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With the NCAA deadline for declaring for the NBA draft passing, the list of players in the draft has now solidified. While some will undeclare and return to the NCAA, the elite players will stay.
After the draft lottery on May 17, the draft order will be set, and the ability to project the first round will become easier. For now, projecting the best players will be more about pure talent rather than potential scheme fit.
One position that will be especially important is shooting guard, as the top prospects aren't separated by much. Scheme fit will be a critical factor come draft day, but there are five above the rest.
Here's a look at the top five NCAA shooting guards to watch in the draft.
*For this article, Jaden Ivey will be considered a point guard. He can play both but is likely to be taken as the top point guard and could be the top overall guard.
No. 5: Max Christie, Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans guard Max Christie has a skill set that will make him a valuable asset in the NBA, so he declared for the draft.
Christie has plenty of room to improve as a prospect, but he can shoot well and has the ideal size for an NBA shooting guard. Shooting is a skill almost every team can use.
Outside of his shooting, Christie will need plenty of development to be an elite NBA shooting guard. But several players have made a career out of the ability to shoot well and do little else.
In the latter part of the first round, several teams could take a chance on him, then use him as a rotational shooter while he develops into a well-rounded player.
No. 4: Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
Ochai Agbaji helped the Kansas Jayhawks to a national championship over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament. He will now look to turn his solid March Madness run into a top draft selection.
Agbaji got better every year at KU, and the senior is coming off the best end to a season a player could have.
Agbaji is one of the draft's best upperclassmen, while most of the other elite NCAA players are first- and second-year students. Agbaji has become a great player, but his age means he will have less time to develop than his contemporaries.
He may currently have an advantage over other players on this list. But they will have an extra two or three years to catch up to his development to be worth the investment.
Still, Agbaji has enough talent and leadership skills for a team that wants a more mature player.
No. 3: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
After a strong season for the Arizona Wildcats, Bennedict Mathurin has a solid case as one of the draft's best shooting guards.
Mathurin can score in various ways and can contribute even when he's not the primary scoring option.
Mathurin still has some areas of his game to clean up, especially when he is playing with the ball in his hands. While shooting guards are not on the ball as often as point guards, they still need the ability to play on the ball.
Mathurin is also coming off a significant jump between his first year and second year of NCAA basketball. So there will be some questions about whether or not his second year is his ceiling or his floor.
Despite the weaknesses, Mathurin has all the skills needed to be an elite shooting guard for years to come. He is also one of the top Canadian players in the draft.
No. 2: Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky
Shaedon Sharpe is the other Canadian player at the top of the draft. He and Mathurin could be the highest pair of Canadians ever taken near the top of the draft.
While Mathurin has given scouts plenty to evaluate his game over two seasons at Arizona, Sharpe did not play during his tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats. A top prospect in the 2022 class, Sharpe reclassified and enrolled in college in January instead, but he did not play at UK.
Even so, Sharpe has found a way to improve his draft stock during the predraft process.
Sharpe will need to play five-on-five basketball rather than one-on-one in the league. But during the predraft process, he can showcase plenty of what people did not see at Kentucky.
Still, going into college, Sharpe was an elite player, and he has not put out any film to the contrary.
No. 1: Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Johnny Davis led the Wisconsin Badgers to a strong finish in the regular season and a win in the NCAA Tournament. Given that the Badgers were not predicted to have a good season, he dragged the team into one with his elite play.
Davis led the Badgers in several categories. He helped the team win the Big 10 regular-season championship and make a tournament appearance without much support around him.
Davis was also a clutch performer and took over several games to lead Wisconsin to victory.
While Davis showed many skills NBA teams value, he also has some areas to improve on. He lacks the athleticism and pure shooting needed to thrive in the NBA.
Still, his inability to get open during his NCAA years could be because opposing teams focused on him so much.
As the draft approaches, Davis will look to prove that he is an elite player who can carry an NBA team just like he did in college.
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