From the angle of hoping for upsets and chaos, day two of March Insanity dissatisfied once more. It was a superb day for prospects, although, as a handful of future lottery picks had wonderful performances. Let’s break down 4 extra notable prospect performances from the second day of NCAA Match hoops.
Jeremiah Fears vs UConn
20 factors (5-14), 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 steals
Jeremiah Fears gained’t flip 19 till the autumn however he carved the defending Nationwide Champion Huskies. His teammates couldn’t generate sufficient offense to vault them over the end, however Fears’s creation stored the sport shut. He lived on the basket, threw dimes out of the decide and roll and drilled two threes, marking certainly one of his extra spectacular video games of the season.
As a smaller guard, Fears can battle to attain on the rim and end over taller defenders. He shot 3-10 on the rim in opposition to UConn, however he added eight factors on the free-throw line, sinking all of his makes an attempt. Even with out nice ending numbers, the worth of Fears’s incessant paint stress is at all times clear.
jeremiah fears vs uconn — lived on the rim off the dribble, surgical decide and roll passing, struggled to attain on the rim. phenomenal cap to his season
[image or embed]
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Dailyn Swain vs Illinois
27 factors (10-17), 3 assists, 8 rebounds, 0 turnovers, 3 steals
Regardless of Xavier’s loss, sophomore wing Dailyn Swain had one of the best sport of his school profession. He thrived as a scorer, producing tons of paint stress together with his wonderful burst, deal with and physicality. Swain at all times disrupts on protection, blowing up actions and clogging passing lanes together with his wonderful size.
Taking pictures has been Swain’s primary limitation, however he canned three of his 5 3-point makes an attempt in opposition to Illinois. The Illini sagged off of Swain, permitting him to shoot in favor of guarding his drives. If Swain can proceed to progress as a shooter, it’s simple to see a participant as massive, expert and athletic as him turning into a invaluable NBA prospect.
Derik Queen vs Grand Canyon
12 factors (4-9), 3 assists, 15 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 2 blocks
Queen’s Terrapins rolled in opposition to an skilled Grand Canyon workforce. He let different teammates carry the majority of the scoring, however Queen nonetheless imposed himself with just a few spectacular drives and post-ups. He threw just a few absurd passes, highlighted by an extended outlet move in transition and a lefty skip move.
The Antelopes didn’t problem Queen a lot on protection, however NBA groups will monitor how he fares in opposition to a superb Colorado State workforce within the spherical of 32. He flashed the traits that give Queen one of many highest ceilings within the draft as a dominant offensive chess piece.
derik queen vs grand canyon — threw some ridiculous full court docket, skip and inside passes, scored on the hoop, turned it over just a few instances barging into site visitors. excessive, excessive degree participant
[image or embed]
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Will Riley vs Xavier
22 factors (8-12), 0 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 blocks
Riley’s ascension late within the season peaked in Illinois’s win over Xavier. He showcased his pure scoring expertise, draining tough photographs and driving to the ring a bit. Phenomenal off-ball play helps enhance Riley’s worth, spacing and chopping off of his workforce’s assortment of fantastic playmakers.
He added some defensive worth as properly, defending the paint together with his dimension. Riley will want tons of bodily development to thrive within the NBA, however he displayed his apparent offensive expertise within the greatest sport of his life up to now. He’s a transparent first-round prospect with the potential to spice up his inventory larger.
