Zion won’t be there, but the Final Four features these five prospects with NBA talent

For the casual college basketball fan and NBA draft nerd, Sunday was tough.

The No. 1-seed Duke Blue Devils went down in the Elite Eight and with them went All-Americans Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, the potential top two picks in the upcoming NBA draft.

What it means is the spotlight this weekend can shift to some other potential lottery picks, though. With Williamson and Barrett out, these five prospects should get some attention in Minneapolis, Minnesota:

De’Andre Hunter, Virginia Cavaliers

Hunter might be the best NBA prospect on the floor U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend.

His upside isn’t necessarily quite as high as some other guys’, but Hunter’s versatility makes him an excellent fit in the modern NBA.

The All-American forward is one of the most versatile defensive players in the country and he has a chance to potentially guard four positions at the next level. As the anchor of Virginia’s elite defense, Hunter was the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Hunter, who redshirted his first season in Charlottesville, has played himself into a virtual lottery lock as a redshirt sophomore by averaging 14.9 points per game and shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range.

His NCAA Tournament has been relatively underwhelming — he hasn’t scored more than 11 points since the Cavaliers’ first-round win against the No. 16-seed Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs — but shooting and defense is enough to make him a high-floor NBA draft prospect.

Kyle Guy, Virginia Cavaliers

Guy is far from a first-round lock, which means he’s also far from a lock to head to the NBA after his junior season.

His shooting ability alone, however, makes him a tantalizing NBA prospect given the premium the league places upon shooters.

The two-time All-American is a career 42.6-percent shooter from long range and he shot 49.5 percent as a freshman when he was more of a situational player.

As a role player at the next level, Guy will be able to maximize his ability as a catch-and-shoot player, but his ballhandling gives him an interesting ceiling, too. He could potentially be a point guard star wings want to play with because of his ability to play off the ball. Cavaliers tend to play defense well in the NBA, too.

Cassius Winston, Michigan State Spartans

Winston isn’t really on draft radars — ESPN’s Chad Ford ranks him as the No. 87 prospect in the class — but he might be playing his way there in March Madness.

The All-American guard is a steady enough presence to become a second-round pick for a team looking for a backup guard.

Despite his relative lack of size, Winston shoots 50.8 percent from two-point range and he’s proving last season, when he shot 49.7 percent from three, was no fluke by following it up with a 40.4 percentage this year.

In all likelihood, Winston will be back for one more season, though, then go the undrafted route after his senior year.

Still, don’t be surprised when he finds a spot on an NBA roster down the road. It’s also worth noting Winston was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, so it’s not like he’s some scrappy little guard no one had heard of until this season. He’s been on scouts radars for years.

Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech Red Raiders

Culver is Hunter’s biggest challenger to the claim of top NBA prospect at the Final Four.

The All-American shooting guard is another virtual lock to go in the lottery and The Ringer’s mock draft even slots Culver as the No. 4 overall prospect in the class.

At 6-6, Culver has the length NBA teams seek on the wing and his ability to be a team’s primary creator gives him an intriguing ceiling.

The sophomore needs to become a more reliable three-point shooter — he’s at just 31.6 percent this year — and if he does he could turn into a star.

A 54.2-percent shooter from inside the arc, Culver already knows how to use his body effectively on offense. He’s also a key component of an elite Texas Tech defense and has the length for it to translate at the next level.

Austin Wiley, Auburn Tigers

Guards Bryce Brown and Jared Harper deservedly have gotten most of the attention in the NCAA Tourney.

Neither, however, are regarded as significant NBA prospects, which leaves Wiley as Auburn’s most significant pro prospect remaining — a title star forward Chuma Okeke would claim if he hadn’t torn his anterior cruciate ligament Friday in the Sweet 16.

The No. 35 overall prospect in the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2016, Wiley is 6-11 with a 7-4 wingspan and measurables like those alone are almost enough to get a player drafted.

He’s had a reduced role this year as a junior after sitting out his entire sophomore season for suspension, but he still averages 1.3 blocks per game and shoots 58.1 percent from the floor.

This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 6:33 PM.