With the University of Connecticut crowned as champions Monday night, this week marked the conclusion of the NCAA’s annual men’s college basketball tournament, known best as March Madness.
For the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets, who own two first-round picks in the 2023 NBA draft, the tournament showcased many intriguing prospects. Now, as the 2022-23 regular season winds down and the 2023 draft combine nears, the team’s scouting focus will only intensify in the coming weeks as they evaluate their options.
While the non-college prospects are headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama and NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, there were interesting prospects in the March Madness field, such as Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Houston’s Jarace Walker.
Those two prospects could be in play for the Rockets’ own pick, which is confirmed to land in the draft’s top six or seven overall selections, pending results from the draft lottery. Many other players are in the mix for Houston’s second selection, which will likely be headed their way from the Clippers in the middle-to-late first round.
Entering April, here’s a roundup of who various draft experts project to Houston in new mock drafts, along with updated lottery odds.