Memphis Grizzlies Roundtable: 4 favorite prospects to watch in the NCAA tournament.

Grayson Allen

Yeah, I’m not going to talk about any top-six prospect here. Only a catastrophic event will cause those players to fall. Even then, Trae Young, Mo Bamba and Michael Porter Jr. aren’t even guaranteed postseason basketball. Marvin Bagley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and DeAndre Ayton won’t fall out of the top tier. Other prospects such as Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges and Collin Sexton have to absolutely ball out to even sniff the “elite prospect” category.

The Grizzlies will also possess a second-round pick that’s likely to fall in the 31-35 range. Given that information, it’ll be intriguing to see how Grayson Allen’s draft stock shakes out over the course of the tournament. For the past two years, he’s been one of the best perimeter players in the nation, and he could’ve gone late in the first round if he declared for the draft.

For this Grizzlies team, he can be a solid combo guard off the bench that would bring grit, playmaking and outside shooting. They’ve had success recently with “college veterans” such as Dillon Brooks, Ivan Rabb, Andrew Harrison and Wayne Selden. Maybe, they could find similar — if not better — success with one of the most decorated college basketball players of the past decade.

Allen has proven himself as a scorer at the collegiate level, as he’s averaging 17.3 points a game since his sophomore year. He can also score in a variety of ways. Over his four-year career, he’s shot 37.9 percent from deep. In addition, he can create off the dribble for himself and others.

In this year’s tournament, the main thing to watch for with Grayson Allen is his leadership. He’s leading a lineup full of one-and-done’s into a tournament they could very well win. If he keeps his composure and brings his A-game, he can lead this young Duke team to a national championship and establish himself as a NBA prospect.–Parker Fleming @PAKA_FLOCKA