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NCAA Tournament Preview: Who the Orlando Magic should be watching

By John Black

BLACKSBURG, VA - DECEMBER 05: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #4 of the Virginia Tech Hokies looks to pass in the second half during the game against the VMI Keydets at Cassell Coliseum on December 5, 2018 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA - DECEMBER 05: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #4 of the Virginia Tech Hokies looks to pass in the second half during the game against the VMI Keydets at Cassell Coliseum on December 5, 2018 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images) /
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Darius Garland, Vanderbilt Commodores
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 11: Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland (10) brings the ball up the court during a college basketball game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the USC Trojans on November 11, 2018, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

No. 8 in The Step Back’s Mock Draft

Darius Garland is a bit on the smaller side. He comes in at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. But those numbers do not really matter. The kid can play basketball.

More importantly, the kid can shoot. I mean, really shoot.

He shot 47.8 percent from 3-point land this year in the five games he played for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who did not qualify for a postseason tournament.

That is the bad part though, we only have a small sample size for Garland. If he had shot that well from behind the arc for 30 games this year everybody in the country would have him as a top-five pick. But because of the surgery on a torn meniscus earlier this year, Garland’s stock sits somewhere between 10-20.

If Garland is available when the Orlando Magic take their pick in the first round, he will get some serious consideration. With the uncertainty surrounding Markelle Fultz, Orlando may still opt to take a point guard in the first round. And Garland could add some much-needed depth and shooting at the point guard position.