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NY Knicks: 3 top 2022 draft prospects from NCAA Tournament

By Jeremy Goldstein

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Bennedict Mathurin #0 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts after a turnover during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Bennedict Mathurin #0 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts after a turnover during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 20, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Arizona Wildcats, New York Knicks, Bennedict Mathurin
Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona Wildcats. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/USA TODAY Sports) – New York Knicks /

With the NBA season coming to a close, and the New York Knicks being eliminated from playoff contention, many fans have turned to the NCAA tournament for their source of basketball entertainment throughout the last few weeks.

During the tournament, many players emerged as potential success stories in the NBA. As the orange and blue make their unfortunate return to the draft lottery, there’ve been lots of theories regarding who we might see the Knicks take, along with which players are realistically likely to fall to the team.

The Kansas Jayhawks were crowned champions and all players entering the draft have officially finalized their opportunities to make a good first impression on the league.

With New York currently projected to be positioned with a low-tier lottery pick, here are three players that have opened a lot of eyes throughout March Madness that could end up wearing orange and blue come next season’s opening tip in October.

Keep in mind, we still don’t know where the Knicks will be selecting in this summer’s draft, so this is all speculation.

3 NCAA Tournament stars the New York Knicks could pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

3: Bennedict Mathurin – Arizona Wildcats 

All things considered, Benn Mathurin is the lone reason why Arizona was able to make the Sweet 16 in this year’s tournament.

Late game heroics aside, Mathurin averaged 17.7 points over 37 contests this year. Throughout the season, the Montreal native found himself adjusting more and more to a leadership role as the Wildcats continued to climb the top 25.

If anything has been made clear this season, it’s that the Knicks need a surplus of vocal leaders who can take over a game. As in, someone who can complement the rapidly improving play of RJ Barrett.

After seeing what Mathurin did against TCU, there’s no doubt that he’d be a great fit on basketball’s biggest stage.

While many fans and spectators are considering Immanuel Quickley to be the newfound solution at point guard for New York, it’s hard to deny that it’d be intriguing to watch Mathurin be paired with Quickley to see how their dynamic play styles intertwine.

While, yes, it’d be difficult to find a consistent amount of minutes for Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride with Mathurin’s addition, it’d be a pick worth making if the opportunity presents itself.

With many speculations regarding an Evan Fournier trade and lots of question marks in general regarding who will get minutes at shooting guard next season, it’s become undoubtedly clear that Mathurin needs to head to the Big Apple.

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