March Madness is here, and if you’re a Bulls fan like me, you’re probably paying a little more attention to the NCAA than you have in years past. I am not a huge fan of NCAA basketball. I don’t have a particular team that I cheer for. But, like most red blooded Americans, I fill out a bracket or two come tourney season. Without a rooting interest, I don’t watch all the tournament games, I just pop in on games, catching the closing minutes of the nail-biters. For me, the NCAA tournament boils down to one simple question: Who should I, the Bulls fan, watch? That is, which players are most likely to be available for the Bulls in the draft? To answer this question, I’ve gone over several “big boards” and “mock drafts” on various sports websites, trying to get an idea of what players the experts think will be available to the Bulls. I sifted through the data so you wouldn’t have to, putting together a list of players that the Bulls might draft. Without further ado…
The RokDeez Bulls Blog March Madness Guide for the Inquisitive Bulls Fan 2018
(These are players who may be available with picks 6-10 and 24-28, where the Bulls will probably be picking)
Duke Blue Devils
–Wendell Carter is a Center and wears #34, he is a reliable scorer and plays Robin to Marvin Bagley III’s Batman. Carter could be a top 10 pick.
–Trevon Duval is a Point Guard and wears #1, he would be a player the Bulls might consider taking late in the draft with the pick they received from the New Orleans Pelicans.
–Gary Trent Jr is a Shooting Guard and wears #2, another late round pick
-Grayson Allen is a punk whom the Bulls should NOT draft.
–Marvin Bagley III is a Power Forward/Center and wears #35, there is a slim chance he falls out of the top 5 and lands in the Bulls lap.
Kentucky Wildcats
–Kevin Knox is a Small Forward and wears #5, he is a top 10 pick on most big boards but has been sliding of late.
–Shai Gilgeous Alexander is a Guard and wears #22, he might be a good find late in the draft.
–Hamidou Diallo is a Shooting Guard and wears #3, athletic player and late round pick.
The Bridges
–Miles Bridges of Michigan State is a Forward and wears #22, he would be a player to consider with a top 10 pick. So would…
–Mikal Bridges of Villanova, a Small Forward who wears #25.
The Porters
Brothers Michael (#13) and Jontay (#11) Porter both play for Missouri and are Forwards. Michael was a highly touted prospect out of high school who suffered a back injury in the first game of the season. There is a very slim possibility that he slips to the Bulls around pick 8. Jontay has worked his way into being considered a top 10 pick in the draft. He is a good rebounder, adequate passer, and lately has been scoring more than 20 points a game for Missouri.
Guards
–Collin Sexton of Alabama wears #2, it might be a stretch to take him with a top 10 pick, but Gar Forman sure likes to collect guards.
–Troy Brown of Oregon can play both Guard and Forward. He wears #10. His versatility and strength make him a possible top 10 pick.
–Lonnie Walker IV of Miami is a Shooting Guard and wears #4. Lonnie is not afraid of big moments, draining a game winning 3 pointer against Boston College in the ACC Tournament. He might slip to the Bulls late in the 1st round.
–Zhaire Smith of Texas Tech is a Shooting Guard and wears #2. Zhaire is very comfortable scoring in the paint. He would be a possible top 10 pick.
–Rawle Alkins of Arizona is a Shooting Guard and wears #1. I have watched several Arizona games this NCAA season “scouting” DeAndre Ayton, a consensus top 2 pick in the upcoming draft and who is out of the Bulls reach, but every time I saw Arizona play it wasn’t Ayton who fascinated me, it was Alkins. I hope he is available late in the draft for the Chicago Bulls. He is the player I want them to use the Pelicans pick on.
Forwards
–Keita Bates-Diop of Ohio State is a Small Forward and wears #33. He would be a late 1st round pick for the Bulls
–Jacob Evans III of Cincinnati is a Small Forward and wears #1. Another late round steal, he has good ball handling skills and can score from anywhere on the court. He also likes to “chase down block” opponents. He seems to be a high energy, up-tempo kind of player that will fit well in the NBA’s current pace and space offenses.
Centers
–Robert Williams of Texas A&M wears #44. I have seen Williams projected all over the draft map when it comes to mocks and big boards. The real question for the Bulls is not when do you pick him, but should you pick him? Will he compliment Lauri Markkanen? Does he do enough on offense and defense to be a starter or rotation player?
–Mohamed Bamba of Texas wears #4. He is my favorite “not DeAndre Ayton” big man. It will take a small miracle for him to slip to the Bulls, but I have faith. He doesn’t score like Ayton or Bagley, but I think he would play well next to Markkanen. He is a project, and the Bulls have nothing but time, so I think he would be a good fit.
There you have it. Some guidance for watching the NCAA Tournament as a Bulls fan. There are dozens of other players that could have been included in this guide. If you feel I’ve left someone off, or if there is anyone that you are particularly excited to watch, feel free to let everyone know in the comment section. I have to approve the comments before they are posted so don’t worry if yours doesn’t pop up right away, it will, eventually. Thanks for reading and enjoy the Tournament!
The Worst Records in the NBA:
1. Memphis Grizzlies 18-48 .273
2. Phoenix Suns 19-49 .279
3. Orlando Magic 20-47 .299
4. Atlanta Hawks 20-46 .303
5. Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings 21-45 .318
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8. Chicago Bulls 22-43 .338
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