Five players Bulls fans should watch from the South Region in the NCAA Tournament

Before the NCAA Tournament kicks off on Thursday, I will go through each region and pick out five players for Bulls fans to watch with the draft in mind. First off is the South Region. 

DeAndre Ayton – Center – Arizona

Unless the Bulls lose the remainder of their games or get an insanely lucky draw in the lottery, Ayton is off the table. He’s likely to be the first overall pick in the draft no matter what team is selecting.

Ayton is an unbelievable offensive force with some major defensive upside. He’s averaging roughly 20 points and 12 boards per game for the Wildcats this year. Everyone knew he was going to be good, but I don’t think many thought he would be this good. He can bang down low and also has exquisite touch with an upside that includes three-point shooting.

Ayton would be a wonderful pairing next to Lauri Markkanen in the front-court and would set the Bulls up with an incredibly bright future. Here are some highlights from his freshman campaign:

Bulls fans – keep an eye on him because you never know what could happen in the lottery.

Allonzo Trier – Guard – Arizona 

Allonzo Trier is a 6’4″ combo guard that can score in a variety of ways.

Trier is projected to be a late second-round pick, so this is someone that the Bulls could keep an eye on late in the draft.

He definitely doesn’t have the upside of Ayton (not many people do) but with some years of work – and maybe some time in the G-League – Trier could offer the Bulls some great scoring outbursts off the bench.

This season, Trier is averaging roughly 18 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Arizona is the four seed in the South Region, meaning they could have an intense matchup with Kentucky in the second round if both teams advance.

This leads me to my next player to watch (hint: he’s from Kentucky).

Kevin Knox – Forward – Kentucky 

Knox is a 6’9″ scoring wing that draws comparisons to NBA rookie, Jayson Tatum. He can score from all areas of the floor and really put pressure on the defense with his length.

Knox is a little rough around the edges on the court and isn’t having the most efficient season ever, but much of that can probably be chalked up to shot selection, rather than skill. The kid can shoot it and I don’t believe his 35 percent three-point shooting is an accurate representation of his range. Here’s an example of Knox’s ability to set his feet and have that quick release that scouts covet.

We all know the Chicago Bulls need wing depth so Knox would be an excellent pickup for them and could probably step in as a starter right away.

In all likelihood, the Bulls would have to take him with their first pick (even though that’s a little high for him) because unless the Pelicans start losing games, he likely won’t slide back that far in the first round. But, he’s still a nice player to keep an eye on.

Kyle Guy – Guard – Virginia 

Kyle Guy doesn’t fit the typical NBA mold – he’s a 6’2″ shooting guard. But buckets are buckets and Guy is one of the best players in the country at getting them.

My hunch is that the Sophomore guard will return to Virginia for his junior year, but who knows? Maybe he’ll test the draft waters and scouts will like what they see.

Guy can absolutely shoot the lights out and anyone that can shoot at the rate he does probably has a future in the league nowadays. Over his 2 years at Virginia, Guy shot 43 percent from three-point land on almost five attempts per game.

Guy is the type of player that would more than likely be one of the last players selected, so Bulls fans should keep him in mind as a potential late second-round pick.

Lonnie Walker – Guard – Miami 

Not only does he have excellent hair, but 6’5″ Freshman guard Lonnie Walker can also fill up the stat sheet. He’s an uber-athletic scoring guard that can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. Check out this nasty crossover and huge dunk:

Walker also isn’t shy about taking the big shot. Here’s his dagger three against Boston College:

Walker is likely going to be selected somewhere between the Chicago Bulls two first-round picks. Unless the Bulls love what they see in some pre-draft workouts, its unlikely they reach for him with their first pick. But you never know. Walker has that All-Star ceiling that the Bulls would love and could step in on the wing right away.

Next: Is Zach LaVine a leading man or a role player?

With the draft right around the corner, those are the five guys that Bulls fans should keep an eye on while watching the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.