Minnesota Timberwolves: Could Brandon Clarke be a fit in the NBA Draft?

Brandon Clarke opened the NCAA tournament with two strong performances and is a draft prospect that should be on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ radar.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a down season this year and have been officially eliminated from the playoffs. Luckily, March Madness is well underway and that will at least give Wolves fans the opportunity to watch thrilling basketball this time of year and imagine what could be in the future.

One of the prospects that should be on the Timberwolves’ radar is Brandon Clarke, who is currently leading the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs alongside another draft prospect, Rui Hachimura.

While Hachimura is almost certainly a lottery pick, it appears as though the Wolves will be picking in the range of No. 10 to No. 14, but all that can change by the time the lottery show rolls around. That’s still likely to be too early to select Clarke, anything could happen between now and then, from Clarke’s draft stock rising to the Wolves trading back in the draft.

In short, Clarke is a little bit of an undersized for a power forward, listed at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds. For perspective’s sake, that’s just about 15 pounds heavier than Andrew Wiggins.

Clarke is a junior transfer this season for Gonzaga, previously playing for San Jose State. In his lone season for the Bulldogs, he’s averaging 17 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

He’s not going to stretch the floor often, only shooting 0.4 attempts per game from beyond the arc. Clarke is an efficient player, scoring frequently around the rim and coming in fourth in Division I for field goal percentage (69.3 percent).

Clarke’s defense is what stands out the most, and that end of the floor just so happens to be a serious area of need for Minnesota. They’re currently 24th in the NBA in defensive rating, and while some of this is also due to the team’s best defensive player, Robert Covington, being out with an injury, there is certainly more work to be done.

Clarke is a prolific defender, averaging 3.1 blocks and 1.2 steals this year at Gonzaga. That will be something Minnesota can use, especially with the uncertain futures of much of the Wolves’ current frontcourt: Taj Gibson and Anthony Tolliver are both free agents and Dario Saric and Gorgui Dieng have somewhat murky outlooks as well.

What has Clarke done thus far during the first two rounds of March Madness? In the first round, Clarke had 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes. In the second round, Clarke dropped 36 points and pitched in eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals while shooting an awesome 15-of-18 from the field in 36 minutes.

Here’s a look at his dominance in the win over Baylor.

Most of his points were at the rim, which is something that current Wolves forward Taj Gibson does as well. His athleticism allows him to score at will and defend the ball with ease on the other end of the floor.

Clarke holds a great long-term outlook for any team that drafts him, but being a 22-year-old junior, he doesn’t hold that same one-and-done status that so many other prospects hold. But, sometimes having the extra years of experience is more valuable than a 19-year-old straight out of college.

If nothing else, Clarke is a player to keep and eye on during the rest of the tournament, and especially his school is able to make a run to the Final Four in Minneapolis.