ESPN every year keeps track of the 100 most likely NBA Draft picks, called the NBA Draft Big Board. It shuffles players around based on how draftable they are and what sort of buzz is being picked up from the NBA Scouts. According to the latest update, the Badgers have two players on the board, and both are right around the same spot. However, it comes with some bad news.
The two players who found their way onto the ESPN NBA Draft Big Board are John Blackwell and Nolan Winter. This shouldn't come as a big surprise, as both were considered borderline NBA Draft picks a season ago. Blackwell even fully tested the waters, but eventually backed out of the draft and returned to Wisconsin.
John Blackwell is listed at No. 65 and Nolan Winter is No. 67 on ESPN's NBA Draft Big Board
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The bad news for the two Badgers is that they are ranked in the 60s. Blackwell is listed at No. 65 on the list, and Winter is at No. 67. While it's closer than they've been in the past, the NBA Draft only has 60 guys selected.
Sure, the NBA Scouts are going down this list one after the other, and there will be players selected higher than their draft billing. Say No. 71 is drafted at 61 in the NBA Draft. Yet, it does give at least one impression of approximately where they would land in the top 100 players. Right now, neither would be drafted in either round of the NBA Draft, according to ESPN.
That can change. Blackwell has done a lot for his draft stock in the last few weeks alone, and the tournament is always a time to turn heads. Winter may still need a bit more time. While he's a double-double machine, he's not getting the same sort of buzz as Blackwell.
As of now, both may end up wanting to run it back one more year for Greg Gard and Wisconsin; however, the NBA may lure them away as they surge up the Big Board.