March Madness is finally here as college basketball's top players will enter the spotlight over the next few weeks.
NBA scouts will get one last look at many draft prospects competing for the final time before spring combines. The top of the 2024 draft class has been occupied most of the season by international prospects Alex Sarr and Zacharie Rischessier. Still, they won't have a platform like the NCAA tournament to showcase their skills the way Kentucky's Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham have access to starting on Thursday.
ESPN NBA draft insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo provide their list of the top 50 prospects to watch during the NCAA tournament.
50. Johnell Davis | PG/SG | Florida Atlantic
6-4 | Age: 22.8 | Senior
When: No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern | Friday | 12:15 p.m. ET | CBS
The key spark plug behind FAU's 2023 Cinderella run, Davis and the Owls are back for another run, although they won't surprise anyone this time. Asked to shoulder quite a bit of offense, Davis shot the ball markedly better from distance this season (up from 36% to 42% on 4.1 attempts), a development that helps his chances of finding a niche as a role player. While possessing average size and tools, Davis displays toughness and versatility on and off the ball that give him a selling point on a two-way contract. After earning an invite to the G-League Elite Camp last year, he should get an opportunity to build on that in the pre-draft process. -- Jeremy Woo
49. Caleb Love | SG | Arizona
6-4 | Age: 22.4 | Senior
When: No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Long Beach State | Thursday | 2 p.m. ET | TBS
Love is no stranger to the NCAA tournament, as the author of some memorable moments leading North Carolina to the 2022 championship game. After an efficient senior season by his standards at Arizona, Love has been in a major slump for three consecutive highly visible games -- shooting 7-for-34 from the field with 11 turnovers -- reminding scouts of the poor shot selection and questionable decision-making that plagued his time at UNC. Love's microwave scoring and shot-making prowess could make him attractive to NBA teams as a two-way candidate, but finding a way to finish his career on a positive note and not revert to old, bad habits would surely help his cause going into the pre-draft process. -- Jonathan Givony
48. Tristen Newton | PG/SG | UConn
6-5 | Age: 22.8 | Senior
When: No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 16 Stetson | Friday | 2:45 p.m. ET | CBS
While not the first name that comes to mind when rifling through UConn's talented prospects, Newton has been a key performer for the Huskies the past two seasons, finding ways to contribute as a scorer and playmaker within a system-driven, high-quality offensive attack. He was much better from an efficiency standpoint this season and will see a good amount of the ball during what could be a deep tourney run. While Newton is in the two-way mix at best at this point, his major role on last year's title team as well as this year's iteration of the Huskies will likely help when it comes to finding opportunities on the fringes of the NBA. -- Woo
47. Johni Broome | C | Auburn
6-10 | Age: 21.6 | Senior
When: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Yale | Friday | 4:15 p.m. ET | TNT
Broome is one of the most productive players in college basketball, a stout rim-protector who plays with impressive physicality while also showing offensive versatility. He does a good amount of shot creation for Auburn, has made 27 3s in 34 games this season, is powerful operating with his back to the basket, and is an excellent rebounder and a much-improved passer. Broome doesn't have great size, length or explosiveness for a center and has some questions to answer about his footspeed defensively and how his bully-ball style and unorthodox shooting mechanics translate to the NBA game. The NCAA tournament platform could help remind scouts how good of a season Broome is having and why his productivity might be worth betting on despite his aesthetically unique style of play. -- Givony
46. Isaiah Stevens | PG | Colorado St.
6-0 | Age: 23.3 | Senior
When: No. 10 Colorado State vs. No. 10 Virginia | Tuesday | 9:10 p.m. ET | truTV
While undersized and older for a point guard prospect, Stevens has become a rock-solid player over five years at Colorado State, relying on change of pace to attack defenders and making plays for teammates. His profile long term is likely capped due to his size and defensive limitations -- if he's going to stick, it's likely as a third point guard -- but he's the type of guard who can win a game or two in the NCAA tournament. -- Woo
45. RJ Davis | PG | North Carolina
6-0 | Age: 22.4 | Senior
When: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Howard/No. 16 Wagner | Thursday | 2:45 p.m. ET | CBS