Five players Bulls fans should watch from the West 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 – next up is the West Region. 

Cameron Johnson – Guard/Forward – North Carolina 

Cameron Johnson transferred from Pitt to play out his senior season at North Carolina and he’s having an impressive year. The 6’7″ wing can shoot the lights out with unlimited range. A 6’7″ shooter? That’s exactly the type of player that fits into the NBA system.

There’s a chance Johnson won’t get drafted, but with the Bulls’ late second-round pick, he’s a guy they should keep an eye on. He would provide a much-needed scoring spark off the bench and his upside is crazy high due to his skill-set and length.

He has great shooting form and a quick release. Check it out here:

Johnson is averaging a decent 13 points and 5 rebounds per game for the ACC powerhouse. Odd’s are the Bulls won’t take him, but keep an eye out just in case.

Joel Berry II – Guard – North Carolina 

While we’re talking about North Carolina guards, now seems like a good time to mention Joel Berry II. The senior point guard has shown some serious flashes of backup point guard material at the next level.

He controls the game, shoots the three ball, and can score in more ways than just that. While his size is a bit of a concern – standing at about 6’0″ – he could be that trustworthy backup point guard that the Bulls need. If nothing else, he can spend some time in the G-League and develop his game there. But for a late second-round pick, he offers maturity and leadership that the Bulls could definitely benefit from off the bench.

Berry is averaging over 17 points per game this season for the #2 seed in the West Region.

Keita Bates-Diop – Forward – Ohio State 

Bates-Diop has had an extraordinary junior season for the Buckeyes. He’s averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds per game.

Watch him end Purdue’s winning streak with a wonderful put-back layup to take the lead with two seconds left:

Bates-Diop is a bit of a mystery as far as draft position goes. Some expect him to be a middle/late first-round pick, while some expect him to fall to the second round.

If the Bulls wanted him, they’d likely have to reach for him with their second, first-round pick from the Pelicans. But Bates-Diop would offer the Bulls some athleticism and shooting ability at the three spot next to Dunn and LaVine.

Jontay Porter – Forward/Center – Missouri 

Overshadowed by his stand-out brother, Jontay Porter has quietly put together a wonderful freshman season for Missouri.

Porter is averaging roughly 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in only 24 minutes of play per game.

The 6’11” Freshman isn’t ball dominant and wouldn’t take away from the Bulls main core. He would actually add a nice defensive element to the starting lineup and fill the much-needed role of a rim protector. He can also step out and stretch the floor when necessary, shooting a nice 38 percent from the three-point line this season.

It’s likely the Bulls would have to use the Pelicans pick to select Porter in the late first-round. While there might be better options available at that point, if Porter has a nice tournament, he could be a Bull come next season.

Michael Porter Jr. – Forward – Missouri

Remember that stand-out brother I was talking about? Well, here he is.

Michael Porter Jr. missed almost all of this season with a back injury, but after making his return in the SEC Tournament, he will surely look to give Missouri a spark in the NCAA Tournament and attempt to lead them to some upset victories.

Scouts will definitely be curious to see what Porter can do at the college level since all we really know about him is that he’s an athletic freak, knock-down shooter, and he dominated in high school.

Porter Jr. has some of the highest upsides of anyone in this draft class – or any draft class in recent memory.

The 6’10” wing has a unique skillset for his size that allows him to score from virtually anywhere on the court. We don’t have much college footage from him, but check out some of these highlights:

Also, it felt like I couldn’t write this article without showing this dunk:

Silky. Smooth. Effortless. All of these are good words to describe Porter Jr.’s offensive game. He would be an excellent pickup for the Bulls and would fit in nicely next to Dunn and LaVine on the wing.

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

It’s unlikely that the Bulls will be able to take him unless they lose a lot more games or get insanely lucky in the lottery. But hey, anything can happen.