A lot of the NBA scouts I chat with don’t spend too much time obsessing over lottery prospects. What they care about is the meat of the draft, those late first-round and second-round prospects that don’t grab headlines but end up being key contributors. Who has underrated upside? Who can play immediately? Who got lost in the shuffle? Here are six sleepers you’ll see in the Sweet 16 that could have long NBA futures:
1. Boogie Fland, Arkansas freshman point guard (rank: 40th)
Fland was the 17th-ranked high school prospect before committing to Arkansas, and now he’s ranked in the second round by most analysts, including myself.