The Sixers Have a Pick Again – Which Prospects Should We Be Scouting this March?
Beckett gives a quick preview of which teams to watch in March Madness that might become Sixers targets come June.
Time for the best time of the year… March Madness. Endless games, crazy upsets, what’s not to like? As a Sixers fan, I came into this year prepared to have no stake in the game, given our top-four-protected pick that was traded to the Thunder a million years ago, but all of a sudden, we have a handy-dandy first-rounder from the Rockets courtesy of the Jared McCain trade. We could get anyone with this draft pick to add to our young core! Who knows, maybe we’ll even get someone like Jared McCain?
As we get closer to the true draft season, I’ll start to put out a bit more information on the draft class as a whole. But given the wonderful time of the year we are in, it makes sense to provide some teams to watch that the Sixers’ front office might be watching as well.
I’m generally focusing on teams with high-profile wings and bigs, given the clear lack of availability we have for any guard spots — no, I’m not bitter about the Jared McCain trade at all, I swear. However, if you have the itch and want to watch some entertaining guards that will be available around our likely early-20s range, some fun additional options to the list below are: Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), Chris Anderson (Texas Tech), and Bennett Stirtz (Iowa). Now let’s dive into the rest (sorted by team for ease of scouting).
Michigan (1 seed):
First Game: Thurs, Mar 19th at 7:10 PM EST vs Howard (16 seed)
Players to Scout: Yaxel Lendeborg (14.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.2 APG), Morez Johnson (13.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG), & Aday Mara (11.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG)
If you’re looking for a big, Michigan is the clear-cut best place to start. They have been one of the top-three teams in the country all year, and do so by dominating the paint on both sides of the ball, playing a gargantuan starting lineup that includes Yaxel Lendeborg (6’9”, 7’4” wingspan), Morez Johnson (6’9”, 7’2” wingspan), and Aday Mara (7’3”, 7’7” wingspan).
Lendeborg is the most versatile of the three, earning first-team All-American honors with capable three-point scoring and strong playmaking in addition to his interior dominance. His only real weakness is his age, as he will be 24 by the start of the 2026-27 season. He’s unlikely to last all the way to the Sixers given his versatility and impact, but he would be a strong candidate if he did slide.
Johnson and Mara are more traditional bigs who would fall into a backup big role behind Joel and/or potentially develop into the starter next to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a post-Joel future. Johnson fits into more of an Isaiah Stewart mold as an ultra-athletic wrecking ball defensively. He has some promising shooting indicators, even if he has not taken many threes this year, but most of his offense for Michigan comes off of assists at the rim (which would help Mike’s lob data numbers if we had a guard who could throw them).
Mara is a bit more versatile — and is an early favorite on my personal big board – with effective post-up moves and incredible playmaking for his size. He’s also the core defensive anchor for the Wolverines as one of the best block threats in the country. Mara has struggled with any kind of shooting touch and is good for the occasional Grimes-esque hair-on-fire giveaway, but the flashes could project to a high-level starter.
Arizona (1-seed):
First Game: Fri, Mar 20th at 1:35 PM EST vs LIU (16 seed)
Players to Scout: Brayden Burries (15.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.5 APG), Koa Peat (13.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG), & Motiejus Krivas (10.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.8 BPG)
The Wildcats join Michigan in the rarified air of having multiple potential Sixers prospects on the roster. First is scoring wing Brayden Burries (6’4”). He is one of the few guard-size prospects I have listed in the main section here, because of his size and capability to defend up, similar to Edgecombe. Burries is an incredibly balanced prospect who scores at all three levels, is a willing playmaker, and would join Edgecombe and Maxey to threaten in transition even further. The odds of him falling to the mid-20s aren’t great, but he would be a great value if he reaches the Sixers.
