NBA DRAFT WATCH: CBB 'ELITE 8' PREVIEW (SAT.03.25.23)

Markquis Nowell had an all-time performance against Michigan State with 20 points and a March Madness record-setting 19 assists
(Photo Credit: Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)

March Madness has had its mayhem and share of memorable moments this year as the stage is now set for the Elite 8. The schools that have weathered the storm and had enough success to reach this round are just a game away from advancing to the Final Four, a dream for even some of the most successful programs across the country each season. Deserving of a deep dive that provides perspective of the programs and players who will determine the outcome of today's games, Matt's Draft Journal previews the matchups below.

#3 KANSAS STATE VS #9 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (6:09, TBS)

Having defeated Michigan State in a thrilling 98-93 overtime victory, Kansas State is led by All-American point guard Markquis Nowell. The diminutive yet dynamic playmaker put together a performance for the ages, setting the record for most assists in a March Madness game with 19; while adding 20 points, 5 steals, and 3 rebound, with just 2 turnovers. He'll be counted upon again to control the offense for the Wildcats with his creative, quick handle, flashy and timely passing, and range that extends well beyond the 3-point line, but also having the ability to get in the lane and finish against opponents a foot taller than him. 

Creating a dynamic duo Nowell is accompanied by Matt's Draft Journal Honorable Mention All-American Keyontae Johnson. A solidly built, hard charging forward, he can fill the wing where he excels in transition, as well as be being able to step outside and shoot the ball from the perimeter. A capable finished at or above the rim, he was on the receiving end a highlight, alley-oop reverse dunk last game where he led the team with 22 points and added 6 rebounds — playing all 45 minutes in the contest.

Johnson and Nowell are joined in the starting lineup by big Nae'Qwan Tomlin, as well as guards Camryn Carter and Desi Sills. A revelation of sorts, Tomlin didn't play high school basketball before gaining experience at the JUCO level the last few years, prior to arriving at Kansas State this season. More fluid and skilled than some would expect, Tomlin runs the floor well end to end as a lob-threat and being able to protect the rim. He also will put the ball on the floor and shoot the 3 to take advantage of opposing big men with lesser agility. 

Carter and Sills often operate on the wing, with each having a toughness on the defensive end that allows them to play bigger than their listed height. Carter is an opportunistic driver and slasher, while Sills is a high-flyer who has had a couple of dunks that have swung the momentum in Kansas State's favor during the tournament. 

Receiving regular minutes off the bench are forwards Ismael Massoud and David N'Guessan, with forward Abayomi Iyiola and guard Tykei Greene also regularly appearing in games. Massoud does well in spacing the floor and forcing bigs to step out and guard him with his high-quality perimeter shooting. He put up 15 points against Michigan State last game, shooting 4/6 on 3's and knocked down a mid-range jumper with 15 seconds in overtime that put Kansas State up 96-93. N'guessan is an agile, lengthy forward who utilizes his wingspan well to finish on cuts and rolls to the basket, get putbacks and second chance opportunities, and contest shots near the rim. He went 5/5 from the field their last game, scoring 11 points.

Entering tonight on a ten-game winning streak and making their first appearance in the Elite 8 in school history, Florida Atlantic is 34-3 overall this season. Looking to continue what has been quite a run, the Owls defeated #4 seed Tennessee last game 62-55. A guard-dominant squad, FAU starts four players 6'4 and under in Nick Boyd, Johnell Davis, Bryan Greenlee, and Alijah Martin, surrounding 7'1 center Vladislav Goldin. 

Leading the team in scoring, Johnell Davis became the first player in the history of the "Big Dance" to accumulate at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals when FAU defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 to advance to the Sweet 16 — putting up a line of 29-12-5-5. A smooth, under control ball-handler, Davis can finish at the basket with either hand, score from the post, and shoot from the perimeter. He does well balancing being able to rebound the basketball and defend players of various size.

Nick Boyd is a slender lefty guard who can slither into the lane to score while also possessing the confidence and skill to create and pull up into his own shot from the perimeter. A high-IQ player, he is poised with the ball in his hands and will take what the defense gives him to distribute the ball to his teammates when his shot isn't there. His driving layup with 3 seconds left against Memphis provided FAU a 66-65 win in the first round. 

