Orlando Magic NBA Draft: One player from each Final Four team to consider drafting

Johnny Juzang & Jaime Jaquez, UCLA

UCLA is the true surprise of this NCAA Tournament, going from the First Four to the Final Four in a truly incredible postseason run. Sometimes a team catches lightning in a bottle and is able to ride it through a tournament setting — an easier path by seeding also does not help.

The Bruins have found a good mix though and have been able to press advantages through effort and hard work.

UCLA is not usually thought of as an underdog. But this team is certainly the underdog of this tournament. They do not have many NBA prospects to speak of.

The effort-drivers of Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez rank 60th and 65th in Vecenie’s big board and do not even show up in ESPN’s top-100 prospects. That will surely change with the effort they have put in during this tournament. But both seem more likely to return to school or become grinders in training camp trying to scratch their way onto a roster or into a two-way spot.

Juzang is averaging 15.5 points per game after transferring from Kentucky and struggling to get minutes in the Wildcats’ ecosystem. He shot 34.7-percent from three this year and added 4.0 rebounds per game.

During the NCAA Tournament, he is averaging 21.6 points per game and shooting 35.3-percent from deep. He has stepped up his game to get the Bruins this far.

The 6-foot-6 guard has to prove his efficiency. It seems likely he will return to UCLA.

Jaquez is in a similar situation.

Jaquez is averaging 12.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game this season. He has upped that to 14.2 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. He has been a bundle of energy all tournament long and able to defend multiple positions.

But that only gets so far.