Dallas Mavericks
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March Mavness: Final Four prospects to watch
Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...o-watch-nba-draft-duke-auburn-houston-florida
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A chalky tournament has given us an elite final four
For just the second time in Men’s NCAA Tournament history, we have a Final Four of all number one seeds. While each of them got a scare at some point along the way, these are clearly the four best teams that will compete for the National Championship in San Antonio. These elite teams also have some elite talent that will be playing at the NBA level very soon. With that in mind, let’s breakdown a few of the best that we’ll see on Saturday night that Dallas Mavericks fans should make a point to see.
5:09p - (1) Florida vs (1) Auburn
Florida: Walter Clayton Jr., guard
Clayton Jr. was a relatively unheralded guard for a long time, as he played at Iona before transferring up to the SEC with Florida. However, that hasn’t mattered for Clayton Jr., as he’s developed into the best player on a Final Four squad. In his two years in Gainesville, he’s shooting a very respectable 37% from 3. Considering his shot diet looks a lot like this sometimes, that’s a really good number for him.
Clayton Jr. is also an older guy, as he’ll start his 109th game in his career on Saturday night. His shotmaking, combined with his experience, will make for an interesting evaluation of him as we approach draft season.
Honorable Mention: Alex Condon, center
Auburn: Tahaad Pettiford, guard
Pettiford is just a freshman, however in his short time in school he’s proved to be a difference maker for the Tigers. The 19-year-old only plays about 23 minutes per contest, and yet he’s averaging over 9 shot attempts per game, with five of those being from deep. He’s also shooting a very respectable 37% from three, which as a freshman is really solid. He has the ability to get nuclear hot, which is somewhat of a blessing or a curse because he can shoot you into a game just as easily as he can shoot you out of one. Even still, this is a guy who is worth watching.
HM: Johni Broome, center
7:49p - (1) Houston vs (1) Duke
Houston: Milos Uzan, guard
A transfer out of Oklahoma, Uzan has immediately stepped in and raised the floor of this Houston Cougar offense. In past tournaments, Houston has been limited offensively by a severe lack of shotmaking and on ball creation. With Baylor transfer LJ Cryer and homegrown guys like Emmanuel Sharp and J’Wan Roberts flanking Uzan, this team still has that patented grit and toughness of every Houston team, but now they have the shotmaking to really accomplish something special. Milos is a fascinating guy to watch for Mavericks fans, as he can really shoot the ball well while also being a good distributor.
HM: LJ Cryer, guard
Duke: Kon Knueppel, forward
Everyone will of course be glued to watching Cooper Flagg, but as it stands right now the Mavericks have a 1% chance at nabbing him. Therefore, let's get real and look at his literal roommate and guy who Flagg trusts more than anyone in Kon Knueppel. Knueppel would be the best prospect on any of these other Final Four teams, and yet since he’s on Duke, he’s a distant second.
Don’t let that distract you from the fact that Kon is a fantastic player, in many ways he is the glue of this Duke team. Knueppel is shooting 40% from 3 on over five attempts per game, elite numbers for a freshman, while also being a solid playmaker in his limited opportunities there. While he isn’t the best defender in the world, he’s also 6’7” and lengthy with a non-stop motor, which raises his floor on that end. A projected lottery pick, the Mavericks would do really well to land him.
HM: Cooper Flagg, guard, Khaman Maluach, center
Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...o-watch-nba-draft-duke-auburn-houston-florida