NBA Draft: 5 prospects to keep an eye on in the first round of March Madness
By Zach Wolpin
Jabari Smith, F, Auburn Tigers
Jabari Smith is one of the best players in the nation and he is only 18 years old. He helped lead Auburn to win the SEC regular-season championship. It will be interesting to see if Smith will stay in college to work on his craft, or will he take his talents right to the NBA?
Auburn has themselves a unique player in Smith. At 6-foot-10, 220 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with all over the court. He has incredible mobility for somebody his size and his shot is almost ungradable.
He is averaging 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1,9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game as a freshman. Smith has so much potential in his career. He earned 2021-2022 All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman, and 2021-2022 SEC ROY.
My NBA comparison for Smith is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is not as big muscularly as Giannis, but he is a better shooter than him already. If Smith can add some muscle and bulk to his frame, I think he could be a real problem in the NBA.
Next. NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Chet Holmgren rises to No. 1; Paolo Banchero falls. dark
The Auburn Tigers earned a two-seed in March Madness and will face the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The game will take place on Friday, March 18th, at 12:40 pm.