First-round March Madness matchups for potential Houston Rockets draft picks
With the 2021-22 NBA regular season nearing its conclusion, there isn’t a lot left to play for in Houston — at least not in terms of wins and losses. The Rockets (17-51) have the league’s worst record, so the priority is developing prospects like rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun.
Fortunately, with the NCAA Tournament and March Madness (bracket) just around the corner, there is some more competitive basketball that Houston fans can enjoy — and with connections to the Rockets.
Next season, as a result of their on-court struggles, the Rockets are set to have at least two new rookies joining their young core. Houston owns their own first-round draft pick in 2022, as well as one from Brooklyn as a result of the January 2021 blockbuster trade for James Harden.
With the Brooklyn pick tracking to be in the middle of the first round, the options for that selection are almost limitless, at this stage. However, the Houston pick is coming into focus, since only two other teams (Detroit and Orlando) are within three games of the Rockets for the worst record. If they finish in the bottom three, the absolute lowest Houston could fall as a result of the May 2022 draft lottery is No. 7 overall.
As a result, assuming the pick isn’t traded, it’s probably a safe assumption that Houston selects someone who is in the top 10 among current draft projections. From our latest consensus NBA mock draft, here’s a look at the season statistics of those top prospects and how to watch their opening NCAA Tournament games on Thursday or Friday.
No. 1: Jabari Smith, Auburn
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Auburn: Big, Freshman, 6-10
Jabari Smith 2021-22 statistics: 17.1 points (43.7% FG, 42.8% on 3-pointers), 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists in 28.4 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (2) Auburn vs. (15) Jacksonville State, 11:40 CDT on Friday, truTV
No. 2: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images
Gonzaga: Big, Freshman, 7-1
Chet Holmgren 2021-22 statistics: 14.2 points (61.0% FG, 41.2% on 3-pointers), 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks in 26.9 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Georgia State, 3:15 CDT on Thursday, TNT
No. 3: Paulo Banchero, Duke
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Duke: Big, Freshman, 6-10
Paolo Banchero 2021-22 statistics: 17.0 points (47.4% FG, 30.6% on 3-pointers), 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists in 32.4 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (2) Duke vs. (15) Cal State Fullerton, 6:10 p.m. CDT on Friday, CBS
No. 4: Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Purdue: Guard, Sophomore, 6-4
Jaden Ivey 2021-22 statistics: 17.3 points (46.0% FG, 36.8% on 3-pointers), 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists in 31.1 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (3) Purdue vs. (14) Yale, 1:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, TBS
No. 5: Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Wisconsin: Guard, Sophomore, 6-5
Johnny Davis 2021-22 statistics: 19.7 points (43.4% FG, 31.7% on 3-pointers), 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists in 34.0 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (3) Wisconsin vs. (14) Colgate, 8:50 p.m. CDT on Friday, TBS
No. 6: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona: Wing, Sophomore, 6-6
Bennedict Mathurin 2021-22 statistics: 17.4 points (46.0% FG, 37.6% on 3-pointers), 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 32.1 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (1) Arizona vs. (16) Bryant-Wright State winner, 6:27 p.m. CDT on Friday, truTV
No. 7: Keegan Murray, Iowa
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Iowa: Big, Sophomore, 6-8
Keegan Murray 2021-22 statistics: 23.7 points (56.0% FG, 40.6% on 3-pointers), 8.6 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals in 31.5 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (5) Iowa vs. (12) Richmond, 2:10 p.m. CDT on Thursday, truTV
No. 8: Jalen Duren, Memphis
Photo by Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Memphis: Big, Freshman, 6-10
Jalen Duren 2021-22 statistics: 12.2 points (62.1% FG), 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks in 25.0 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (9) Memphis vs. (8) Boise State, 12:45 p.m. CDT on Thursday, TNT
No. 9: AJ Griffin, Duke
Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Duke: Wing, Freshman, 6-8
AJ Griffin 2021-22 statistics: 10.4 points (50.2% FG, 46.7% on 3-pointers), 3.8 rebounds in 23.1 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (2) Duke vs. (15) Cal State Fullerton, 6:10 p.m. CDT on Friday, CBS
No. 10: TyTy Washington, Kentucky
AP Photo/Michael Woods
Kentucky: Guard, Freshman, 6-3
TyTy Washington 2021-22 statistics: 12.8 points (45.9% FG, 34.7% on 3-pointers), 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds in 29.1 minutes
First NCAA tournament game: (2) Kentucky vs. (15) Saint Peter’s, 6:10 p.m. CDT on Thursday, CBS
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