Final Four's Big 4
This is the year of the big men. The NCAA's Final Four shaped up to be some of the most exciting games in history. With three top-seeded teams reaching the Final Four, you know you'll have plenty of NBA prospects in action. Among those players are Jahlil Okafor, Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns and Frank Kaminsky, all the best big men in the country. Come the NBA draft, don't be surprised if all four will be top 10 picks.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Karl-Anthony Towns showed in the Elite 8 that he is the most dominant center in the college game. Notre Dame had no answer to him whatsoever. Towns went 10 of 13 with 25 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. If he missed one extra shot, Kentucky could have been out of the tournament. That is how much Kentucky relied on Towns. That means a lot when your team is 38-0. The freshman will likely declare for the NBA draft and will be a top five pick. Not only is he a monster on the court, he is in the classroom as well. He's an A student with dreams of a career in the medical field.
Willie Cauley-Stein: With Willie Cauley-Stein paired up with the Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky by far has the best big-man duo in the country. They are the reason why UK is in the Final Four. Unlike Towns, Cauley-Stein's specialty is defense. At 7 feet, Cauley-Stein is one of the fastest and most-athletic big men in the country. It is known head coach John Calipari has Cauley-Stein guard the opponent's best player regardless of their position. Come the Final Four, he will guard Wisconsin's talented big man Frank Kaminsky. The junior is expected to leave UK for the NBA draft. In his career at UK, he has 114 steals and 231 blocks in three years.
Jahlil Okafor: Most NBA reporters expect Duke's big man Jahlil Okafor to be the NBA's No. 1 overall pick of the draft. Coach Mike Krzyzewski agrees. "Jah is just an amazing talent who is only going to get better," Krzyzewski said. His footwork in the post is his best asset in his game. The way his establishes position in the paint is amazing, making him an almost unguardable one-on-one player at the college level. Expect Okafor to lead Duke to the title game.
Frank Kaminsky: Unlike the other big three in the Final Four, Wisconsin's center "Frank the Tank" is not expected to be a top 10 pick in the draft. But unlike them, Kaminsky is a sharp shooter. Friday, the AP named Kaminsky Player of the Year after remarkable season, averaging 18.7 points with 8 rebounds while shooting 54.9 percent. After the tournament, scouts may very well change their mind on his draft position.