Dallas Mavericks projected to draft March Madness star from Marquette this summer

March and April are the best time of the year for basketball fans.

You get March Madness and the NCAA Tournament from the end of March until April, and then the NBA Playoffs start shortly after. There isn't anything like this season, and Dallas Mavericks and basketball fans are in heaven right now.

The Mavs have now won four games in a row after Tuesday night's victory over the Sacramento Kings, and everything seems to be going right for them.

Dallas Mavericks projected to draft March Madness star from Marquette this summer

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's bond continues to grow, and the vibes are immaculate in Dallas.

While the NBA season still has plenty of time left, it's never too early to look at potential draft prospects. Especially since the Mavericks will have a pick this year. Dallas owns the Boston Celtics' second-round pick this year from the Grant Williams trade, and Dallas has a chance to get better here even though it's a second-round pick. Teams strike gold with second-round picks all the time, and this could be Dallas' chance to get even better.

In ESPN's most recent 2024 NBA Mock Draft by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, they have the Mavericks selecting Oso Ighodaro, a 6-foot-11 center from Marquette.

This season for Marquette, Ighodaro is averaging 13.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Although Ighodaro is having a little bit of a slow start to the NCAA Tournament, he is still averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 blocs, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

Ighodaro has been the defensive anchor for Marquette, and his potential as a rim-protecting four or five is intriguing. He can move his feet with some quicker players on the perimeter, but he also can protect the rim. Ighodaro is super thin, but his height and 7-foot-5 wingspan make him a great disruptor.

Offensively, Ighodaro is limited. He scores most of his points at the rim or in the pick and roll, but he has great athleticism and footwork. Ighodaro scores well in transition and he is an underrated scorer off the dribble against slower defenders.

Ighodaro played with Olivier-Maxence Prosper at Marquette, and the two were a great fit on the floor together. He'll have to improve some as a shooter to play power forward for Dallas, but adding him to the Mavs' young core is intriguing.

He would be a rim protector off the bench who can play the four and five, and putting him on the floor next to Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford would be an elite defensive frontcourt. He and Prosper would be intriguing pieces to reunite in the Mavs' frontcourt, but only time will tell if the Mavs show interest in the star bouncy forward.

For all the latest on Olivier-Maxence Prosper and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.