New Orleans Pelicans: 5 first round NCAA tournament games to watch

New Orleans Pelicans: Texas Tech vs. Utah State (March 19)

This game is more about the New Orleans Pelicans’ second round picks. Of course, those could always end up getting packed in a trade deal or an agreement on draft night to move up, but it’s what we’re working with for now.

My names to watch here are Terrence Shannon Jr. for Texas Tech and Neemias Queta for Utah State.

Shannon is another wing prospect who has interested NBA teams going back to his freshman season last year. The big question about Shannon then wasn’t about his versatility or defensive potential, but rather, his shot.

Shannon only shot 26 percent from three in his first year with the Red Raiders, but has upped that to a more respectable 35 percent this year. His free throw numbers also give you some hope that he could develop into a solid shooter that could potentially outweigh his initial draft expectations. In my eyes, Shannon is a “buy low” prospect that the Pels could take a punt on in the second round.

Queta is more unlikely, but he’s previously been considered someone with NBA potential. The Portuguese center appeared to have stagnated after a first big season for Utah State, but he is back on the radar ahead of the NCAA tournament.

In his junior year, Queta is averaging 15 points and three blocks per game. He even had a nine block outing against Colorado State on March 12 and is averaging five rejections per night over the last five contests.

A legit seven footer with NBA athleticism and rim protection potential is bound to get looks. Maybe they won’t come in the draft, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Queta get Summer League or G League invites in the near future.

New Orleans Pelicans: Tennessee vs. Oregon State (March 19)

Another interesting matchup for the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday is Tennessee taking on Oregon State.

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the best teams in college basketball and are starting to get the recruiting classes to go along with that reputation. Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, both of their marquee freshmen, should interest the Pelicans.

Johnson is an uber-athletic guard who can handle the ball, fly high, and sneakily create for his teammates. My biggest concern about him is his shot. I think he lives too much in the mid-range and the post for an NBA shooting guard—or even a wing since he could probably play the 3—and needs to better his outside shot.

Picking Springer at ninth, for instance, would be a huge gamble by the Pels front office, but I don’t think it is entirely unreasonable. Springer projects optimally as a role player to complement the stars in the association. He doesn’t demand many touches, makes mature decisions, and has shown that he can shoot the ball from deep. I still want to see a bigger sample size, though, as Springer takes less than two threes per game.