NBA Draft lottery prospects in NCAA Tournament action on Thursday

The Washington Wizards seem destined for a lottery pick at this point and many of the players projected to go in that general range are still unfamiliar to much of the fanbase. Sure, we’ve all seen highlights but many people haven’t been able to see these guys play entire games yet. Well, the First Round of the NCAA tournament is a great opportunity to do so.

We asked on Twitter if fans would like a podcast evaluating each of these major prospects and the details of when they play. The response was unanimously positive so we did our best to give the people what they want. This week on the Bleav in Wizards podcast, you will find a full breakdown of each lottery-caliber prospect in action on Thursday (and a podcast later in the week with the prospects playing Friday).

We also wanted to put that in writing so you could quickly reference it when you’re trying to decide which of the many exciting games to watch during the First Round. Without further adieu, here are Thursday match-ups to keep an eye on.

#9 Memphis vs #8 Boise State - 1:45 p.m. EST on TNT

Jalen Duren, 6-10 freshman center: 12.2 points, 8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 62% FG

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Baylor vs #16 Norfolk State - 2 p.m. EST on TBS

Kendall Brown, 6-8 freshman wing: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 38.9% 3P (1.1 attempts)

Jeremy Sochan, 6-8 freshman forward: 8.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, .7 blocks, 1.3 steals, 29.2% 3P (2.6 attempts)

Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Tennessee vs #14 Longwood - 2:45 p.m. EST on CBS

Kennedy Chandler, 6-0 freshman point guard: 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals, 2.5 turnovers, 36% 3P (3.7 attempts)

Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

#5 Iowa vs #12 Richmond - 3:10 p.m. EST on truTV

Keegan Murray, 6-8 sophomore forward: 23.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2 blocks, 1.3 steals, 1.1 turnovers, 40.6% 3P (4.7 attempts)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Gonzaga vs #16 Georgia State - 4:15 p.m. EST on TNT

Chet Holmgren*, 7’0 freshman center: 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 3.6 blocks, 2 turnovers, 61% FG, 41.2% 3P (3.3 attempts)

(*Author’s note: yes, I realize he’s unlikely to be available to the Wizards. But still felt worth noting for anyone who hasn’t seen him yet).

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

#2 Kentucky vs #15 Saint Peters - 7:10 p.m. EST on CBS

TyTy Washington, 6-3 freshman guard: 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.6 turnovers, 34.7% 3P (3.4 attempts), 75% FT

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

#1 Kansas vs TBD - 9:57 p.m EST on truTV

Ochai Agbaji, 6-6 senior wing: 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.1 turnovers, 40.5% 3P (6.9 attempts), 77.3% FT

Christian Braun*, 6-6 junior wing: 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, .9 blocks, 1.1 steals, 37.7% 3P (3.4 attempts), 74.8% FT

(*Author’s note: Braun is seen as more of a late first early second round candidate but seemed worth mentioning with Agbaji).

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports