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Sure, you’re busy preparing your brackets. Players all over the country prepare for a moment in the national spotlight, or concluding a season-long march to a championship. But in the world of NBA Draft, evaluators are calmly trying to separate the emotion from the moment, take in what remaining data and observations can be made under the glare of the world’s attention, and begin the process of finalizing draft boards. Embrace your inner Vulcan and do the same. We’ll get to the biggest names in the rounds to come, but here’s who to make sure you don’t miss in round one. 

Thursday, 6:50 p.m. ET: Maryland vs. Xavier

This is a chance for several players to prove themselves. For Xavier’s leading scorer, Trevon Bluiett, it’s another opportunity to shine in the post-Edmond Sumner world. But he’ll likely be guarded by Maryland freshman Justin Jackson, who shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle just because he isn’t Josh Jackson or the Justin Jackson who plays for North Carolina. This Justin Jackson allowed just 0.619 points per possession, per Synergy. Elite wing defensive stoppers are a real rarity.

Thursday, 7:20 p.m. ET: VCU vs. Saint Mary’s

I have my eye on JeQuan Lewis here, VCU’s undersized but lightning-quick point guard. His defensive bona fides are not in question, and he can help an NBA team that way, as the rare guarder of quick point guards. But what is he offensively? He needs to be far closer to the guy who drained nine triples in a 34-point outburst against St. Joseph’s back on February 14, and not the guy shooting 19.5 percent from three in the eight games since. There’s reason to believe the slump is a fluke -- he’s up over 92 percent from the free throw line during that span -- but in a game where his offense will be necessary for the Rams to pull the mild upset, Lewis needs to show up at both ends.

Thursday, 9:57 p.m. ET: Iowa State vs. Nevada

So people need to stop sleeping on Monte Morris and his microscopic 6.7 turnover percentage, and I think they are, but I’m particularly curious to see how he matches up against Marcus Marshall. The grad transfer has been equal parts scorer and facilitator for the Wolf Pack, and the question is whether the numbers he’s putting up reflect an NBA ability to do both, or if he’s simply a mid-major standout. I suspect the former, but a big showing against the Cyclones will set more minds on the subject.

Friday, 12:40 p.m. ET: Baylor vs. New Mexico State

While much of the focus has been on Johnathan Motley’s scoring prowess all season, it would be a shame to ignore how well he’s come along on the boards. Powered by his rebounding percentage -- both offensive and defensive rated tops in the Big 12 -- Baylor is second in the country in the overall rebounding metric. The team just behind the Bears on the offensive boards? New Mexico State, with an oversized frontcourt that includes 7’3 Tanveer Bhullar. Another bravura performance from Motley against extra big bigs will serve notice that he’ll be perfectly at home as a versatile NBA five.

Friday, 7:20 p.m. ET: Troy vs. Duke

Sure, sure, there’s that Jayson Tatum guy, but keep your eye on Jordon Varnado of Troy, a sophomore who is legit 6’6 and plays much taller. He’s scoring for the Trojans in a variety of ways, and as befits the brother of Jarvis Varnado, his block percentage (5.5) suggests a real chance that he can be a 3-and-D NBA player. If he can capture the imagination of the country against Duke, particularly matched up against Tatum, it will go a long way toward earning him a draft look.