Six NBA prospects in the Final Four

And their chances to succeed in the world’s toughest league

BY DAVID THORPE

UConn’s Donovan Clingan has dominated the paint all year. Does he have what it takes to bang with the pros? JAMIE SCHWABEROW/NCAA PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Every team in this year’s Final Four boasts at least one NBA prospect. The question is: How will they fare if they enter the 2024 NBA Draft? 

NBA teams plucked four players from last year’s Final Four in the 2023 draft. Late lottery pick Jordan Hawkins and second-round selection Andre Jackson—from last year’s champion UConn Huskies—are holding down bench roles for the Pelicans and Bucks, respectively. Former Miami Hurricanes Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller, both second-round picks, played almost entirely in the G League. 

This year, UConn center Donovan Clingan and wing Stephon Castle appear in the lottery on NBA mock drafts everywhere. But what will NBA teams be getting in exchange for those high picks? 

Zach Edey, who has led Purdue back to the national semis for the first time since 1980, has been slotted anywhere from late lottery to mid-second round. At 7-4, one might think he has a guaranteed place in the league, but concerns surround his ability to play at an NBA pace.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have two players in Mark Sears and Grant Nelson who have real NBA potential—but would exercising their final year of eligibility be their best option? 

Finally, we have the exuberant DJ Burns Jr. of NC State, who has led the Wolfpack all the way from near-defeat in the first round of the ACC tournament to two wins away from a national title. He’s a super-talented player who’s seized the storyline so far. Whether that’s enough to get him into the league remains unknown, especially with concerns about his NBA-level fitness.

Let’s take a closer look at these college stars through an NBA lens. 

Donovan Clingan (7-2 center, UConn)

Connecticut’s imposing center Donovan Clingan will be an easy pick in this summer’s draft and has been projected as high as third overall. He’s 7-2 with a 7-7 wingspan and has a real knack for rim protection. NBA teams should be hoping that he can become Isaiah Hartenstein or Brook Lopez, elite defenders who can’t be ignored on offense (or couldn’t be when Lopez was younger). He’s not yet a shooting threat, but he’s pretty agile and can learn to shoot. He’s young, so teams will have to take the long view.