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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 22: Drafting a dream

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 24, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; The basketball court for the NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. The court is made from 397 4’ x 7’ panels of Northern Hard Maple, weighing approximately 188 pounds each. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK
Mar 24, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; The basketball court for the NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. The court is made from 397 4’ x 7’ panels of Northern Hard Maple, weighing approximately 188 pounds each. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK /
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NCAA Tournament
Mar 24, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; The basketball court for the NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. The court is made from 397 4’ x 7’ panels of Northern Hard Maple, weighing approximately 188 pounds each. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK /

The basketball world will focus on the NCAA Final Four this weekend. We have our focus squarely on the future too as the Orlando Magic season ends.

The names have started to come out. Slowly but surely, the Draft 2017 is taking shape.

Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, the presumptive top-two picks, have entered their names to headline the Draft class. Dennis Smith Jr. and Jayson Tatum quickly followed. And there will be plenty more to come as the Draft process leads up to the Combine in May, the Lottery shortly after that and then the big show at the end of June.

The Orlando Magic’s focus is not wholly on the Draft, there are still seven games to play and a season to finish. The Magic are not counting their ping pong balls — it appears the furthest thing from their minds as they try to finish the year with some momentum.

But the basketball world is focused on the Draft right now. Or at least Draft-adjacent. The NCAA Tournament’s Final Four is this weekend in Glendale, Ariz., with the whole basketball world taking a break Monday for the national championship game.

Gonzaga, South Carolina, Oregon and North Carolina will battle it out for the national championship this weekend. There are no major NBA Draft prospects playing. Gonzaga backup big man Zach Collins may sneak into the Lottery, but he may also elect to stay in Spokane, Wash. Sindarius Thornwell of South Carolina is going to climb into the draft picture with his strong Tournament run. Oregon’s Dillon Broos will probably get selected in the late first round or early second round.

North Carolina’s Justin Jackson is probably the only Lottery pick taking the floor this weekend.

The big names have already bowed out of the tournament. With their seasons completed, that bit of data is logged away. And so the Draft class and who will go where can really take some ordering.

There is more data collection to come, but the picture is at least a little clearer.

With the season winding down and the NCAA Tournament and season coming to a close, it felt like a good time to open up the Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag and answer YOUR questions about the team, its future and the upcoming Draft.