Following the 2023 NBA Draft: Stock Watch: Sweet 16.piece by NBADraft.net President Aran Smith, here is a follow up article featuring a few additional players deserving mention from the second weekend that were not featured in the original piece.
Stock Up:
Isaiah Wong – Miami (FL)
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 16.5 PTS, 5.8 REB, 1.5 AST, 40.0 FG%, 41.7 3P%
Isaiah Wong (pictured) is also one of the new faces on this list and the Miami guard certainly earned the nod. Miami is on a run in the NCAA tournament and with each win, Wong continues to increase his second-round stock. On our board right now, the senior from Piscataway, New Jersey, is sitting at the 41st pick with another game to play. Aside from his five-point outing in the Round of 64 against Drake, where he also managed to produce six rebounds and two assists, Wong has played above his averages. Against Indiana, Wong posted 27 points and eight rebounds. The Hurricanes guard went off for 17 points in the second half which allowed his team to advance to the next round. He followed that with a 20-point, six-rebound and three-assist downing of Houston. The more Wong has played, the better he’s performed, which bodes well since it’s on the biggest stage in clutch moments. It’s win or go home and Wong isn’t ready to pack his bag just yet. You’ll hear his name in Round 2.
Keyontae Johnson – Kansas State
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 15.5 PTS, 5.0 REB, 1.8 AST, 50.0 FG%
After a strong first week of games in the 2023 NCAA tournament, Keyontae Johnson’s borderline first-round draft selection was going strong. The Kansas State forward reinforced it with a big performance against Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Johnson torched the Spartans for 22 points and six rebounds. In the 98-93 victory for the Wildcats, Johnson opened the overtime period with a 3-pointer and received the highlight dunk from the hands of Markquis Nowell at half court to give Kansas State a lead they’d never look back from. Johnson played 45 minutes that game and clocked in 39 minutes in each of the previous two games, which says something to scouts. In the Elite 8, Johnson got into foul trouble and was only on the court for 18 minutes. He still managed to produce nine points. With his performances this tournament, Johnson certainly cracked the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Adama Sanogo – UConn
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 20.0 PTS, 9.8 REB, 1.3 AST, 1.3 BLK, 65.5 FG%
Adam Sanogo came out with back-to-back 28-point and 24-point performances in the opening week of the NCAA tournament. While his next two games weren’t nearly as dominant, Sanogo continued to raise his second-round draft stock. Against Arkansas, the Huskies center totaled 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes. UConn won comfortably and moved on to the Elite 8 against Gonzaga. In another big win, Sanogo produced 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. While it was the lesser of his three prior performances offensively, Sanogo still dominated the glass. Sanogo is still slotted as a mid-second-round pick, but these tournament games certainly helped his stock. Oh, and he’s still playing, so, it might inch up a bit more too.
Julian Strawther – Gonzaga
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 16.3 PTS, 8.8 REB, 1.5 AST, 38.2 FG%
Julian Strawther did enough in the NCAA tournament to catch the eyes of NBA scouts, even if it didn’t end particularly well for the Gonzaga guard. Heading into Week 2 of March Madness, Strawther already performed well enough against Grand Canyon and TCU, however, a marquee matchup against UCLA in the Sweet 16 is where he elevated his clutch play. The Las Vegas, native, finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Oh, he also nailed the clutch go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left against UCLA to give Gonzaga the victory. In fact, nine of Strawther’s 16 points came within the last four minutes of play when the game was knotted. He stepped up and took the Bulldogs to the Elite 8. Despite the rough performance in the Elite 8 against UConn, Strawther remains a projected late first-round draft pick with lots of upside and a clutch gene that sets him apart.
Ryan Kalkbrenner – Creighton
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 20.0 PTS, 6.3 REB, 1.8 BLK, 60.4 FG%
Ryan Kalkbrenner had a strong opener to the 2023 rendition of the NCAA tournament. The Creighton product scored 31 points and hauled in seven rebounds against NC State. Kalkbrenner also made his presence known in the paint with three blocks, which was the norm for him this season with his 2.1 blocks per game average. Overall, he averaged 20.0 points in the tournament, which was up from his 15.9 points per game average. He showed up. The 7’0” center recorded at least one block in the four tournament games he appeared in and made 60.4% of his shots. While Kalkbrenner is still floating around the end of the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, evaluators will certainly look at his solid performances on the national stage. At this point he would probably be best served returning and entering a weaker 2024 draft.
Stock Down:
Nick Smith – Arkansas
Overall NCAA Tournament Stats: 5.7 PTS, 1.0 REB, 26.1 FG%, 25.0 3P%
Let’s just say Nick Smith didn’t have the best opening week to the NCAA tournament. After a rough game against Illinois in the Round of 64, Smith shot 0-for-4 against Kansas and was benched by head coach Eric Musselman. Luckily for Smith, Arkansas moved on to the Sweet 16 where he would have the opportunity to bounce back. It wasn’t too much of an improvement, but Smith recorded 11 points in the loss to UConn. The Razorbacks guard shot 4-for-9 from the field, which was more than his two previous outings combined. But was this enough to reverse his downtrend? Likely not. However, even though Smith didn’t perform up to par in the tournament, many still considered him a a likely high first-round pick in June’s draft. Again, this wasn’t the be-all and end-all, of course not, but instead of heading into the draft process on a high note, Smith is riding a down stock and slipped a bit from his initial projection.
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly slots in the stock-down category for this article, but not because of his overall performance. Heading into the second week of the NCAA tournament, Quinerly was on a hot streak dating back to the end of the regular season. The Hackensack, New Jersey, native, scored 20 or more points in three of his last 10 games. Quinerly was even shooting the ball well. Against Texas A&M-CC in the Round of 64, Quinerly shot 50.0% from the field. He followed this with a 22-point showcase against Maryland where he was 64.3% from the field and 4-for-6 from the 3-point line. But, he wouldn’t carry this streak into Sweet 16. In the loss to San Diego State, Quinerly shot poorly. He went 4-for-13 on his field goals and missed some key free throws down the stretch. The senior’s draft stock is trending down. On our big board, he clocks in at 94, which leaves him out of the draft. He’s talented enough to make it in the league, but may need to hone his skills at the Gleague level for a couple years before getting there.
