The first weekend of the NCAA tournament has come and gone and we now know the final 16 teams that still have a chance to cut down the nets in Houston. This tournament has been filled with upsets and crazy games so far and while many of the projected top picks in the upcoming NBA draft are already out, there are still some left.
Check out the top five NBA prospects in the Sweet Sixteen.
1. Brandon Ingram (Duke)
Okay so this one was easy. Ingram is just a freshman, but his stock has been rising all season long. The 6-foot-9 wing can do just about everything on the floor as he is a knockdown shooter from the perimeter while also being able to take defenders off the bounce. Ingram has always been considered one of the best prospects in his class, but he has actually outperformed the expectations to the point that now, at the very least, there's a discussion about whether he or Ben Simmons should be the first overall pick.
2. Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
This is where it starts to get a little bit tougher because guys like Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray and Jaylen Brown are no longer playing. Still though, there are guys playing that have bright NBA futures, and Hield is one of them. The senior Sooner wasn't on the NBA radar much in his college career until this year. Hield is second in the nation with his 25 points per game, yet he still has his doubters. The 6-foot-4 senior is probably the best pure shooter in this draft class, but there are some who believe he will rely too much on his shooting ability at the next level. Regardless, NBA teams could always use more shooters and Hield is a great one. Plus, he has shown the ability to play solid defense and take his guy off the bounce as well.
3. Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)
Jackson has had a bit of an up-and-down year for the Fighting Irish. He has shown flashes of being the player many expected, but it hasn't been there consistently. Having said that, the junior point guard still figures to be a very good pro as he is explosive and can do a lot of different things on the floor. Jackson is a bit short for the NBA at 6-foot-1, but he makes up for that with his athleticism. He has taken a step back in his long-range shooting this year, but in both his freshman and sophomore seasons he shot above 40 percent.
4. Diamond Stone (Maryland)
Stone was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school and he has not disappointed as a freshman for the Terps. The 7-footer has averaged 12.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game this season, and he is a true low-post threat. Stone is projected as a middle of the first-round pick, so it is no guarantee he enters the draft this year, but there is a lot to like about him. Stone can use some work on the defensive side of the ball, but one of the best things about him is that he's a center that shoots 77 percent from the free throw line.
5. Damontas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
Maybe the most surprising team in the Sweet 16 is Gonzaga and Sabonis has a lot to do with that. The 6-foot-10 sophomore has shown massive growth from his freshman season, averaging 17.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this year. Sabonis always plays extremely hard and when you add that to his talent you can see this guy having a major impact at the next level. He has great touch around the rim and has added the ability to shoot from the outside this season, so if he declares, he may fly up draft boards as draft day gets closer.
The 2016 NBA Draft is on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. All five of these players will be participating in the Sweet 16, which starts on Thursday night.
