4. Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
Terrence Shannon Jr. won the hearts of local Chicagoans and basketball fans all across the country alike this season with his electric play for Illinois. Averaging 23 points — the 3rd most of any player in Division 1 this season — per game, Shannon Jr. was the driving force that led Illinois to their most wins and highest NCAA tournament finish since 2005.
What has really caught people's attention is how Shannon Jr. took things to an entirely new level when the games mattered most. Across a six-game stretch that spanned the Big 10 conference tournament and the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, he averaged a shocking 31.2 points while maintaining a ridiculous 67.6% true shooting percentage.
This included a 40-point outburst that ended Nebraska's March Madness aspirations and a hyper-efficient 29-point outing against the East Region's #2 seed and the nation's second-best defense Iowa State. When the lights were shining brightest, Shannon Jr. rose to the occasion and proved himself to be a potentially overlooked star.
Shannon Jr. is a difficult prospect to project right now, as several mocks had him going as high as the draft lottery while others had him firmly in the early second round as recently as one month ago. After his phenomenal showing in the conference and NCAA tournaments, however, he's certainly played his way up closer to Chicago's draft range.
Should the Bulls draft Shannon Jr.? That's a difficult question to answer, as Chicago is currently loaded up on backcourt talent. Between Zach LaVine, Coby White, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu, there's simply no room in the rotation for another guard. That being said, the Bulls may be destined for a rebuild in the near future, so they just might be better off drafting the best player available rather than for fit on this current roster.