5. Noah Clowney, Alabama
As one of the most underrated players on Alabama’s roster, Noah Clowney is a player that has been vital to the Crimson Tide’s success so far this season. And if they’re going to continue marching (no pun intended), Clowney is going to have to continue to play good basketball.
The freshman forward finished with an efficient 10 points and four rebounds in the opening round game and struggled from the field (105 shooting from the field) in the second round. He managed to finish with five points and nine rebounds.
Clowney could end up being a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft but there are still plenty of questions that will follow him heading into his rookie season. He has great size but still needs to grow into his 6-foot-10 height. He’ll need to put on strength heading into the next level and prove that he can be a consistent player outside of the paint.
Clowney shot under 30 percent from 3-point range this season and just 64 percent from the free-throw line. For as athletic and versatile as he may seem as a prospect, and there’s no taking away from that, he still very much has some proving to do. And not only heading into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.