The 2022 NCAA Tournament provides a fantastic scouting opportunity for NBA diehards. While college basketball’s regular season is sometimes lost in the sporting shuffle, the NBA season is now winding down and various fan bases are turning attention to the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. Through that lens, there are plenty of intriguing prospects in action, including the vast majority of the consensus contenders for lottery position.
In the East region, one prospect stands out above the rest, but in DIME’s look at the top five prospects in each region, there are five contenders for first round status. Let’s roll through the list.
Jaden Ivey – G, Purdue
Ivey is the clear top prospect in the region and one of the top five players in the class. While many saw him as a future first-round pick a year ago, Ivey’s breakout has been fun to watch, and he is the centerpiece of a Purdue team that is fully capable of making a run. Ivey is hyper-athletic and is the most intriguing guard in the entire tournament from an NBA perspective.
TyTy Washington – G, Kentucky
Kentucky is loaded, as usual, but the Wildcats don’t have a definite top-10 pick this time around. Big man Oscar Tshiebwe, who happens to be the National Player of the Year frontrunner, would be No. 6 on this list, but Washington is the best NBA prospect. He has a highly developed mid-range game, a high-end feel for the game, and the reality that Kentucky guards often over-perform their draft slots.
Jeremy Sochan – F, Baylor
Sochan wasn’t on the mainstream radar, at least outside of the diehards, until recently, and he’s got work to do. With that said, he’s been outrageously fun down the stretch of the season. He is a do-it-all forward who has been asked to anchor Baylor’s defense at times, and there is a lot to like with his offense. Sochan is the kind of player that could cement lottery status if he jumps another level on the biggest stage of the sport.
Kendall Brown – F, Baylor
Brown and Sochan are fun to watch on defense together, with both bringing length and athleticism. Brown is an elite-level athlete and, when it looks good, it looks really good. He’s very raw on offense, though, and sometimes tends to disappear on that end. He’s managed to be efficient on quality looks, but Brown could leave a mark if he can show a bit more on that end of the floor over the next few weeks.
Justin Lewis – F, Marquette
Lewis is the least flashy and the least sexy of this group. He’s also a lot less famous than Oscar Tshiebwe. However, Lewis profiles as a potential 3-and-D combo forward that NBA teams have a clear need for in the modern game. Lewis cooled off from three-point range during the season, but still managed to make 35 percent and average 17.1 points per game for a good team. He will need to show more as a passer at some point, but he is very long and physical, but isn’t the most explosive athlete.