The 8 best NBA draft prospects in the Final Four, ranked

We rank the best NBA draft prospects in the 2019 Final Four.

The Elite Eight was not kind to NBA scouts hoping to see projected first round draft picks play in the Final Four. Duke had three potential top-10 picks, including the no-brainer No. 1 overall selection in Zion Williamson. Gonzaga (Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura) and Kentucky (P.J. Washington, Keldon Johnson, Tyler Herro) were loaded with talent, too. All were eliminated.

Yes, Zion Williamson will be watching the rest of the NCAA tournament from his couch just like you, but there are still plenty of NBA prospects on display in the Final Four. The national semifinals will feature two possible top-10 draft picks, as well as at least one other player with first round aspirations. There are also several potential sleepers playing who could improve their stock with a breakout performance on college basketball’s biggest stage.

These are the eight best NBA prospects playing in the Final Four when Virginia, Auburn, Michigan State, and Texas Tech arrive in Minneapolis.

8. Kyle Guy, G, Virginia

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Projected draft status: second round pick or undrafted free agent

Kyle Guy is one of the best shooters in the country. The junior guard knocked down 42.7 percent of his threes on the season, including a ridiculous 45 percent during ACC play in one of the toughest conferences in America. It’s the versatility of Guy’s shooting ability that makes him so dangerous. He’s a threat to pull up off the dribble, and can also hit shots after darting around screens. The combination of being able to hit off movement and off the dribble gives him a chance to play at the next level.

Guy has a great pedigree has a former McDonald’s All-American and a three-year contributor at one of the most successful programs in the country. The biggest issue he has to overcome is his size at 6’2, 175 pounds. He’s going to be a defensive liability in almost any NBA matchup. Offensively, he’ll struggle to finish over pro length at the basket. Most players with his size have to be elite facilitators to make it as a point guard, but Guy is more of an off-guard thanks to his knockdown shooting ability.

He’s likely to return for his senior year, but he’ll get a look from NBA teams whenever he decides to come out if he keeps shooting like this.

7. Jared Harper, PG, Auburn

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Projected draft status: second round pick or undrafted free agent

Harper should be too small to play point guard in the NBA at a generously listed 5’11, 175 pounds. He also never should have led Auburn to the Final Four when it had to knock off three of the sport’s premier blue bloods in Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky to get there. The Tigers and their diminutive point guard keep proving people wrong. At this point, it’s time to take Harper seriously as the type of guard who can play at the next level.

Harper has a great combination of elite quickness, shifty ball handling ability, and surprising athletic explosiveness. If he’s hitting his pull-up threes (37 percent from deep on the season), he’s going to be so hard to cover in NBA space. His size and college numbers compare favorably to former Wake Forest guard Ish Smith, who has carved out a great career as a backup point guard. The more Auburn keeps winning, the more NBA attention Harper will get.

6. Aaron Henry, SF, Michigan State

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Projected draft status: Check back in a year or two

Henry is not a prospect for the 2019 draft, but it isn’t hard to imagine him blossoming into an intriguing player in the next year or two. The 6’6 freshman forward most famous for getting screamed at by Tom Izzo emerged as a mid-season starter for Spartans and quickly showed a versatile skill set on both ends of the floor. Henry was at his best in MSU’s Sweet 16 win over LSU, posting a career-high 20 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the win.

If Henry continues to improve as a shooter (38 percent on 38 attempts from three this season), he should play his way onto NBA radars in the near future. His defensive metrics (1.8 steal rate, 2.4 block rate) already lay the foundation for an encouraging defensive impact. Izzo has a long history of developing veteran players into first round picks, from Denzel Valentine (2016), to Adreian Payne, to Maurice Ager (2006). It could happen again down the road with Henry.

5. Cassius Winston, PG, Michigan State

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Projected draft status: second round pick or undrafted free agent

Winston doesn’t look like an NBA player at first glance. He’s undersized at 6’1, 185 pounds. He’s never dunked in his college career. But for whatever the junior guard lacks in size and athleticism, he makes up for with tremendous passing vision, knockdown shooting ability, and a sky-high basketball IQ.

Winston has placed in the top-two of assist rate all three years he’s been in school, per KenPom. After averaging 12 points per game as a sophomore, he’s up to 19 points per game as a junior. His numbers compare favorably to former Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell, who has carved out a nice career as a backup in the NBA.

