NBA Draft Rankings 2017: ESPN Ranks Top 30 Prospects Entering NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament is finally set, and with it comes the final games for many of the nation’s top players as they look to end their college careers in style.

In the process, they hope to boost their pro stock if they plan on entering the 2017 NBA Draft, which will undoubtedly include several Kentucky Wildcats.

The latest big board from ESPN’s Chad Ford has three Cats cracking his top 30 NBA prospects that will play in the NCAA Tournament. Ford believes freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox is the fourth-best player in the tournament.

4. De'Aaron Fox

Fox is also peaking at just the right time. He battled minor injuries and poor shooting through much of January and February before catching fire of late. He was the best player on the floor for Kentucky in the SEC tournament, averaging 22 PPG and -- even more importantly for him -- hitting the majority of his jump shots.

After not being able to buy a 3-pointer for much of the season, Fox is 7-for-12 from deep over his past six games. It's a small sample size, but his jumper has been passing the eye test. If he can hit shots, he has everything else teams look for in a point guard with his elite speed, size, quickness and leadership. He has moved from No. 9 to No. 6 in our top 100.

It’s a bit surprising to see Ford has Fox ranked ahead of Malik Monk, though he isn’t far behind at No. 5.

5. Malik Monk

Monk may be the best scorer in this draft class. He's an electric athlete with elite finishing ability at the rim and a volume 3-point shooter. He can get his shot off against anyone.

However, he can be terribly inconsistent, scoring two points one night and 30 the next. His lack of size for his position is the biggest concern for scouts, but in a league where 3-point shooting is king, Monk is an attractive prospect.

Ford is also very high on Bam Adebayo, who he has as the 14th-best player in the tournament.

14. Edrice Adebayo

Adebayo looks the part of an NBA lottery pick. His strong, chiseled body is reminiscent of a young, smaller Dwight Howard. He's also an explosive athlete who is a powerful finisher at the rim. He seems to be peaking at the right time, putting up more consistent rebounding and scoring numbers the past few weeks.

However, his game is still a bit raw on both ends. He's an inconsistent rebounder (though he has been much better lately) and lacks the perimeter game that NBA teams hunt for in big men these days.

Of all the tournament teams, Kentucky is the only school with two top-five prospects and three top-14 prospects. Duke has two top-10 guys (Tatum and Giles), while UCLA has two top-12 guys (Ball and Leaf).

Elsewhere, Ford updated his entire top 100 big board which includes players not in the Big Dance. He now has freshman forward Wenyen Gabriel ranked 73rd and sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe ranked 100th.

Briscoe is as good as gone to the NBA. He’s been set on leaving almost as soon as his sophomore season began and is ready to be a pro basketball player, whether that’s the NBA, D-League or some other professional league.

Gabriel thought he could go pro and was planning on it for most of the season, and he still may be. John Calipari said Sunday he expects to lose eight players this year, which would seem to indicate Gabriel is the eighth guy after Fox, Bam, Monk and Briscoe go pro in addition to Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder graduating.

Here’s what the big board looks like now:

1. Markelle Fultz

2. Lonzo Ball

3. Josh Jackson

4. Jayson Tatum

5. Dennis Smith

6. De'Aaron Fox

7. Malik Monk

8. Lauri Markkanen

9. Jonathan Isaac

10. Miles Bridges

11. Frank Ntilikina

12. Robert Williams

13. Harry Giles

14. Zach Collins

15. Justin Patton

16. Jarrett Allen

17. T.J. Leaf

18. OG Anunoby

19. Isaiah Hartenstein

20. John Collins

21. Edrice Adebayo

22. Ivan Rabb

23. Terrance Ferguson

24. Rodions Kurucs

25. Caleb Swanigan

26. Tony Bradley

27. Josh Hart

28. Andrew Jones

29. Tyler Lydon

30. Donovan Mitchell

31. Ike Anigbogu

32. Allonzo Trier

33. Luke Kennard

34. Bonzie Colson

35. Justin Jackson

36. Kostja Mushidi

37. Alec Peters

38. Monte Morris

39. D.J. Wilson

40. Moritz Wagner

41. Dillon Brooks

42. Mikal Bridges

43. Johnathan Motley

44. Yante Maten

45. Eric Mika

46. Frank Mason

47. De'Anthony Melton

48. Marques Bolden

49. Cameron Oliver

50. Jonathan Jeanne

73. Wenyen Gabriel

100. Isaiah Briscoe