there are still more games to lose, and b) still a lottery that much be conducted.
For that, we don't have an exact pinpoint of where the Mavs might pick, but we do have a ballpark estimate since Dallas has been eliminated from postseason contention in the West, and won't catch some of the league's best tankers in the East.
The Mavericks should land between the No. 10 and No. 5 pick - currently sitting No. 6 - in the lottery, barring a win streak over the last handful of games in the regular season.
Who might fall to that range? Some of the anticipated top prospects are still leading their teams in the NCAA Tournament.
The first prospect that's getting draft projections around Dallas' sweetspot is Illinois forward Keaton Wagler.
Wagler and the Illini just booked a ticket to the Final Four out of the South region, and that's largely thanks to the freshman's smooth shooting stroke and versatile frame.
Says Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, "Keaton Wagler has firmly inserted himself into the lottery discussion with shot-making, footwork for creating space, clever finishes and mature decision-making."
The Shawnee, Kansas native shot just 2-for-7 from 3-point range in Illinois' 71-59 win over Iowa Saturday, but on the season he's proved to be one of the most natural long-distance shooters in the country.
In 36 starts and nearly 34 minutes played per game, the 6-6 Wagler is making over 40 percent of shots from beyond the arc, averaging 17.9 points and growing as a facilitator with 4.3 assists a night.
He's also one of the most natural point-of-attack defenders at his position, which is a crucial need for the Mavs going into the next offseason of roster management.
Another sought-after prospect is Darius Acuff Jr., the standout freshman at Arkansas who took home SEC Player of the Year honors and expects to be yet another elite scorer from the John Calipari University of Guards.
The Razorbacks were bounced in the Sweet 16 by No. 1-seed Arizona, but if it proves to be his last college game, the Detroit native showed out.
Acuff finished the game with 28 points on 8-of-19 shooting and a healthy 11-of-14 workload at the free throw line. He averaged over 23 points and six assists this season, proving that he can make instant offense with the ball in his hands.
The Mavs might not be interested in this play style with ball-dominant Kyrie Irving returning from injury (not to mention Acuff's questionable defensive tape), but if he were to fall in Dallas' lap, it'd be a box-office pairing next to Cooper Flagg that fans can get excited about.
Lastly, players like Nate Ament (6-10 wing from Tennessee averaging 20/7), Kingston Flemings (crafty guard at Houston with two-way potential) and Cameron Boozer (a blue-chip post out of Duke with physicality Dallas currently lacks) have all had outstanding postseasons.
The Mavs could have a large group of promising prospects to choose from at the top of the upcoming draft, but for now, the mission is to set themselves up for the highest pick possible ... where they could land one of these March Madness stars.
