EMPIRE OF THE SUNS

March Madness NBA Draft Watch: The Midwest Region

Mar 16, 2016, 7:03 AM

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The final part of our NCAA Tournament preview with a 2016 NBA Draft view takes us to the Midwest Region.

Top Prospects (average ranking between the Top 100 at CBS Sports and Draft Express)

• Utah sophomore center Jakob Poeltl (6.5)

• Michigan State senior guard Denzel Valentine (18)

• Gonzaga sophomore center Domantas Sabonis (22)

• Michigan State freshman forward Deyonta Davis (22.5)

• Purdue senior center A.J. Hammons (37)

• Iowa State junior guard Monte Morris (46.5)

• Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon (52.5)

• Syracuse senior guard Michael Gbinije (64)

• Gonzaga senior forward Kyle Wiltjer (78.5)

The Midwest joins the West for light viewing when it comes to NBA prospects. Each of them had nine that fell in the composite rankings between CBS Sports and Draft Express.

With Poeltl, Sabonis and Hammons, this is the old-school center region and Poeltl and Sabonis could potentially face each other in the second round.

Brogdon and Valentine going up against each other in the Elite Eight again would be fun to see. Michgan State and Virginia have faced each other in the last two tournaments with the Spartans eliminating the Cavaliers both times.

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