With March Madness tipping off, Chicago Bulls fans can get a glimpse at their future first-round draft pick in 2022.
The 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness Tournament tipped off Tuesday with the First Four games, which will take place in Dayton, Ohio. The Final Four will be held in New Orleans, LA.
Some important things to know? Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor and Kansas grabbed the top seeds. Duke and Auburn were given No. 2 seeds, with some believing they should’ve trumped one of the aforementioned four teams. UCLA ended up a No. 4 seed, which was a shocking turn of events after being selected to finish second in the nation in the preseason coaches poll.
The Chicago Bulls are currently slotted to have the 27th pick in the NBA Draft if the season were to end today and are owed a first-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers. That pick is lottery protected, making it unlikely for the Bulls to receive it in this upcoming draft.
Chicago will likely look to improve the perimeter defense or find an interior threat to back up Nikola Vucevic in preparation for Tristan Thompson retiring or leaving. So who should Bulls fans keep their eyes on as March Madness is set to begin? We’ve pinpointed a few talents for you.
Bulls fans need to watch these potential first-round talents in the NCAA Tournament.
5. Rechon “Leaky” Black (North Carolina)
The North Carolina senior is a do-everything kind of player. He’s most known for his defensive capabilities, but has shown flashes that he can become a reliable shooter from deep. Black has drawn comparisons to Dallas Mavericks’ forward Theo Pinson, though he has shown more versatility on the offensive end than Pinson did during his time at Chapel Hill.
Black is currently shooting 36% from three, 48% from the field and 83% from the free-throw line. With NBA development and veteran guidance, those numbers will only get better.
Leaky Black Block pic.twitter.com/shCB6TgfGo
— Tar Heels on SR (@SRTarHeel) January 9, 2020
Standing at 6-foot-8, Black has the length to defend bigger small forwards like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luka Doncic. He has good hands and lateral quickness.
Black is also one of the main initiators in North Carolina’s offense, showing that he has the ability to make proper reads on the court.
The Bulls have enough offensive firepower on their roster. They need more production out of their role players on the offensive end without compromising the defense. Black can do exactly that. He can lock up guys on the perimeter, which would take a much-needed load off of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He can also play within their offense, getting DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic the ball in their spots.
He has played with talented scorers throughout his career, with Bulls guard Coby White being one of them. He knows how to play the complement role to stars and deliver the intangibles needed to win basketball games.