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

Continuing with my breakdown of five players Chicago Bulls fans should keep an eye on in each region of the NCAA Tournament – the final one is the absolutely loaded Midwest Region. 

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk – Guard – Kansas

With possibly the most difficult name to spell in the entire NCAA Tournament, Mykhailiuk is a wonderful draft prospect for any team. But since I’m just a little biased as a Bulls fan – and as a Jayhawks fan – this is a fit I’d love to see.

If the Pelicans keep winning games, the Bulls will have their second, first-round pick somewhere fairly late – right where “Svi” should be taken.

Coming over to Kansas at a young age, Svi is a 20-year-old senior and doesn’t even turn 21 until June 10. Getting four years of experience at Kansas and still only being 20 years old is something NBA scouts surely will love.

Svi is averaging over 15 points per game and taking nearly seven three-pointers per game. The craziest part? He’s shooting the three-ball at an insanely high 45 percent. Sheesh.

Check out this clutch corner three against Nebraska. Notice how quickly he gets the shot up once he catches it and squares up.

Svi reminds me a lot of a young Klay Thompson. He’s long for a two-guard and shoots the three extremely well. But perhaps the most underrated part of his game is his athleticism. Watch him get up for this alley-oop dunk in last year’s tournament:

With his skill-set, Svi shouldn’t have a difficult time fitting into any NBA teams system. His defense is a work in progress, but everyone knows this is an offense-first league.

Miles Bridges – Forward – Michigan State

The 6’7″ sophomore is having another stellar collegiate year. He’s averaging roughly 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for one of the best teams in the country.

While he is a good three-point shooter, Bridges’ best attribute is his athleticism and ability to get to the basket. That will surely translate to the next level. Check out this nice hesitation dribble and finish through contact:

If the Chicago Bulls want Bridges on their team, they’ll for sure have to reach for him with their first pick – but they need an athletic wing to play at the three, so why not?

Trae Young – Guard – Oklahoma 

Trae Young is one of the most common names in college basketball right now and for good reason – the kid can play.

Yes, I know he puts up a lot of shots. Yes, I know Oklahoma has been on an absolute slide recently. But a lot of that is on the surrounding cast and the college game itself. Put Trae Young on an NBA roster with the spacing of the NBA game and I’m willing to bet he’s going to be something special. I mean, his range is unbelievable:

I already wrote an article about the success I think the Bulls could have offensively running a two-point-guard lineup. You can read more about my thoughts on that here.

There’s a decent chance Young will be available when the Bulls are on the clock, so who knows? Maybe they go for one of the most exciting players in recent memory?

Most people thought Oklahoma shouldn’t be in the tournament, but since they are, kick back and watch the Trae Young show.

Wendell Carter Jr. – Forward/Center – Duke 

Wendell Carter Jr. is one of the more intriguing prospects for the Bulls. He gets overlooked because of the guy I’m going to talk about next (no spoilers yet), but he’s having an incredible season.

Carter Jr. is averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds per game while shooting an extremely efficient 56 percent from the field.

Not only can the 6’10” freshman score down low with a variety of post moves, but he can also space the floor.  Even though he doesn’t shoot very many threes, he’s shooting them at a very impressive 46 percent clip.

So how would he fit on the Bulls?

Well, it might be a little tricky next to Lauri Markkanen since both are true power forwards, but I think Wendell Carter Jr. can transition into a nice center in today’s NBA.

The Bulls also need rim protection and Carter Jr. would provide them with that. He’s averaging a little over 2 blocks per game. Check out this play:

It might be a reach for the Bulls to take him with their first pick, but he just might be the key piece the Bulls are missing.

Marvin Bagley III – Forward – Duke 

Marvin Bagley III is undoubtedly my favorite prospect of this entire draft class. If the Bulls somehow win the lottery and get the first pick, I want them to take him. Since this probably won’t happen, there are two things that would have to happen for Bagley III to end up on the Bulls:

1. The Bulls would have to get lucky and wind up with a pick somewhere around the fourth or fifth spot.
2. Bagley would have to drop to the fourth or fifth spot as opposed to getting selected in the top three.

Even though there would be defensive struggles – the offensive potential with Bagley and Markkanen in the frontcourt is insanely high. With Bagley’s athleticism and Markkanen’s shooting, they could play off each other extremely well and be one of the most offensively dominant frontcourts in the entire NBA.

One of my favorite things about Bagley III is his second jump. After he shoots, he gets back up with his second jump faster and in a more athletic way than many players can with their first jump. Here’s an example of this (watch for his second jump, specifically):

Bagley III is averaging an impressive 21 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting an extremely efficient 61 percent from the field.

Next: Five players Bulls fans should watch from the West Region

I’m assuming the Bulls won’t draft high enough to get Bagley III but hey, you never know? Bulls fans should watch him destroy the tournament and dream about the possibilities.