Here are 6 NCAA Tournament players the Boston Celtics might have their eyes on
Fans of the Boston Celtics often have teams at the NCAA level they also root for, whether it is UConn, Providence, Boston College, Rhode Island, Harvard, Yale, or any of the other New England schools that make the big dance.
While not everyone has rooting interests in collegiate basketball, every fan of the Celtics can at the very least get a leg up on which prospects in the tourney might be potential Celtics targets in the 2024 NBA Draft. Picking late in the first and second round this year, Boston will be after talent ready to fill the gaps in their rotation and hopefully grow into larger roles over time.
Here are six prospects who fit the bill of the sort of players we think Boston might consider with the draft picks available to it.
Let’s take a look at them, and why the Celtics might be interested:
Zach Edey, Purdue (first round)
The Celtics should probably trade back into the second round if they want to take Edey, a 7-foot-4 giant of a man reminiscent of Yao Ming. Edey could be a helpful backup big for specific matchups, but his game is a throwback that has limited utility at the NBA level unless the Purdue big man develops an outside shot.
DaRon Holmes, Dayton (first round)
Holmes is a better alternative in our estimation with a more varied shot diet and far greater mobility. We’re honestly surprised he’s mocked in Boston’s range in the first round given his prolific rebounding and rim protection coupled with a solid outside shot.
Tyler Kolek, Marquette (first round)
As a true floor general, Kolek is a native Rhode Islander (Cumberland) and the sole player on this list who is not a big or a wing. But his floor vision and shooting make him too good to pass on should he still be on the board as some mocks suggest. The Marquette floor general is also a capable defender, if a bit small for the NBA at 6-foot-3.
Harrison Ingram, UNC (second round)
Though he might be shooting above his likely NBA 3-point efficiency at 37.0% given his free-throw rate (61.2%), Ingram defends well and rebounds very well for his position, and can find teammates with a crafty dime when the need arises. His overall efficiency could use some work at 42.4% from the field overall, but he rarely turns the ball over and could make for a solid backup.
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton (second round)
Scheierman is one of two potential replacements for Sam Hauser for when and if the team needs to replace the Virginia alum. Of the two, it comes down to whether you prefer an emphasis on rebounding or rim protection, with the former being the Creighton alum’s specialty. A 6-foot-7 forward who connects from deep at 37.2 percent, Scheierman could play a bit at the 4 as well at the next level.
Alex Karaban, UConn (second round)
A slightly bigger (6-8), slightly better-shooting (39.5% from 3-point distance) forward with NCAA title experience, Karaban is less of a rebounder than Scheierman, but has logged nearly a block and a steal per game with the Huskies this season. He doesn’t pass the ball much with Connecticut as he tends to finish plays as more of a spot-up shooter, but can also hit a deep 3 in transition on occasion.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 6 players in the NCAA Tournament players the Celtics might like
