Thunder Prospects Clash on Sunday March Madness Slate
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2023's NCAA Tournament has already provided some of the most unexpected results in collegiate postseason history, with No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson knocking off No. 1 Purdue and No. 15 Princeton taking down Pac-12 champion and No. 2-seed Arizona. Despite the massive upsets, there are still multiple intriguing second round matchups on Sunday that will give NBA scouts a great look at some of 2023's headlining prospects.
No. 6 Creighton takes on No. 3 Baylor at 6:10 P.M. on TBS, a matchup that will feature a number of future players who are likely on Thunder General Manager Sam Presti's radar.
The Bluejays went 22-12 in the regular season, led by 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner, who averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting over 71% from the field. Kalkbrenner may not be a high-end draft target, but the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year's size and collegiate production could catch the eye of Presti in the second round as a potential depth piece or developmental player in the G League.
The Creighton prospect with the most intrigue, however, is 6-foot-7, 220 pound sophomore wing Arthur Kaluma. He averaged 11.9 points and six rebounds per game this season, but the Boston is seen by many draft experts as a second round value who has the size and athleticism to potentially develop into a productive 3-and-D perimeter player in the NBA.
Former Summit League Player of the Year, Baylor Scheierman, is also a wing prospect to keep an eye on for the Bluejays. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season while shooting almost 36% from 3-point range.
For Baylor, Keyonte George is a prospect that has already been linked to Oklahoma City as a popular target in many mock drafts. The former five-star guard's youth and athleticism combined with his confidence from beyond the arc make it easy to see what OKC likes about the IMG Academy product.
On the season, George is averaging 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. The 2022-23 Big 12 Rookie of the Year's biggest flaws are his shot selection and shooting percentage, as George knocked down less than 40% of his field goals as a freshman.
While the 6-foot-4 guard struggled in the Bears Round of 64 game, a big performance against Creighton's impressive defenders on the national stage could help George solidify a spot in the Top 10 of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Similar to Kaluma, Baylor's Jalen Bridges is another developmental 3-and-D wing prospect that the Thunder could have an affinity for in the second round. Listed at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, the fourth-year player will need to knock down triples at a higher clip to make an impact in the NBA.
For Oklahoma City, Bridges' 32% 3-point shot may be something the team believes it can improve with legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland. An improved stoke coupled with the West Virginia transfer's savvy defensive ability could make for a great role player at the next level.
In Baylor's first round matchup victory over UC Santa Barbara, Bridges went 4-of-5 from the field en route to eight points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in only 22 minutes of action.
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