Minnesota Timberwolves: 10 players to watch during March Madness
By Zach Lung
Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Virginia Tech, SG
The Virginia Tech Hokies have their eyes set on a Sweet 16 appearance and a likely matchup with top-seed Duke, a team the Hokies have already managed to beat once this season. Virginia Tech finished the season with a couple tough overtime losses to Florida State but the difficult ACC schedule should benefit the Hokies in the NCAA tournament.
All eyes will be on Virginia Tech’s NBA-ready star, Nickeill Alexander-Walker, as the team opens play on Friday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker returned to Virginia Tech for his sophomore season looking to bounce back from a tough freshman year and he has certainly done that, averaging 16.6 points while shooting over 38 percent from 3-point range.
Alexander-Walker excels at finding his shot within the constructs of the offense and the Hokies tend to play best when both of their stars, Alexander-Walker and Kerry Blackshear Jr., are playing off of each other. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is more than capable of creating his own shot when needed and will look to catch fire during the NCAA tournament.
Alexander-Walker is currently projected just outside of the lottery, putting him on the Wolves’ radar if they want to bolster their wing depth. He has proven the ability to create his own shot but does not need the ball in his hands in order to score. This skill set could make him a great complement to Andrew Wiggins on the wing and give the Wolves a shooter they can trust.
Opening game: vs. Saint Louis on Friday at 8:57 pm CT