Winston will likely return for his senior season, and with him Michigan State will again contend for a national title. But when he does turn pro, he could impress NBA teams as a floor general with a great feel for the game who can shoot, pass, and rarely make mistakes.

4. Xavier Tillman, C, Michigan State

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Projected draft status: Check back in a year

Tillman might be the best player in college basketball few people have ever heard of. Perhaps that’s changing after an impressive tournament run highlighted by a breakout performance against Duke. Tillman showed his all-around skill set in that game, finishing with 19 points, six offensive rebounds, three steals, and two blocks while doing an admirable job defending Zion Williamson for most of the night.

The 6’8, 245 pound sophomore big man has quietly been an advanced stats superstar for the Spartans, finishing the year third in box score plus-minus behind only Williamson and Gonzaga stud Brandon Clarke. Tillman even canned a three-pointers in both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

Tillman is a strong, high IQ big man who can finish efficiently and crash the glass while also boasting surprising mobility defensively. He should come back next season and be a pillar for MSU while attracting more NBA attention.

3. Ty Jerome, G, Virginia

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Projected draft status: Late first to early second rounder

Jerome is the most consistent player for the most consistent team in the country. The junior guard put his talents on full display in the Elite Eight vs. Purdue, finishing with 24 points, seven assists, and four three-pointers. This is what Jerome has been doing all year, giving Tony Bennett’s team a heady passer, dependable outside shooter, and tough defender. His statistical markers in steal rate (3.1), assist rate (32 percent), and three-point percentage (40 percent) all are impressive for a 6’5 guard who can play either backcourt spot.

Jerome has an obvious lack of foot speed, but his size and all-around skill set helps make up for it. His ability to have a quality career should come down to if he can hold his own defensively. Jerome looks like a promising option as a third or fourth guard who brings a lot to the table without taking too much off.

2. De’Andre Hunter, F, Virginia

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Projected draft status: Lottery

Hunter is strong and long forward who profiles as a prototype 3-and-D wing in the NBA. At 6’7, 225 pounds, and with a wingspan that is at least 7’1, Hunter has shown to be an impressive point of attack defender and capable three-point shooter during his redshirt sophomore season at Virginia. While he doesn’t have the quickest release, Hunter is an accurate shooter when he has time. He knocked down 42.4 percent on his three-pointers on 99 attempts heading into the Final Four. NBA teams will wonder if he can remain as accurate with greater volume against faster pro defenses.

Hunter hasn’t been asked to create much off the dribble with Jerome and Guy in the backcourt. Does his game have room to grow in that area? If not, is he really worth a lottery pick? Hunter has been hyped all season, but he’s looked ordinary most of the time in this tournament. A big Final Four would go a long way toward restoring his buzz as the draft approaches.

Big forwards who can defend multiple positions and hit jump shots have immense value in the NBA. Hunter looks like a high-floor prospect, to be sure. The only question is, how high is his ceiling?

1. Jarrett Culver, G, Texas Tech

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Projected draft status: Top 5

Texas Tech’s run to the Final Four has helped illuminate the sizable impact Jarrett Culver has on winning basketball. Despite not having another NBA prospect on the roster, the Red Raiders are in the national semifinals for the first time in program history behind a historically good defense and a burgeoning sophomore guard who fills every crack on both ends of the floor. After losing five of their top six scorers from last season, Culver has emerged into the do-everything hub of the Red Raiders, initiating the offense, thriving as a primary scorer, and fortifying the best defense in the country with length and strength.

Culver has raised his scoring average from 11 to 19 points per game this season while also doubling his assist rate. He’s shown ability to score on isolations with long, powerful strides to the basket. He’s been impressive handling the ball out of the pick-and-roll. He’s a smart off-ball cutter who can zip around screens and find creases in the defense. He’s also hard to stop in transition when he gets that big frame rolling down the court.

Culver was listed at 6’5, 190 pounds when he entered Texas Tech, but he looks much bigger than that now. His measurements at the NBA draft combine will be something to watch. His biggest question mark is his shooting ability after only hitting 31.6 percent of his three-pointers, only slightly higher than Duke guard and fellow top-five pick R.J. Barrett. Even if he’s never an elite shooter, Culver does enough to have a positive impact by being a smart offensive player who can read the floor, make the right pass, and finish in a variety of ways while also thriving on the defensive end. He might not have superstar upside, but Culver is the type of player who helps you win games. In this draft, that’s worth a top-five pick.