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It's that time of year, the one every basketball fan has been waiting for, March Madness. The 2023 NCAA Tournament tipped off on Tuesday with the First Four, and for the next few weeks, it will be the talk of the sports world. For NBA teams, the main draw of the event will be to get a look at some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. For teams near the top of the draft like the Indiana Pacers, this scouting period is even more important.
This season hasn't been awful for Indiana, but it hasn't been good either. With a 31-38 record, the Pacers currently sit at 12th in the Eastern Conference and one game back of the Play-In Tournament. While they're still in the playoff picture, they simply aren't a team that can contend for a championship right now.
Based on the current NBA standings, the Pacers would have either the sixth or seventh overall pick (they have the same record as the Portland Trail Blazers and the tiebreaker is a random drawing). Additionally, they also have first-round picks from both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, which currently sit at 26th and 29th overall respectively, thanks to past trades. If they draft well, the Pacers could completely reload their roster this summer.
With that said, here are three prospects Indiana should be watching in the NCAA Tournament.
3. Julian Strawther, G – Gonzaga
When discussing Gonzaga, most of the attention falls on star forward Drew Timme, but Julian Strawther deserves some love too. The junior from Las Vegas could be a late-first-round pick, and a strong tournament run could cement it.
Strawther has put together his best collegiate season so far, averaging 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. His biggest strength is his lights-out shooting ability, shooting 48.3% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc. His best performance of the season came on Jan. 28 against Portland, when he scored 40 points while making two-thirds of his shots.
Together with Timme, Strawther has led Gonzaga to another great season. The Bulldogs enter the tournament at 28-5, winning both the regular season and tournament titles in the West Coast Conference.
Despite some defensive concerns, Strawther's shooting is good enough to carve out a niche in the NBA. The Pacers are 25th in field goal percentage, so a shooter like Strawther could help with that. With two late first-round picks, they could take a flier on the Bulldogs' guard.
Strawther and the No. 3 Bulldogs begin their tournament with a first-round matchup against No. 14 Grand Canyon on Friday night.
2. Trayce Jackson-Davis, F – Indiana
Like Strawther, Trayce Jackson-Davis is a popular pick to go late in the first round. Unlike the Gonzaga guard, though, the Indiana forward has been the clear top player on his team. In fact, he has been one of the best players in the entire country.
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In 30 games this season, Jackson-Davis is averaging a double-double with 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds, along with 4.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-9 senior has scored at least 10 points in every game this season and is on a tear with at least 24 points in each of his last four games. He was a first-team All-American and a member of the Big Ten All-Defensive team this season.
Jackson-Davis is a pure big man, so much so that he hasn't attempted a three-pointer in his four-year college career. While a bit one-dimensional, he's so good at what he does that he could be successful in the NBA. If he can round out his game, then he could be a special player. Indiana could use a big man, and the local product may be worth a shot.
Jackson-Davis and the No. 4 Hoosiers face off against No. 13 Kent State in a first-round matchup on Friday night.
1. Anthony Black, G – Arkansas
The other two players on this list are projected late-first-round picks, but Anthony Black is almost a lock to go in the top 10. Black was the top point guard in the 2022 recruiting class and has lived up to the hype this season.
The 6-foot-7 freshman has played in all 33 games for Arkansas, averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field. Black has also been a monster defensively, averaging two steals per game.
Together with Ricky Council IV and Nick Smith Jr., Black has been one of the Razorbacks' key leaders this season. While not scoring as much, he definitely has a more well-rounded game than his teammates.
The Pacers don't really excel at anything right now, so a balanced player like Black could be a great addition. He's also the youngest player on this list at 19, so he still has room to grow even more.
Black and the No. 8 Razorbacks face off against No. 9 Illinois in the first round on Thursday.
