From the angle of hoping for upsets and chaos, day two of March Insanity dissatisfied once more. It was a superb day for prospects, although, as a handful of future lottery picks had glorious performances. Let’s break down 4 extra notable prospect performances from the second day of NCAA Event hoops.
Jeremiah Fears vs UConn
20 factors (5-14), 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 steals
Jeremiah Fears received’t flip 19 till the autumn however he carved the defending Nationwide Champion Huskies. His teammates couldn’t generate sufficient offense to vault them over the end, however Fears’s creation saved the sport shut. He lived on the basket, threw dimes out of the choose and roll and drilled two threes, marking one in all his extra spectacular video games of the season.
As a smaller guard, Fears can battle to attain on the rim and end over taller defenders. He shot 3-10 on the rim in opposition to UConn, however he added eight factors on the free-throw line, sinking all of his makes an attempt. Even with out nice ending numbers, the worth of Fears’s incessant paint stress is at all times clear.
jeremiah fears vs uconn — lived on the rim off the dribble, surgical choose and roll passing, struggled to attain on the rim. phenomenal cap to his season
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— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Dailyn Swain vs Illinois
27 factors (10-17), 3 assists, 8 rebounds, 0 turnovers, 3 steals
Regardless of Xavier’s loss, sophomore wing Dailyn Swain had the perfect recreation of his school profession. He thrived as a scorer, producing tons of paint stress along with his glorious burst, deal with and physicality. Swain at all times disrupts on protection, blowing up actions and clogging passing lanes along with his glorious size.
Capturing has been Swain’s principal limitation, however he canned three of his 5 3-point makes an attempt in opposition to Illinois. The Illini sagged off of Swain, permitting him to shoot in favor of guarding his drives. If Swain can proceed to progress as a shooter, it’s straightforward to see a participant as massive, expert and athletic as him turning into a useful NBA prospect.
Derik Queen vs Grand Canyon
12 factors (4-9), 3 assists, 15 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 2 blocks
Queen’s Terrapins rolled in opposition to an skilled Grand Canyon crew. He let different teammates carry the majority of the scoring, however Queen nonetheless imposed himself with a couple of spectacular drives and post-ups. He threw a couple of absurd passes, highlighted by an extended outlet cross in transition and a lefty skip cross.
The Antelopes didn’t problem Queen a lot on protection, however NBA groups will monitor how he fares in opposition to a superb Colorado State crew within the spherical of 32. He flashed the traits that give Queen one of many highest ceilings within the draft as a dominant offensive chess piece.
derik queen vs grand canyon — threw some ridiculous full court docket, skip and inside passes, scored on the hoop, turned it over a couple of occasions barging into site visitors. excessive, excessive stage participant
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— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Will Riley vs Xavier
22 factors (8-12), 0 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 blocks
Riley’s ascension late within the season peaked in Illinois’s win over Xavier. He showcased his pure scoring expertise, draining tough photographs and driving to the ring a bit. Phenomenal off-ball play helps increase Riley’s worth, spacing and reducing off of his crew’s assortment of fantastic playmakers.
He added some defensive worth as properly, defending the paint along with his measurement. Riley will want tons of bodily development to thrive within the NBA, however he displayed his apparent offensive expertise within the greatest recreation of his life so far. He’s a transparent first-round prospect with the potential to spice up his inventory greater.
