NBA Draft Watch: Pre-NCAA Tournament 2019 NBA Mock Draft

Potential picks in the upcoming NBA Draft Markus Howard, Marquette and Ja Morant, Murray State will face off in a matchup made for March Madness

Another year of the NCAA Tournament kicked off on Tuesday as this year's edition commenced in the form of the "First Four" games that took place over a 2-day span. The winners of those games — Arizona State, Belmont, Fairleigh Dickinson, and North Dakota State — earning the right to advance to the round of 64 that is often seen as the unofficial, official beginning of the tournament. With that being said it isn't to dismiss the teams who played in the "First Four" matchups, as there were numerous talented individuals on the floor who are productive players with the potential to project to the next level.

Speaking of the next level, the present moment presents a prime opportunity to assess the legit prospects who project to be in the NBA at this time next year. Many of the prospects who currently play collegiately will compete in the NCAA Tournament in the recent days and weeks to come, which may be a deciding factor when determining their possible near future as an NBA Draft pick.

Each year March Madness has a happening for having a few individuals take advantage the magnitude of the moment that the NCAA Tournament provides. It can create a college star with potential professional aspirations of someone from someplace you've never heard of in a moment's notice, while also having the ability to escalate an already known player to another stratosphere in a sense with a special and unforgettable run. 

With all that being said, Matt's Draft Journal presents a Pre-NCAA Tournament 2019 NBA Mock Draft. The picks made reflect standings and projected picks of NBA teams prior to today's date as the mock draft was drawn just prior to the beginning of the tip-off of the First Four games the other day. Still, in all, it is more or less an accurate reflection of the upcoming draft as currently constructed that is subject to a simulation with the lottery picks being determined by odds and percentages.

Keep in mind while it is with the observation and evaluation of each eligible prospect for the upcoming draft, this isn't a portrayal of favoring certain players over another from a personal perspective. The objective is more and altogether an educated estimation of where prospects would land if the draft were to occur today.

With a complete regular season plus conference tournaments of assessable actions on the court already and the immensity of March Madness that can alter an individual's draft status, now is a near-perfect opportunity to evaluate where specific prospects stand currently and then see where it sits following the conclusion of the Final Four.

In this edition of Matt's Draft Journal 2019 NBA Mock Draft, an extended look at the prospects eligible for the upcoming draft class will be offered as the projection of the selections will reach past the conclusion of the first round and into the first half of the second round to represent 45 picks in total.

1. New York Knicks: Zion Williamson, Duke (Forward)
2. Phoenix Suns: Ja Morant, Murray State (Point)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: RJ Barrett, Duke (Wing) 
4. Chicago Bulls: De'Andre Hunter, Virginia (Wing/Forward)
5. Atlanta Hawks: Cam Reddish, Duke (Wing)
6. Memphis Grizzlies: Darius Garland, Vanderbilt (Point)
7. Atlanta Hawks: Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga (Forward/Big)
8. New Orleans Pelicans: Sekou Doumboya, Limoges CSP-France (Forward)
9. Washington Wizards: Romeo Langford, Indiana (Guard/Wing)
10. Los Angeles Lakers: Keldon Johnson, Kentucky (Wing)
11. Charlotte Hornets: Coby White, North Carolina (Combo)
12. Minnesota Timberwolves: PJ Washington, Kentucky (Forward)
13. Orlando Magic: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech (Combo)
14. Boston Celtics: Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (Forward/Big)
15. Miami Heat: Nasir Little, North Carolina (Wing/Forward)
16. Brooklyn Nets: Grant Williams, Tennessee (Forward)
17. Detroit Pistons: Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech (Wing)
18. Boston Celtics: Bol Bol, Oregon (Big)
19. Utah Jazz: Dylan Windler, Belmont (Wing/Forward)
20. San Antonio Spurs: Cameron Johnson, North Carolina (Wing)
21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jaxson Hayes, Texas (Big)
22. Portland Trailblazers: KZ Okpala, Stanford (Wing/Forward)
23. Boston Celtics: Tyler Herro, Kentucky (Wing)
24. Indiana Pacers: Kevin Porter Jr, Southern California [USC] (Wing)
25. Cleveland Cavaliers: Admiral Schofield, Tennessee (Wing)\
26. Philadelphia 76'ers: Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State (Wing/Forward)
27. Brooklyn Nets: Daniel Gafford, Arkansas (Big)
28. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole, Michigan (Combo)
29. San Antonio Spurs: Jontay Porter, Missouri (Big)
30. Milwaukee Bucks: Darius Bazley, USA (Forward/Big)
31. Brooklyn Nets: Matisse Thybulle, Washington (Wing)
32. Phoenix Suns: Bruno Fernando, Maryland (Big)
33. Philadelphia 76'ers: Ty Jerome, Virginia (Combo)
34. Philadelphia 76'ers: Luka Samanic, Petrol Olimpija-Slovenia (Forward/Big)
35. Atlanta Hawks: Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State (Forward)
36. Chicago Bulls: Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky (Big)
37. Dallas Mavericks: Dedric Lawson, Kansas (Forward/Big)
38. New Orleans Pelicans: Naz Reid, Louisiana State [LSU] (Big)
39. Charlotte Hornets: Eric Paschall, Villanova (Forward)
40. Sacramento Kings: Caleb Martin, Nevada (Wing)
41. Atlanta Hawks: Louis King, Oregon (Wing)
42. Atlanta Hawks: Marko Simonovic, Petrol Olimpija-Slovenia (Big)
43. Sacramento Kings: Luguentz Dort, Arizona State (Combo)
44. Minnesota Timberwolves: Markus Howard, Marquette (Point)
45. Philadelphia 76'ers: Shamorie Ponds, Saint John's (Point)