Joining Boyd and Davis in the loaded backcourt for the Owls, Bryan Greenlee and Alijah Martin excel in their role and are consistently reliable with their productivity. Martin is the team's second leading scorer, who often operates off the ball and is a threat from the outside as much as anyone in the starting lineup, regularly making multiple 3's a game. A physical guard with a running back-like build, he also is a solid rebounder for his height and runs the floor well where he looks to finish with purpose. Successfully sharing the ball-handling duties with his teammates, Greenlee is the starting point guard and does well to pick his spots when to make plays with the ball in his hands, but also can't be left open when he is off the ball; rarely hesitating to knock down a shot from deep. 

Supplying the size in the starting lineup, Vladislav Goldin presence is priceless in the paint for the Owls perimeter-oriented lineup. Having the ability to consistently convert at the rim on feeds from his teammates and create second chance points, often on putbacks, there isn't much in the way of preventing him from scoring when he receives the ball in the paint. Defensively, he deters opponents from taking potential shot attempts, while also altering and blocking ones they do decide to take in his vicinity. 

Providing depth off the bench, Giancarlo Rosado provides the lone big body to come in and share the minutes with Goldin at the '5' spot. Rosado is joined in the rotation by a group of guards in Michael Forrest, Jalen Gaffney, and Brandon Weatherspoon. 

Rosado defends opponents on the block with physicality, while having the footwork and skill to put ball on the floor and and find a bucket better than most bigs off the bench on offense. He shot 6/6 and scored 15 points, which were crucial in their first round win against Memphis. 

Weatherspoon is a slashing wing, who does the little things for the Owls off the bench, often disturbing players bigger than him while on defense. Crashing the glass and making the extra pass, he totaled 4 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 22 minutes in the win against Tennessee last game. Forrest is a confident shooter from the outside who will make the defense pay when they don't pay attention to him, as he scored 11 points, shooting 3/6 from 3 against Tennessee. Gaffney, a transfer from UConn, is a quality decision-maker and defender on the ball that is unselfish and adds to the total team rebounding effort. 

#3 GONAGA VS #4 CONNECTICUT (8:49, TBS)

In what might be the most anticipated matchup yet of this edition of March Madness, the Gonzaga Bulldogs (31-5) will meet the Connecticut Huskies (28-8) for the right to reach the Final Four. One of the best programs in college basketball year in and year out, Gonzaga is powered by All-American big Drew Timme who put up 36 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in their 79-76 victory over UCLA in the Sweet 16. He'll find himself squaring up against another one of the best big men in the country in Matt's Draft Journal Honorable Mention All-American Adama Sanogo for a UConn team that was ranked #1 in the country early in the season. 

Timme is as polished a post scorer as you'll find in college basketball with a combination of feel, footwork, and touch around the basket that allows him to score in a variety of ways. Not only having superb scoring prowess from the post and in the paint, the experienced senior can handle the ball in the open floor and is one of the best passing big men in the country, as he currently leads his team in assists. Also active on the glass both offensively and defensively, Timme has start to spread his wings to the perimeter some, knocking down two of his four made 3-pointers this season during March Madness. 

His opposition in Sanogo is one of most consistent, physical scoring presences in the country. Equipped with a strong, sturdy build, the junior utilizes ball-fakes, footwork, and unrelenting effort to score with success in the paint. Slowly but steadily increasing his range further way from the basket during his college career, Sanogo can knock down a shot from the perimeter when the defense dares him and has become a reliable free throw shooter as well. 

Filling out the starting lineup next to the two stars are big Anton Watson, wing Julian Strawther, and guards Rasir Bolton and Nolan Hickman for Gonzaga; while the Huskies counter with forward Alex Karaban, wings Andre Jackson and Andrew Hawkins, plus guard Tristen Newton.

Watson is a solidly built 6'8, 225 pounds and has sure hands to catch and finish at the basket, while also possessing above-average anticipation on the offensive glass to provide second chance opportunities and precisely playing the passing lanes to create steals on the defensive end. He has the ability to extend his range on occasion out to the 3-point line as well when the opportunity presents itself.

