7 Must-Watch NCAA Tournament First Round Games for Hawks Fans
By Chris Guest
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Iona
Duke has a stacked starting five that features five players that will almost certainly be going to new NBA homes in the 2018 NBA draft.
Headlined by the immensely gifted Marvin Bagley III, who is projected to go Top 5 in the 2018 draft, viewing the Duke game will give Hawks fans the chance to scout all 5 of these players.
Though the fit between John Collins and Bagley would be problematic, the upside would be through the roof, and the Hawks would have two bankable young stars to build around.
If the Hawks “fall” in the race for the top pick, fans can take a gander at Wendell Carter Jr., who carried the load for the Blue Devils while Bagley was out for a few games with an injury.
In the lower reaches of the Hawks’ picks (perhaps with the Rockets pick at 29 or 30 or their own second round pick in the 35ish range), guards Gary Trent Jr. and Trevon Duval might be available for the taking.
Both have shown plenty of flashes this season at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and both could serve as potential backcourt stalwarts for years to come in Atlanta.