New York Knicks: Top 10 2019 NBA Draft prospects in NCAA Tournament

2. Ja Morant, Murray State

Age: 20
Height, Weight: 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Slash Line: .503/.336/.810
Season Averages: 24.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 5.2 TPG, 1.6 3PM

Easily this draft’s top point-guard prospect, Ja Morant will finally receive the national stage to showcase his talents. Playing for the mid-major Murray State, he rarely had the chance to flash for a wider audience. The NCAA Tournament provides that and more, especially if his team can make it past the first round.

That’s the concern, though, for draft pundits that want a longer look at Morant in a high-pressure environment. He and No. 12 Murray State have a game against No. 5 Marquette on opening weekend, with the winner of Florida State and Vermont waiting in the second round.

Morant might be this draft’s second-most athletic player, but the most dynamic guard of the bunch. He blazes down the court while using elite ball-handling skills to lead the offense, with 10.0 assists on a 33.6 usage percentage.

Offensively, Morant can stack up points on 16.2 attempts per game. There is a three-point shot, but not a consistent one. Still, 33.6 percent is an improvement over 30.7 percent in his freshman year, and he’s just 20-years-old.

With point guard-needy teams like the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns and even the New York Knicks, Morant should land second or third in the NBA Draft. He can solve one of these teams’ long-running ball-handling issues and become the next big star from a small school, à la Damian Lillard in 2012.