Texas Basketball: 3 NBA prospects to watch in the NCAA Tournament

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Greg Brown, Texas Basketball Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

2) Texas basketball NBA Draft prospects to watch in March: Greg Brown

No one brings more raw talent to the table at this point for this Longhorns team than the former elite five-star recruit and freshman 6-foot-9 and 205 pound Austin native power forward Greg Brown. The Vandegrift High School product is one of the most highly touted recruits that Smart had in an impressive line of recruiting talent he’s had as Texas head coach.

Brown came into his freshman campaign looking to prove that he should be a high lottery pick come the 2021 NBA Draft. But that process didn’t go as planned thus far as Brown’s had a hard time finding consistency in his game on both ends of the floor this season.

What better time for Brown to breakthrough than on the national stage in the NCAA Tournament?

There’s not many better opportunities that Brown will have this year to prove his worth through the draft scouting process than he does in the Big Dance. His insane physical tools, motor on both ends of the floor, and ability to space the floor and hit the glass when he’s confident and in rhythm is unmatched by any other big man on this roster.

The final two players on this list for the Longhorns could still both find themselves as lottery picks in the 2021 draft. But Brown looks to have the highest NBA ceiling of any prospects that could be coming off the Forty Acres this year.

So far this season, Brown has averaged 9.6 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks. And he’s shot 41.7 percent from the field, 32.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.8 percent from the free-throw line, through just over two dozen games played thus far.