Analysis | Zion and beyond: The NBA fan’s guide to March Madness 2019

Duke's Zion Williamson is must-see for NBA fans. But there's more to this upcoming tournament . By Ben Golliver Ben Golliver NBA reporter Email Bio Follow March 20 at 11:33 AM For NBA obsessives who wait until March Madness to catch up on the college product, here’s the six-word story of the upcoming NCAA tournament: Watch Zion and fall in love.

Zion Williamson, Duke’s do-everything freshman sensation, erased any lingering concerns about the minor knee sprain he suffered in February by leading the Blue Devils to the ACC title last week.

Pity the rest of this year’s prospects, who have suffered by comparison to Williamson all season. Keep in mind, though, that there isn’t a Luka Doncic- or Kristaps Porzingis-type international talent ready to crash the top five of this year’s draft. By default, the NCAA’s best of the rest will become the anointed saviors for whichever bottom-dwelling NBA teams strike out in May 14’s lottery drawing.

With that in mind, here are five more potential lottery picks worth monitoring as the Round of 64 commences Thursday. R.J. Barrett, Duke: Much like past Dukies Jahlil Okafor and Jabari Parker, Barrett inspires both appreciation and skepticism. The latest in a long line of Canadian lottery talents, Barrett is a smooth lefty with natural scoring instincts and prototypical size for an NBA wing. There’s a fine line between making it look easy and floating, and the 6-foot-7 forward often strays to the wrong side.

Reddish is the best basketball player on Duke. Tre Jones is the most valuable player on Duke. Zion is the most exciting. RJ Barrett is the alpha. ____________________________ But I don't think that Duke will get past the sweet sixteen.

Lets go Duke. If haters don't like it, move. To another planet.

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