NBA Draft Stock Tracker: Forwards Fall as Guards Rise

Russ Smith is showing off at the right time of year. (Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

For some players, the NCAA tournament is a chance for players to represent their schools and to play hard for realizing their dreams of being a champion. For others, it is a springboard to help show off their talents for the NBA draft. Here are the list of some of the best and worst performances by players who may be going to the draft this summer. 

Russ Smith, Louisville: Buy

Smith may be the best player on the No. 1 ranked team in the tournament this year, but he hasn’t gotten a lot of attention from NBA scouts. Smith has mostly been trailing other point guards like Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart and Michigan's Trey Burke because of his perceived inconsistency, but in the first game of the tournament he had 23 points on 10-16 shooting with eight steals. In the second game, he dropped 27 points on 7-15 shooting.

Ben McLemore, Kansas: Sell

As a KU fan, this one hurts me. McLemore had only 11 points against 16-seeded Western Kentucky while committing four turnovers. Not terrible, but not what you would expect from a possible No. 1 draft pick either. Against North Carolina, McLemore went 0-9 and finished with just two points. If he doesn’t rebound from this slump against Michigan in the Sweet 16, McLemore might actually see his name drop in the NBA draft.

Otto Porter, Georgetown: Sell

I’m a big Otto Porter fan and I still think he’ll go in the top 10 and be a good player in the NBA, but losing to Florida Gulf Coast is a bad way to end your college career. Porter was in a shooting slump late in the season and had only shot above 40 percent once in his last five games. He’s still rebounding and playing good defense, but Porter's shooting woes may turn scouts off.

Aaron Craft, Ohio State: Buy

Not many have him going high in the draft, but Craft is still playing excellent ball in the tournament. He had 18 points against Iowa State, including a last-second shot to win the game, while continuing to lock down opponents on the perimeter and provide the Buckeyes with veteran leadership.

Jeff Withey, Kansas: Buy

He’s most likely going to be a low first round pick for his size and regular season statistics alone, but his recent performances could boost his stock. Withey had 17 points and seven blocks against Western Kentucky and followed it up with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks against North Carolina.

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