Three Players For Thunder Fans to Keep an Eye on During March Madness

With the NCAA season entering the final stretch, the NCAA Tournament is the best way to get a final look at some of the top prospects for the upcoming draft.

The 68 teams playing for the National Championship are selected and ready to play in the NCAA Tournament.

With that many teams comes plenty of NBA prospects, some of which could end up playing in Oklahoma City. Plenty of first round prospects will have the chance to lead their teams to a magical tournament run.

For OKC, though, their draft position is wide open depending on how the team finishes the last stretch of games. Here are some key players to keep an eye on as they lead their teams into March Madness:

Jarace Walker — Houston

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A freshman forward and a vital piece to the success of the No. 1 overall seeded Houston Cougars, Walker could be a prime pick for OKC if the Thunder selects inside the lottery.

Walker, who is 6-foot-8 and 240-pounds, is scoring 11.1 points per game and grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game.

Walker could provide crucial depth to a position group that OKC desperately needs. Walker is a borderline top-10 player in the draft and could raise his stock even higher with a deep March Madness run. 

Cason Wallace — Kentucky

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Kentucky’s season wasn’t the strongest showing by Wildcat standards, but Cason Wallace remains a top-15 projected pick.

Wallace and the Wildcats drew a challenging Round of 64 matchup with Providence in a 6-seed against 11-seed matchup, but the tough draw will give Wallace a chance to showcase his talents even more.

Wallace would be a player to watch for OKC if the team continues to hover just around the Play-In game. Wallace is a 6-foot-4 guard who could add depth to the Thunder bench.

Wallace scores 11.6 points per game and does so on decent efficiency. He also grabs 3.5 rebounds per game and dishes out 4.2 assists per game, and helps stretch the floor and makes his teammates better. 

Kris Murray — Iowa

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If that name rings a bell, it should. Kris’ brother Keegan was drafted last season and is a key player on the white-hot Kings.

Kris, though, is a key player on the current Iowa team who has drawn a challenging path in March. Murray is a key player to watch for OKC to take in the draft if they end up making the playoffs.

Murray is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 20.4 points per game and grabbing 7.9 rebounds per game. Murray doesn’t have the high ceiling his brother had, but could be a solid bench piece for NBA teams with his high basketball IQ and shooting ability. 

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