The 2024 NCAA Tournament will reach its conclusion this weekend with the Final Four Saturday and Monday in Glendale, Arizona. The UConn Huskies are looking to repeat at national champions and the NC State Wolfpack are hoping for their third title in program history, while the Alabama Crimson Tide and Purdue Boilermakers are seeking their first title in the NCAA tournament era.
While there aren’t a ton of 2024 NBA Draft prospects playing in the Final Four, there are still some important names for fans to keep an eye on. We’ll go over the top prospects for the next level below, along with what their stock looks like heading into Saturday’s games.
Donovan Clingan, UConn
Stock: Skyrocketing
Clingan was seen as a lottery prospect for much of the season, so there wasn’t too much he could’ve done in the tournament to jeopardize that. His performance against Illinois, though, was simply bewildering. The Illini, for some reason, decided to continue challenging Clingan at the rim. The big man finished with five blocks. Offensively, he took advantage of his size and went for 22 points, He also added 10 rebounds and three steals while showcasing his mobility in transition and making the opponent pay for poor strategy. If he keeps this up at the Final Four, he might jump into the top 5 in what is considered a weaker draft class.
Stephon Castle, UConn
Stock: Plateauing
It’s important to understand Castle’s current level as a player. He’s a hard-nosed defender who can attack the basket with the best of them on the other, but his perimeter shooting is a big deficiency. He hasn’t been able to shake that yet in the tournament, and he was non-existent in UConn’s win over Illinois thanks to Clingan taking over. His potential still makes him a lottery pick and he could potentially be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick, but he’ll have to at least show some signs of being able to hit a jump shot consistently.
DJ Burns, NC State
Stock: Rising
A month ago, barely anybody in America knew who Burns was. The Wolfpack were a bubble team, and DJ Horne was the focal point of the team. That has completely changed in the tournament, with the NC State big man taking over. His 29 points against Duke in the Elite 8 came with amazing efficiency, and he’s able to defend better than most expect. His physical profile doesn’t exactly fit in today’s NBA since he doesn’t space the floor but he can take a jump shot every now and then to force defenses to adjust. His spin move is lethal, and he could be a rare post player to carve out a niche at the next level. He’s currently not projected to go high in mock drafts but a few more big games and he might be a second-round selection.
Mark Sears, Alabama
Stock: Level
Sears is a proven talent at the college level, but his size and development curve are concerns for NBA personnel. That doesn’t mean he can’t eventually be a star, similar to Jalen Brunson with the Knicks. The Alabama guard can run the offense, shoot from the perimeter well and defend at a decent level. He’ll be able to serve as a rotation player for sure in the NBA, but is he worth using a late first-round pick on? A contender in need of bench scoring might be willing to make that move but Sears likely is a second-round selection unless he really explodes this weekend.
Zach Edey, Purdue
Stock: Steady
There’s still some hesitancy with Edey. He’s not as young as Clingan, and he’s not nearly as imposing defensively. However, Edey makes up for that with his elite offensive game. Even if you think he’s being given generous foul calls, the Purdue big man is absolutely dominating the opposition. The dream scenario for Edey would be a matchup against Clingan in the national title game to really push his limits. He’s being projected to go later in the first round but could move up into the late teens if he really puts on a great show in Glendale.