A silky, smooth shooting wing, Julian Strawther has developed into a promising prospect who has the potential to go in the first round of the upcoming NBA Draft. As capable a scorer from all three levels as you'll find remaining in March Madness, the 6'7 junior can pull up off the dribble inside the arc, stride into the lane all the way to the basket, and push the ball or get out on the wing in transition. 

Bolton and Hickman both bring positive qualities in the backcourt to what is considered by metrics to be the top offense in the country. A transfer from Iowa State, Bolton is in his second season at Gozaga and has settled into his role, showcasing an awareness and unselfishness as he does well with keeping possessions in motion and relocating to the open spot to make himself available for a shot. Hickman plays the point where he is a disciplined, methodical ball-handler and limits turnovers while ensuring Gonzaga high-powered offense operates efficiently. 

For UConn freshman forward Alex Karaban is a key piece to balancing their offensive attack as a quick-triggered, catch and shoot, floor spacer whose shooting ability helps Sanogo go to work inside against the defense. 

Andre Jackson is an ultra-athletic, swiss-army knife who's a natural wing that will play the point at times and has become an increasingly improved playmaker for the Huskies. Still, he is at at his best being a force in the open floor where he could either lead the break or race down the floor in transition where he's provided more than a few electric, eye-opening dunks. He'll crash the glass as well, helping create second chance scoring opportunities and is the most impactful perimeter defender for Connecticut. 

One of the purest sharpshooting perimeter threats in the country, Andrew Hawkins has a quick release that when combined with him setting his feet spells danger for the opposing defense. Capable of coming off screens, as a catch and shoot option, or running to a spot in transition, he can sink a shot under just about any circumstances. With such superb shooting ability, Hawkins has been discussed as potential first round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Joining Hawkins and Jackson in the backcourt is Tristen Newton. A transfer from East Carolina where he scored over career 1,000 points, Newton is a quality combo guard that likes to pull up from the perimeter and is a distinct distributor, especially when getting downhill off the dribble.

Both teams bring some talented players off the bench that are key contributors to their winning ways. Gonzaga turns to three players who are a part of the regular rotation in guards Malachi Smith and Hunter Sallis, as well as big man Ben Gregg. Meanwhile, UConn features four guys who get regular minutes in big man Donovan Clingan and guards Naheim Alleyne, Joey Calcaterra, and Hassan Diarra. 

When Smith enters the game for Gonzaga the offense doesn't take a dip and actually becomes more dangerous with his 3-point shooting prowess, as he is shooting just under 50% from beyond the arc. A transfer from Chattanooga, the senior guard has scored over 1,600 points during his college career and when not knocking down shots from deep, he can craft his way into the lane where he is capable of finishing on floaters and tough layups. Not just an offensive option, Smith will secure his share of rebounds.

Hunter Sallis is a lengthy, wiry guard who pushes the pace and attacks downhill off the dribble on offense and will harass opposing ball handlers on defense with his activity and energy. A big, Ben Gregg provides useful size off the bench at 6'10, usually creating a couple second chance opportunities each game and bodying up against other big in the post, while maintaining the ability to step out and shoot the 3 within rhythm of the offense. 

For the Huskies and Coach Danny Hurley, Donovan Clingan provides an unmatched advantage off the bench as likely the largest and one of the most effective players left in March Madness. At 7'2, 265 pounds the freshman big man offers a tremendous defensive presence in protecting the rim with reliability and rebounding. Offensively, he often catches the ball around the basket and converts with consistency, while also gathering numerous offensive rebounds to provides putbacks and additional scoring opportunities. 

 

Complimenting Clingan off the bench for UConn is a trio of transfers in Alleyne, Calcaterra, and Diarra. Alleyne is an experienced guard who was a 3-year starter at Virginia Tech and is a trusted ball-handler, who will also look to step into a shot from the perimeter. Calcaterra, a San Diego transfer, is a high-quality, catch and shoot artist who's a threat to knock down a couple of 3's each game and effectively serves as an extension of Jordan Hawkins. A Texas A&M transfer, Diarra is a consistent on-ball defender who will usually make a play on either end of the floor each game.