
The Detroit Pistons currently have the worst record in the NBA, so could drop no further than the 5th pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft.
While many of the top prospects are international players, or coming out of the G-League, there are still plenty of college players that could end up with the Detroit Pistons, especially if they drop out of the top two of the draft.
NCAA Conference Tournaments have gotten started (with more coming today) and there are five in particular that should be of interest to Pistons’ fans who want to get a glimpse of potential prospects in high-pressure games.
When do NCAA Conference Tournaments start?
Most of the major conferences got their start on March 8th, but there are still some starting today. You can find all of the starting dates and times here.
Detroit Pistons: 5 NCAA Conference Tournaments for fans to watch closely
American Athletic Conference
1st-Round prospect: Jarace Walker-Houston
Jarace Walker is a big forward playing for Houston who is averaging 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, a steal and a block per game in his Freshman season. He’s 6-foot-8, 220 lbs. and profiles as a plus defender who can knock down 3-point shots (35.8 percent), which is something the Detroit Pistons could definitely use on the wing, though Walker may end up as a four. He’s not the most exciting prospect, but if the Pistons were to fall to 5th or 6th, he could be in the mix.
Big East
1st-Round prospect: Cam Whitmore-Villanova
Whitmore is another big forward prospect who is more likely to end up at the power forward position. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while knocking down 34 percent of his 3-point attempts. Whitmore is considered a little more dynamic offensively than Walker but he’s another 3-and-D prospect. Both of them seem a bit too much like Saddiq Bey for my tastes, but one may get some separation with a strong postseason run.
Pac 12
2nd-Round prospect: Jaime Jaquez Jr.-UCLA
I mostly focused on forwards and Jaquez Jr. is one possibility for the second round. He’s a senior averaging 17.5 points, eight rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He’s a smart player who might be able to contribute to a bench right away. He can score from all over but needs to improve his 3-point range and accuracy.