It’s March again, and as any NBADraft.net enthusiast knows, it’s time for our staff to turn our attention from the draft and to our annual NBADraft.net Player Pool. Eight staff writers assembled in a lively Google Hangout to pick 8 players each from this NCAA Tournament. The goal? Pick the team of players who will score the most combined points in the Big Dance. Strategies were varied. Does one stack their team with mediocre scorers from Final Four contenders? Does one load up on the Trae Young’s and Mike Daum’s of the world, guys who can put up points in bunches but aren’t expected to be around more than one or two games? Did we gamble on a 2 or 3 seed going to the championship, only to get upset by a 6 or 7 seed in the second round? (I certainly left myself open to that possibility.) Only time will tell, so without further ado, here are your teams:
Eric Guilleminault – Contributor
Picks
Jalen Brunson – Villanova – 19.4 PPG
Gary Trent Jr.. – Duke – 14.3
Rawle Alkins – Arizona – 13.4
Devon Hall – Virginia – 12.0
Lagerald Vick – Kansas – 12.0
Kenny Williams – UNC – 11.4
Josh Perkins – Gonzaga – 12.4
Trevon Duval – Duke – 9.9
CHALK SCORE (Amount of points this team would score if the higher seed won every game and each player scored their scoring average every game) – 468.2 (2nd)
George Keiter – Pac 12 and Mid-Major Writer
Picks
Mikal Bridges – Villanova – 18
Kyle Guy – Virginia – 14.1
Michael Porter Jr. – Missouri – 12 (average taken from one full game he played this season)
Caleb Martin – Nevada – 19.1
Jaren Jackson Jr.. – Michigan State – 11.3
Jared Terrell – Rhode Island – 17.2
Jevon Carter – West Virginia – 17
Collin Sexton – Alabama – 19
CHALK SCORE – 376.1 (6th)
Aran Smith – President
Picks
Deandre Ayton – Arizona – 20.3
Trae Young – Oklahoma – 27.4
Killian Tillie – Gonzaga – 13.4
Wendell Carter Jr. – Duke – 13.8
Omari Spellman – Villanova – 10.7
Jontay Porter – Missouri – 10.1
Theo Pinson – UNC – 10.3
Zach Norvell – Gonzaga – 12.2
CHALK SCORE – 345.9 (8th)
Matt Harvey – Big East Writer
Picks
Devonte Graham – Kansas – 17.3
Grayson Allen – Duke – 15.7
Donte DiVincenzo – Villanova – 13.1
Phil Booth – Villanova – 10.9
Landry Shamet – Wichita State – 15
Mustapha Heron – Auburn – 16.6
Jalen Hudson – Florida – 15.3
Kelan Martin – Butler – 20.8
CHALK SCORE – 371.1 (7th)
Jacob Stallard – Big Ten Writer
Picks
Joel Berry – UNC – 17.1
Luke Maye – UNC – 17.2
Cassius Winston – Michigan State – 12.6
Isaac Haas – Purdue – 14.9
Cameron Johnson – UNC -12.7
Gary Clark – Cincinnati – 12.8
Josh Langford – Michigan State – 11.7
Bryce Brown – Auburn – 16.2
CHALK SCORE – 420.3 (3rd)
Michael Visenberg – Contributor
Picks
Miles Bridges – Michigan State – 16.9
Allonzo Trier – Arizona – 18.4
Keenan Evans – Texas Tech – 17.5
Malik Newman – Kansas – 13.1
Johnathan Williams – Gonzaga – 13.5
Nick Ward – Michigan State – 12.6
Dusan Ristic – Arizona – 12.1
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman – Michigan – 12.6
CHALK SCORE – 376.3 (5th)
Nicholas Mazzone – Big 12 Writer
Picks
Marvin Bagley – Duke – 21.1
Carsen Edwards – Purdue – 18.5
Ty Jerome – Virginia – 10.5
Moritz Wagner – Michigan – 14.5
Jacob Evans – Cincinnati – 12.9
Keita Bates-Diop – Ohio State – 19.4
Kevin Knox – Kentucky – 15.5
Mohamed Bamba – Texas – 12.9
CHALK SCORE – 399.2 (4th)
David Correll – SEC Writer
Picks
Trevon Bluiett – Xavier – 19.5
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – Kansas – 15.1
Udoka Azubuike – Kansas – 13.7
JP Macura – Xavier – 12.2
Vincent Edwards – Purdue – 14.5
Eric Paschall – Villanova – 10.3
Grant Williams – Tennessee – 15.3
Dakota Mathias – Purdue – 12.4
CHALK SCORE – 517.8 (1st)
