The best shooting guard prospects in the 2017 NCAA Tournament

Josh Hart - Villanova 6'6" 203 SR. ...Hart is a two-way player that may not jump out at you with the initial eye-test. However, the more you watch him play, the more you appreciate all of the intangibles he brings to a winning team. Hart is as steady as they come. He averages 18.9 points (40% from beyond the college arc), 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot over 50% FG in all of his four seasons in college. He improved his scoring average with each successive season at Villanova, and he raised his free throw percentage from 67% as a freshman to 75% as a Senior. While we view him as more of a shooting guard, Hart could conceivably play point guard in a pinch as well. He helps as a rebounder from the guard spot. ...Hart was a catalyst in the 2016 National Championship run for Villanova.

 

Donovan Mitchell - Louisville 6'3" 210 soph. ...Mitchell made a big jump this season, upping his scoring average to 15 points per game (from 7.4 ppg as a freshman). The biggest strides were made in his three-point shooting. After struggling at 25% 3-pt. in his first season, Mitchell is now hitting 36% of his deep balls. He is unquestionably an NBA athlete that gets great elevation on his jump shot. Mitchell also gets after it defensively. His defensive rating is an impressive 1.9 points better than the Louisville team DEFRTG. He is a solid decision maker with a 1.59-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. ...Mitchell was a key cog in Brewster Academy's 34-1 season in 2014-15. He helped them to their second straight National Prep Championship. ...He also played baseball (pitcher, shortstop) and soccer (goalie) in high school. His father Donovan Sr. is the Manager of Player Operations and Community Outreach with the New York Mets.

 

Markus Howard - Marquette 5'11" 175 frosh. ...One player that is not getting enough notoriety is Markus Howard. He is among the most lethal shooters in college hoops. As a freshman, Howard's shooting numbers are: 50.6% FG, 54.9% 3-pt. FG, and 88.9% FT. He averages 13.2 points per game. Howard busted a career-high 34 points (with 9 made threes) to lead Marquette to a W over Xavier earlier this season (February 18th). Howard is not a great defender but his offense is so special, we can live with the overall package. ...Howard owns a pair of Gold medals playing for USA Basketball. He was a member of title squad at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships, as well as the U16 National Team at the FIBA Americas Championships in 2015.

 

Next nine...

Bruce Brown - Miami. 6'5" 190. freshman.

Jeffrey Carroll - Oklahoma St. 6'6" 215. junior.

Grayson Allen - Duke. 6'4" 195. junior.

Malik Monk - Kentucky. 6'3" 185. freshman. (editor's note: Monk's defensive rating is 4.8 points worse than the Kentucky team DEFRTG. That is a glaring indictment of how little defense Monk plays at this stage of his career.)

Kamar Baldwin - Butler. 6'0" 170. freshman.

Dwayne Bacon - Florida St. 6'5" 205. sophomore.

Trevon Bluiett - Xavier. 6'6" 215. junior.

Daryl Macon - Arkansas. 6'3" 185. junior.

Rawle Alkins - Arizona. 6'5" 220. freshman.

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