Ja Morant, Murray State

Set to be televised on ESPNU at 9 PM (EST) on Thursday night, provides a matchup of two mid-major programs from the Ohio Valley Conference who will take the court against one another looking to make a statement as the potential representative of their conference come March Madness, each led by a legit NBA draft prospect.



For Murray State their main man Ja Morant has emerged as one of the most highly regarded players in college basketball and has received a steady wave of well-respected basketball people proclaiming his abilities as deserving of one of the top picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.



Highlighting the high-powered offensive output by Belmont is their best player senior Dylan Windler. Emerging as an extremely effective player whose having another productive season after a fine junior year, Windler has surfaced as a name whose play can earn him a potential selection as a second round pick with a continued strong showing.



From an overall team perspective, both programs are having successful seasons to date with Murray State assuming the reigns a top the conference at 15-2 on the season with it's only losses coming to SEC opponents Alabama and Auburn. Since losing to the then seventh ranked Tigers on the road at Auburn Arena, they Racers have reeled off a seven-game winning streak, with six coming against Ohio Valley Conference competition, averaging 92.1 points per game during that span.



Though the focus is on Morant when Murray State takes the floor, he is flanked by a few formidable teammates who contribute to the team's third highest field goal percentage in the country (50.6), while holding opponents to the 3rd lowest three point percentage (27.2). Balancing the backcourt alongside Morant is a high-energy, athletic, tough defender in 6'3 senior combo guard Shaq Buchanan (13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.4 steals) and 6'5 freshman wing Tevin Brown (12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals). Featured in the front court are a few big bodies capable of converting Morant's drop-offs near the rim in a strong senior presence in 6'8, 245 pound big Brion Sanchious, a colossal 6'8, 295 pound five-man/center junior Darnell Coward, and 6'9, 240 pound freshman forward KJ Williams whose shown tremendous finishing ability (71.8 FG%, 7.9 points, 16.3 minutes per game).



Morant has had a huge impact on his team's success this season, seemingly doing everything on the floor. Controlling the tempo for one of the most effective offenses Morant leads the team in points (24.3), rebounds (5.9), and assists (10.7) — currently ranking sixth amongst all scorers in the country and first in dropping dimes.



Having the ball in his hands almost exclusively while playing a large amount of minutes, the 6'3, 175 pound point guard can be a bit erratic at times with his possession and decisions with the ball (leads the country with 85 turnovers), but most certainly makes plays throughout the entire game for his teammates and himself. Combining a confident handle and quick-twitch movement that permits him to regularly puff past defenders, Morant is able to get into the paint and attack the defense with ease.



With explosive athleticism and bounce that allows him to escalate above the rim, the sophomore standout has had his share of highlights slams so far this season. An underrated aspect and significant difference between his fine freshman season and now superb second year is in the overall efficiency of which he produces points when driving the lane. Already converting two-point opportunities at an efficient rate of 52.5 percent in 2017-2018, Morant has improved to an even more impressive clip of 63.3 percent on all attempts from inside the arc in 2018-2019.



Converting on 100 of 148 attempts at the rim (with only 30 coming from assist), according to Hoop Math, illustrates his impact to infiltrate the part of the floor where the obvious aspects of his game allow for him to play to his strengths. Drawing contact regularly as defenders rush to stay in front of him or contest his shots, Morant is able to take advantage of getting to the free throw line —sinking 21-21 free throws, in a 40 point, 11 assist performance in Murray State's last game against SIU-Edwardsville (Southern Illinois).



Also, a menace on the defensive end where he can turn a rebound or steal into transition opportunities on the opposite side of the floor, Morant loves to keep his head up and deliver passes 3/4 the length of the court for quick and easy looks for his teammates.



Currently the seventh highest scoring team in the country (86.3 points per game), Belmont is led by senior Dylan Windler who averages 18.9 points per game, while shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Accompanying the 6'8, 200 pound wing/forward in the starting lineup for the Bruins, is one other senior in 6'3 guard Kevin McCall who joins Windler as one of the true threats to sink a shot from distance (2.1 made threes per game, 38.7 3P%) and a solid all-around contributor (14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists).



Filling out the rest of the starting five for Belmont are a trio of freshman, with 6'2 Grayson Murphy emerging as the primary playmaker and adding defensive value (10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals), 6'11 big Nick Muszynski proving to be tough to prevent from scoring near the paint (15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 74-108 on shots at the rim, 69%), and 6'8 forward Caleb Hollander (9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds) positively contributing as a valuable role player during his first season.



Rebounding from a tough shooting performance in the loss to Jacksonville State (4-18 field goals, 2-10 3 pointers) where he still put up an impressive 17 points and 17 rebounds, Windler found the rhythm in his release during his most recent outing against Tennessee State, knocking down 7 of 8 three-point attempts, finishing with 25 points.



On offense, Windler is a capable knockdown shooter from distance (40 3P%, on 2.4 made 3's per game) who operates effectively within the flow of the team's execution as opposed to a ball-stopping, shot creator. The wing player moves well without the ball, especially on cuts along the baseline which accounts for a number of his converted chances at the basket (61 of 89 on shots at the rim, 69%).



With adequate agility and athleticism for his size, Windler can go up and complete the finish of a lob pass or allow his Belmont squad second chance scoring opportunities with his work on the glass (1.9 offensive rebound per game), while still exhibiting enough ability to put the ball on the floor and drive the lane when an opening presents itself.



Defensively, the lean wing/forward offers value as a versatile player who shows up in a number ways, most notably as a reliable rebounder (9.3 rebounds per game), while also inspiring instincts and awareness as a wing defender (1.6 steals per game), and occasionally deterring the opposition as a shot blocker.



Though all those attributes are much likely to arrive on a larger scale against the competition at the collegiate level, the collection of competent components within Windler's game is what has NBA scouts and analysts wondering whether he is worthy of a draft pick who can translate into an impact, role player against the talent of the next level.