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<\/p>\nThe Dallas Mavericks will have a chance to add a difference-maker next to Cooper Flagg in this year\u2019s NBA Draft.<\/p>\n
The Mavericks control their own first-round pick \u2014 it will likely fall somewhere in the top 10 \u2014 as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder\u2019s first-round selection because of the Anthony Davis trade.<\/p>\n
That means Mavericks talent evaluators have been busy the past few weeks watching prospects play in person.<\/p>\n
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BEAT OUR EXPERTS<\/p>\n
Predict how you think the tournament will
play out. Can you beat one of our experts?<\/p>\n
Starting Thursday, a few potential Mavericks targets will be in action for NCAA Tournament competition. Here are four players to keep an eye on \u2014 all of them guards who would address a major need in Dallas\u2019 backcourt.<\/p>\n
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas6-2, 190 pounds, 19 years old<\/p>\n
Acuff\u2019s stock is rising after an incredible performance in the SEC Tournament. In Arkansas\u2019 wins over Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, Acuff averaged 30.3 points, 7.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds. He scored 30 points and dished 11 assists Sunday to lead Arkansas to its first conference tournament title<\/a> since 2000.<\/p>\n Acuff is one of the most gifted offensive players in this year\u2019s draft class. He\u2019s averaging 22.2 points per game on impressive efficiency \u2014 48.6 percent shooting from the field and 44.5 percent shooting from 3 \u2014 and boasts a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Acuff\u2019s ability to make 3-pointers off the dribble is a big part of what makes him so dangerous. Defenders have no choice but to guard him closely from beyond the arc. Acuff can glide by them off the dribble and finish at the rim or deliver on-point passes with either hand.<\/p>\n There are shades of a young Damian Lillard in Acuff\u2019s game. He is the type of player who could help breathe some life into Dallas\u2019 27th-ranked offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keaton Wagler, Illinois6-6, 185 pounds, 19 years old<\/p>\n Wagler is an improbable success story. The tall, rangy guard wasn\u2019t even ranked in the top 100 of ESPN\u2019s 2025 prospects list<\/a>. He came in at 150 in 247Sports\u2019 2025 recruiting rankings<\/a>. As a freshman at Illinois, Wagler has led the Fighting Illini \u2014 one of college basketball\u2019s best offensive teams \u2014 in scoring and assists.<\/p>\n Wagler is a talented shotmaker off the dribble capable of playing either guard spot. On Jan. 24, he exploded for 46 points<\/a> in a win over Purdue. Wagler connected on nine 3-pointers that afternoon, with a few of those makes coming several feet behind the 3-point arc.<\/p>\n Wagler is in shooting range basically anywhere inside the half-court line and should have no issues adjusting to the deeper 3-pointer in the NBA.<\/p>\n In the pre-draft process, there will be questions about Wagler\u2019s athleticism. He\u2019s a below-the-rim athlete who hasn\u2019t dunked once in a game this season. Wagler doesn\u2019t possess exceptional quickness to blow by defenders, either. Still, his size and skill are hard to ignore \u2014 and reasons why he\u2019ll almost certainly be a top-10 pick this summer.<\/p>\n Kingston Flemings, Houston6-4, 190 pounds, 19 years old<\/p>\n Flemings is a lightning bolt with the ball in his hands. The San Antonio native is one of the fastest players in college basketball. Flemings loves to use a between-the-legs dribble or a hesitation move to freeze defenders and then burst by them on his way to the rim.<\/p>\n Flemings\u2019 jump shot isn\u2019t as pretty as Acuff\u2019s or Wagler\u2019s, but it goes in. Flemings is comfortable taking midrange pull-ups. He\u2019s not a high-volume 3-point shooter (he attempted three per game), but he did knock down 39.2 percent of his attempts from long range. He\u2019s also an excellent free-throw shooter (he shot 83.9 percent).<\/p>\n \n Houston guard Kingston Flemings (4) drives to the basket against Texas Tech\u2019s Jaylen Petty during a Big 12 game in January. (Kenneth Richmond \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Flemings\u2019 best performance of the regular season came in January against Texas Tech. He burned the Red Raiders with 42 points<\/a> on 15-of-26 shooting and six assists as the Cougars pulled out a 90-86 road win.<\/p>\n Flemings excels at getting to where he wants to go on the court. Let\u2019s hope that Houston and Illinois can meet in the Sweet 16 so we can see Flemings and Wagler face each other.<\/p>\n Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama6-4, 185 pounds, 20 years old<\/p>\n The only player on this list who\u2019s spent multiple years in college, Philon has had a strong sophomore season at Alabama. He\u2019s upped his scoring average from 10.6 points per game to 21.7 while shifting into more of an on-ball role. Philon is like Flagg in the sense that he\u2019s a right-handed shooter who, when he drives, is very comfortable going left.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2255017265-scaled.jpg\")
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