NCAA Tournament Preview: Who the Orlando Magic should be watching

Others to Watch

There are plenty of other players to watch too as the tournament advances. The Magic are in a position too where they can look for players who can fill roles in addition to the best player available. The odds of finding an All-Star at the stage of the lottery the Magic are most likely picking are low.

But they can still find a quality player or two. The NCAA Tournament is a momentary audition for sure. No one should put all their stock into this draft. But with Orlando needing to add depth and having little cap room to add new players, this draft pick figures to be an important one for the team.

Here are a few more players to keep an eye on as the tournament begins.

Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, Thursday 7:27 p.m., TruTV)

Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, Thursday 7:27 p.m., TruTV)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs’ pair of bigs have proven themselves to be a versatile duo that probably fit better at the power forward position in the NBA. They are strong defenders and score in multiple ways.

Brandon Clarke, going No. 11 in The Step Back’s latest mock draft, averaged 16.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He is more the traditional big, operating near the basket and picking up rebounds around the basket.

Clarke is a good rim protector, tallying 102 blocks (3.1 per game) for the season. At 6-foot-8, he is undersized to play center in the league.

Rui Hachimura is more like the stretch-4 at the same 6-foot-8. He was vital to the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ win over the Duke Blue Devils earlier in the year. That was a long time ago. But Hachimura kept the scoring intensity up throughout the season. He finished with a team-best 20.1 points per game including 46.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Orlando Magic

P.J. Washington, Kentucky (vs. Abilene Christian, Thursday 7:10 p.m., CBS)

Keldon Johnson, Kentucky (vs. Abilene Christian, Thursday 7:10 p.m., CBS)

P.J. Washington was the driving force for the perpetually young, freshman Kentucky Wildcats squad. He finished this year with 14.8 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. He shot 41 percent from beyond the arc (but just 67 percent from the foul line).

Washington is the rare Kentucky player who stayed for his sophomore year and grew a ton. Those numbers came from a lot of hard work. Especially his shooting.

That might still be a concern overall for him. But he displayed a ton of athleticism and leadership in getting Kentucky to a 2-seed. Washington will miss Kentucky’s first-round matchup Thursday.

That is going to put a lot of the onus in Thursday’s game on Keldon Johnson.

Johnson averaged 13.4 points per game this season. He struggles to shoot — 38.8 percent from beyond the arc and 70.5 percent from the foul line — but is an expert at getting to the basket and finishing. Especially in transition.

That kind of athleticism and energy can have its value. But the question about his shot are not going to go away any time soon.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech (vs. Saint Louis, Friday 9:57 p.m., TruTV)

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been one of the driving forces for the Virginia Tech Hokies this year, putting them in position to be one of the sleeper teams in the tournament.

Alexander-Walker averaged 16.6 points per game and shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. He might be one of the best shooters in the Draft, adding his share of clutch baskets for the Hokies throughout the season.

This is the kind of player the Magic are most likely to target. He can fill a role and fits a clear need for the team. Especially if they lose Terrence Ross to free agency. He has that kind of shooting ability.

But defense is a question for him and there are always questions of consistency with players. A strong March and tournament could put a lot of that rest.