College Players Whose NBA Stock Will Rise

The so-called NBA prospects that rank highly in early February are not always the ones to rock the baseball cap in the first hour of the NBA Draft.

No, stocks rise and fall.  And the whole sports nation watches March Madness.

Modern History Lesson: College Players Whose Stock Rose on NBA Draft Boards Because of March Madness

In 2006, LSU forward Tyrus Thomas was on no one’s radar as a top 10 pick.  After his sensational play led the Tigers to the Final Four alongside Glen “Big Baby Davis,” Thomas found himself drafted #4 overall.  That was moments before the likes of Rudy Gay, Randy Foye and Brandon Roy that year.  A similar scenario happened with Joakim Noah during that era.

Hey, even the great Steph Curry wasn’t really on people’s radars until his Cinderella run with #10 seed Davidson.  He was even deemed a risky pick at #7 overall in 2009.

Stock Up for these 5 NBA Prospects Come March 2019

Here are some players who currently don’t rank on the top 10 on the fashionable draft boards, but you’ll be hearing about spring of next year on an NBA roster.

Eric Paschall’s NBA Draft Stock

1.  Eric Paschall – Villanova G/F

If LeBron James takes to social media to compare you to current NBA pro Paul Millsap, there really isn’t much else to say.  I will say this for the people not familiar with Millsap’s game.  At first glance, you might make the mistake of thinking he is undersized.  Paschall is a tenacious rebounder, scorer, defender, there isn’t an act on the basketball court that this guy does half-ass.

However, currently, he is listed as a second round draft pick by top Google search result, NBA Draft.net.  Those experts have him going 33rd overall to the Orlando Magic as this article premieres on February 3, 2018.

Cameron Johnson’s Draft Stock

2.  Cameron Johnson – North Carolina F

Do you know of an NBA team not looking for a “power 4” who can stretch the floor with 3PT-abilities.  Johnson has the perfect measurables at 6-8 and 215, and was torching the nets at 47% from 3PT in early February.  His teammate Nassir Little ranks in the top 10 on draft boards, but two Tar Heels could soon occupy the top 10.  NBA Mock Draft.net currently has him listed at #42 overall.

Rui Hachimura’s NBA Draft Stock

3.  Rui Hachimura – Gonzaga F

In early February, Sports Illustrated updated its mock draft board to reflect the “skyrocketing” prospects.  Somehow they fell asleep and didn’t include Rui Hachimura in the top 10.  This dude will be a top 7 pick, and has the ceiling of being a top 3 pick.  He is one of college basketball’s best mid-range jump shooters.  Hachimura is a tough cover, as a slippery 6-8 for bigger guys and a large load to handle for the smaller guys.  Rui averages 20  points and 6 rebounds a game, on a loaded roster.  We get it, this Gonzaga swingman was listed 11th overall by SI.com at the time.  However, when this Gonzaga squad gets it rolling in March, look for #Rui trending on a Twitter timeline near you.  And he’s just a junior.

Check out #21…

Bruno Fernando’s NBA Draft Stock

4.  Bruno Fernando – Maryland C

If Deandre Ayten can go #1 overall, Fernado is a lock for top 10.  He is not the full court sprinter as much as Ayten, but might compensate with a little more nastiness on the defensive end.  Fernado is becoming more agile as a new age NBA center type.  Ayten is the comparison worth considering.

To pick on SI.com again, they had Fernando going #17th overall to the Brooklyn Nets.

DeAndre Ayten Bruno Fernando Comparison

Markus Howard’s NBA Draft Stock

5.  Okay, this one actually pisses me off.  In world where Trae Young is drafted #5 overall, how the hell is Markus Howard ranking #41 overall as we speak?

If you haven’t seen Howard, it may be because he doesn’t play on ESPN channels.  And therefore, the hype machine hasn’t been pumping the way that machinery has been moving since Thanksgiving with Zion Willamson.  You rarely see a Markus Howard highlight package on SportsCenter.  But this guy is averaging an even 25 points a game, having dropped 45 points on 14th-ranked Buffalo, 53 on Creighton, and 45 on the K-State Wildcats (widely considered on of the nation’s best defenses).

Dude, come on now.

Watch the highlight package…

Related:  Does it seem like less sons of NBA players are in the college game today? You’ll be blown away to see how many there were just three years ago!  Click here.  

NBA Mock Drafts Predicted in February 2018