4 Potential Spurs draft picks to watch during March Madness NCAA Tournament

There's a significant portion of the country who look forward to March more than any other time of year, including Christmas, their wedding anniversary, and their own birthdays. They live and breathe the madness like Batman's arch-rival, the Joker. It's one of the most chaotic events in all of sports, and with the NCAA Tournament kicking off today, March Madness is officially underway.

For NBA fans, it's a great opportunity to get a look at some of the best prospects in the country in a high-stakes environment. Lottery teams are hoping to find players who rise to the occasion when the rubber meets the road, and that's where the San Antonio Spurs find themselves again this season.

There will be plenty of exciting players to watch in this tournament, and nobody knows who these organizations are going to pick until the night of the draft. But there are at least four players expected to be lottery picks whom I believe are perfect for the Silver and Black.

Asa Newell and Georgia battle as underdogs vs. Gonzaga

Newell will be a tweener in the NBA between center and power forward. There's room for that role in San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama must be able to go to the bench without the team completely collapsing on defense, and Georgia's starting power forward can make that transition. He's a versatile defender, and his quick hopping ability allows him to grab rebounds and block shots.

He's not very strong yet, but most players his age aren't. Once he adds some muscle, he'll be better at the center position, but the level of effort he plays with will allow him to make an impact immediately. He doesn't need the team to run plays for him to get his buckets, either. His effort will get him on the scoreboard.

Thursday, March 20-3:35 pm Georgia (9) vs Gonzaga (8) on TBS Gonzaga (-6.5)
Midwest Region: Houston (1)

Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach will dominate Mount St Mary's

Kon Knueppel is pretty well known at this point. He's one of the best shooters in the country, and San Antonio's struggles in that department should be enough to convince any fan that Knueppel is a good choice. There's more than that, though. The Duke forward can put the ball on the floor and affect the game on the drive, scoring downhill or finding a teammate.

He's a good passer, and he has plenty of size at 6'7" to get his shot off when he needs to. As great as he is on the ball, he often plays off it. Cooper Flagg is the star of that team, and he often controls the pace, meaning Knueppel knows how to play off-ball and score in the flow of the offense. These traits are needed in a Spurs uniform yesterday.

Khaman Maluach is an athletic 7'2" center who would give San Antonio unbelievable size, and depending on how he develops, the lineup possibilities would be endless. Maluach would come off the bench and give the team scarily similar defensive protection around the rim as they have when Wembanyama is on the floor.

The South Sudanese big man has a strong motor, is athletic, and is willing to go after shots on the basket. He screens well, catches lobs, and has the makings of a competent 3-point shot if he puts the work in. Right now, there's an open lane to the basket every time Wemby comes off the floor. That would stop expeditiously if Brian Wright found a way to draft Maluach.

Friday, March 21-1:50 pm Mount St Mary's (16) vs Duke (1) on CBS Duke (-32.5)
East Region: Duke (1)

Liam McNeeley and UConn start their title defense vs. Oklahoma

McNeeley is my number-one pick for the Spurs. He can do everything that Kon Knueppel can do, but he's slightly taller at 6'8". He's arguably been UConn's best player—junior forward Alex Karaban has a fair case—and he's a freshman. This tournament will be important for the future lottery pick. He's had his fair share of good games, but he's had some struggles as of late, too.

Oklahoma is no joke, and Jeremiah Fears is a dynamic scorer at the guard position. If you've watched the tournament through the years, you know that guard play can be the determining factor in these games. But McNeeley emerged as an alpha on the Huskies because he can do everything from scoring on every level to handling the ball on the pick and roll and crashing the boards.

San Antonio would do well to draft any of these four players, but if they can make out with two of them, it would be as successful a night as fans could hope for. The NCAA Tournament will be a perfect time for fans to see these players get busy. Hopefully, they all live up to their billing.

Friday, March, 21 8:25 pm Oklahoma (9) vs UConn (8) on TNT UConn (-5.5)
West Region: Florida (1)

Cooper Flagg is excluded from this list because there's no debate about him. If SA gets the number one pick, all bets are off.