On3 Roundtable: Final Four; McDonald's All-American Game; the 2024 class

In this week’s On3 Roundtable, On3’s national basketball team looks at the Final Four, the 2024 class, and the McDonald’s All-American game. 

1. The Final Four is here. Cards on the table, who do you have winning it all?

Jamie Shaw: It is the Coach K farewell tour. I think he revenges the UNC loss by double digits, and then in a blue blood showdown of the ages, he beats Kansas. They are not deep, but they have four possible first-round draft picks Paolo Banchero, Trevor Keels, Wendell Moore, and AJ Griffin. Paolo is a matchup nightmare, and Griffin is playing his best ball. Let’s ride the magic carpet through the end of the year. 

Gerry Hamilton: Gerry: Tough, tough call. One team is not winning it, Villanova and their tough luck, injury timing. Without Justin Moore, they aren’t beating Kansas. So then it’s Kansas vs. Duke or UNC. The bracket and luck are siding with the Jayhawks right now. Duke is the most future NBA-talented team, for sure. They have the best three-point shooting team, is steady at the point, and has the best rim protector. Duke is the most difficult team to guard for 40 minutes. North Carolina can get Duke in foul trouble and is now playing their best basketball. I’m going different than many, more than likely. I’m going North Carolina over Kansas in the title game. But any of the three could cut down the nets.

2. What player are you looking most to see how they play in the McDonald’s All-American game?

Shaw: Nick Smith. Talk about a surge throughout the season. It started with a 30-point outburst in the Peach Jam finals, and his word-of-mouth stock has simply grown from there. There is a lot of NBA buzz around him. However, his play on the court has continued to show some question-marks. I will be curious to see how he finishes around the basket, what the defense looks like, and if the three-point shot (with its low release) can be consistent in-game. His handle and mid-range game are high-level. 

Hamilton: Anthony Black for me. Just because it’s a smaller sample size as a senior due to the fight for eligibility with the Texas UIL. I believe Black is an eventual first-round selection, but he has traditionally been a slow starter in games. But then comes on and oozes his potential. The ability to guard multiple positions at 6-foot-7, handle against pressure, run a team for spurts, attack in transition from the wing, rebound out of his area, and an improved perimeter game makes him the most versatile prospect in the 2022 cycle.

3. We are looking at our 2024 watch list. While we are not ranking the class yet, which player will you be pushing for to make the list?

Shaw: Bryson Tucker. He is the guy I am most intrigued by in the class is Bryson Tucker of Baltimore (MD) Mount Saint Joseph. Tucker is a 6-foot-6 guard with a high IQ, a noted work ethic, and a competitive nature. His dad played collegiately at NC State and George Mason, so the bloodlines are there. He is young for his class, and he does not play travel basketball (so there is some unknown).

Hamilton: Robert Miller out of the Houston area. Trae Johnson is the top prospect in Texas in the 2024 cycle, and a future lottery pick. Many have pegged Liam McNeeley as the No. 2 prospect in the state, but Millers’ long-term potential is through the roof. The near 6-foot-9 power forward is very skilled for his size and has been training with former Texas Longhorns and NBA point guard T.J. Ford for years. He has a soft touch around the basket, can put the ball on the floor against pressure, make the perimeter jumper, and is a defensive shot changer. Miller can develop into an NBA first-round selection in time. His father played football at LSU, and his mother played in the WNBA. He has the correct family tree, as well. Another 2024 prospect that is young for his class.