Five potential lottery picks for NBA fans to watch in NCAA Tournament

NBA teams doing their scouting right already have a very good picture of a college prospect by this point in the season — they have watched the film, seen him in person, talked to his coach, and have a good sense of what they might be drafting. While the scouts will watch the NCAA Tournament games, it shouldn’t shift the draft board much — until the owner falls in love with a player during the tournament and blows everything up.

The top of this year’s NBA Draft board has a lot of guys not playing in the tournament — Victor Wembanyama is playing in France, Scoot Henderson is in the G-League, the Thomspon twins are with Overtime Elite, and even someone such as Villanova’s Cam Whitmore didn’t make the big dance. However, here are five players that NBA fans — particularly those of you in San Antonio, Houston, Detroit and Charlotte — may want to keep an eye on.

Thursday, 2:45 vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Let’s start with everyone’s first question about the Alabama forward: Will his off-the-court troubles — police say he brought a gun to former Alabama teammate Darius Miles, who allegedly used it to shoot and kill Jamea Jonae Harris — impact his draft status? No. Multiple front office sources have told NBC Sports that unless Miller is arrested and charged with a crime — he has not been and the District Attorney said there are no plans to do so — it will not change his status.

That status has improved throughout the season to the point he is in the mix for the No.2 pick with Scoot Henderson. What to watch is Miller is maybe the best pure shooter in the draft (39.9% from 3), but what has impressed scouts is his improved finishing at the rim and playmaking. Scouts think he could become an elite offensive player at the next