Following up on the three players Bulls fans should’ve watched in the Final Four

Before the Final Four began, I wrote about three players that Chicago Bulls fans should watch with the draft in mind. Now that the collegiate season is over, a champion has been crowned, and the nets are cut down, let’s see how those three players performed. 

Malik Newman – Guard – Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks faced their toughest opponent of the tournament in the Final Four. The game was a blowout from the beginning and it was clear it was our last look at Kansas players before the upcoming draft.

Despite being down by double-digits for nearly the entire game, Malik Newman continued his torrid run through the tourney, finishing the game with 21 points and 8 rebounds on a decent 6-14 shooting from the field. If it weren’t for Devonte Graham and Newman, that game would have been a lot worse for Kansas.

Newman recently announced that he will forego the rest of his Kansas career to turn pro and enter the draft:

Now that he’s officially going pro, Bulls fans can start the thinking process. I have him pegged as a late first-rounder so maybe the Bulls will look at him with the Pelicans pick they acquired in the Nikola Mirotic trade? It’s tough to say, but the Bulls could use his scoring and high upside as the rebuild continues.

Mikal Bridges – Forward – Villanova

In the Final Four against Kansas, Bridges had a relatively quiet night. He finished the game with only 10 points but contributed on the defensive end, providing Villanova 2 blocks and 2 steals.

In the National Championship, Bridges made a much larger impact.

Even though Donte DiVincenzo stole the show, Bridges was second on the team in points scored with 19 – DiVincenzo and Bridges were the only ones in double figures for the Wildcats.

Despite his 19 points seeming like a quiet 19, they were pivotal to the outcome of the game. Bridges is big time and I really hope the Bulls take a long look at him with their first overall pick. The guy is a prototypical NBA “Three and D” superstar in the making and would fit in wonderfully with the Bulls.

Lagerald Vick – Guard – Kansas

Like I mentioned with Malik Newman, we knew right off the bat in that Final Four game that it was the last chance to evaluate Kansas players.

Unlike Newman, Vick didn’t have a big impact in that game. He only scored 8 points on 4-7 shooting.

Even though Vick didn’t perform exceptionally well in the Final Four, I still think he’s going to be an excellent pro. He’s athletic, he can shoot it, and he has that go-getter mentality that NBA teams covet. He moves well off the ball and should be a steal in the second round – if he declares for the draft.

My gut says that Vick will return to Kansas for his senior season but who knows? Maybe he’ll test the draft waters and impress some NBA teams. If he decides to go pro, I’m assuming he would be a late second-round pick, and with his upside, I sure hope the Bulls would at least consider him.