If you want to look a little bigger, Zona has two dominant bigs in Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas. For full transparency, I’m not super high on Peat (6’8”, 6’11” wingspan), who is sized like a wing at the NBA level, but profiles more like a center with his play style, relying on interior scoring and offensive rebounding. However, plenty of people more experienced than me have him ranked around the Sixers’ range, highlighting his motor, strength, and effective playmaking from the big spot.
I’m more of a fan of Krivas (7’2”, 7’5” wingspan), who profiles as one of the best rim protectors in this class and dominates as a rebounder on both sides of the ball. He’s not the playmaker or self-creator that Mara from Michigan is, but his FT generation and strong shooting indicators (77% FT% in his career) could provide more future floor-spacing opportunities if he’s able to develop.
Alabama (4 seed):
First Game: Fri, Mar 20th at 3:15 PM EST vs Hofstra (13 seed)
Players to Scout: Amari Allen (11.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 37% 3P%) & Labaron Philon (21.7 PPG, 4.7 APG, 40% 3P%)
The Crimson Tide play host to one of my favorite potential Sixers prospects in Amari Allen (6’8”), a traitsy freshman wing. Allen is extremely versatile with excellent playmaking for his size, and can score from beyond the arc, attacking off closeouts, or getting to the FT line. Add on his capable defensive playmaking and switchability, and you have a prospect profile that lacks any major holes. He is the exact kind of prospect that rises on draft boards late, similar to a Cedric Coward last year — but if he’s available, I’d be very happy with this pick.
A less likely draft option is Labaron Philon, a high-usage combo guard who returned to Alabama this season even after getting first-round draft buzz last year. The issue? He stands at 6’4” and only weighs 185 lbs. That being said, Philon would still tempt me with his blazing-quick first step, elite playmaking, and ability to score efficiently at all three levels, often on high-difficulty attempts. He would be an incredible value at our draft slot if he falls this far, similar to the Maxey pick in 2020, though I’m doubtful the front office would look to pair Philon with our already small backcourt (and I can’t entirely blame them). Regardless, he’ll be a fun player to watch this March as he tears through the lane in Alabama’s fast-tempo offense.
Texas (11 seed):
First Game: Thurs, Mar 19th at 7:25 PM EST vs BYU (6 seed)
Players to Scout: Dailyn Swain (17.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.4 APG)
One of the most common names being thrown around for the Sixers resides with the Texas Longhorns: third-year wing Dailyn Swain (6’7”). Swain is one of the more unique prospects in this year’s draft, playing with a Giannis-esque style that lets him get to the rim and FT line at will while creating for his teammates as a dangerous playmaker. For those looking to take a risk, the ceiling outcome for Swain next to Maxey and Edgecombe is incredibly enticing with his size and skill. However, he has a key weakness in his three-point shooting, which is the reason he may be available to the Sixers in the first place. He has shown effective touch (82% FT% in his career on high volume) and is knocking down 35% of his three-point looks this season, but the development of that swing skill will determine Swain’s ultimate role at the next level.
Texas’ first-round matchup adds extra intrigue as Swain will likely be matched up against AJ Dybantsa, a consensus top-three prospect at the wing position and the leading scorer in college basketball. If both players can get going, that matchup will be must-see TV.
Iowa State (2 seed):
First Game: Fri, Mar 20th at 2:50 PM EST vs TN State (15 seed)
Players to Scout: Joshua Jefferson (16.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.9 APG)
In a similar mold to Swain is first-team All-American Joshua Jefferson (6’8”). Jefferson is a slightly older prospect as a senior (22 years old), but he is one of the best playmakers in the country for his size and can operate as a playmaking hub in the middle of the floor — I can already picture the DHOs with Maxey and backdoor lobs to Edgecombe. Pair that with a strong frame and excellent defensive metrics, and it’s easy to see a two-way impact at the next level. Once again, though, we return to the shooting, with inconsistent touch from beyond the arc and at the FT line for his career. His volume and efficiency are both up this year, but it’s hard to imagine Jefferson as a major three-point threat at the next level.
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