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Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

NBA unicorn Kristaps Porzingis looked heated as time expired in his EuroBasket quarterfinal Tuesday. His 34 points for Latvia weren't enough against Slovenia—it was a memorable but wasted effort, overshadowed by the 18-year-old who'd just beat him for a layup and burned him with a step-back three.

Luka Doncic is already raising the bar for college basketball's top NBA prospects and gamely challenging proven NBA pros like Porzingis.

"Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III couldn't put up the production that Doncic is doing in a 40-minute FIBA ball-control game," an NBA veteran scouting executive told Bleacher Report.

Doncic, who went for 27 points and nine rebounds against Latvia, is building confidence in scouts and momentum in the debate as the No. 1 overall draft pick for 2018.

"Yes, 100 percent," said the executive when asked if Doncic could go first. "His game is leap years above anyone. Continues to shine and impress."

In 2018, Porter won't be able to cake-walk to No. 1 at Missouri with empty team production, the way Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz did in college. Flashes of upside will not be enough for Duke's Bagley, like they were for Karl-Anthony Towns at Kentucky.

Doncic has entered their tier, putting together a resume no 2017-18 college star will match.