There’s little question about where to start when looking at the top point guard prospects in the NBA draft: Trae Young and Collin Sexton.

Young was the national leader in both scoring and assists with the Sooners as a freshman Authentic B.J. Hill Jersey , while Sexton provided an aggressive presence at the helm of the Crimson Tide’s attack in his only year at Alabama.

Young is expected to be the first point guard chosen Thursday, while Sexton could join him as a top-10 pick.

Here’s a look at the top prospects:

TRAE YOUNG

Young’s scoring and playmaking ability drew comparisons to three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry.

STRENGTHS: The 6-foot-2, 178-pound Young averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists while putting up his share of eye-popping numbers, including four 40-point games and a Division I record-tying 22 assists against Northwestern State. He ranked fourth nationally in 3-pointers per game (3.69) and can score in bunches from anywhere, positioning him to thrive in the NBA’s free-flowing game.

CONCERNS: All the offensive stats were often fairly empty down the stretch as Oklahoma lost 13 of 18 before squeaking into the NCAA Tournament for a first-round loss. Young wasn’t the most efficient scorer; he was in the top four nationally in both overall shots and 3-pointers attempted but the percentages weren’t great (.422 on field goals, .360 on 3s) while he also led the nation with 167 turnovers. He also had the smallest wingspan (6-3) of players at the combine and could stand to get stronger to handle physical pro defenders.

COLLIN SEXTON

Sexton led Alabama back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.

STRENGTHS: Athleticism – the 6-2, 183-pound freshman has plenty of it. He averaged 19.2 points while shooting nearly 45 percent, offering a quick first step and the aggressive edge needed to get to the rim. He had a solid floor game with 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. And while a similar height to Oklahoma’s Young, Sexton has a bigger wingspan (measuring a bit over 6-7 at the combine).

CONCERNS: Sexton is capable of hitting from outside, such as when he hit six 3-pointers against Auburn and had five other games with at least three made 3s. The trick now is becoming a more consistent threat after making just 34 percent (44 of 131) for the season.

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER

Kentucky’s latest one-and-done talent wasn’t the Wildcats’ top recruit but thrived after becoming a full-time starter in January to make himself a possible lottery selection.

STRENGTHS: He offers good size at the point after checking in at 6-6 at the combine with a nearly 7-foot wingspan. And he improved as the year went on, averaging 16.4 points, 5.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds after becoming the starter. He also shot 40 percent from 3-point range on the year.

CONCERNS: He’ll need to add bulk to a lean 180-pound frame to handle physical play both on the perimeter and driving to the rim.

OTHERS TO WATCH:

– JALEN BRUNSON: The Associated Press national player of the year doesn’t have eye-popping athleticism, but he’s a steady and efficient performer who led Villanova to a second NCAA title in three seasons. The junior is a potential first-round pick.

– JEVON CARTER: West Virginia’s floor leader and two-time Big 12 defensive player of the year could sneak into the first round.

– TREVON DUVAL: After one year at Duke, he is likely a second-round pick with good athleticism (third at the combine in max vertical leap at 41.5 inches) but a suspect outside shot (29 percent on 3s).

– AARON HOLIDAY: The UCLA junior is a first-round prospect and seems next up after the trio at the top. He was the Pac-12’s leading scorer (20.3 points) while averaging 5.8 assists Brady Skjei Jersey , though he’s a bit undersized (6-1, 187).

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The Florida Panthers were one of the best teams in the NHL after the All-Star break, not that it counted for much at the end of the regular season.

Despite winning five games over the final seven days and tying for first in the NHL with 25 victories over their final 35 games, the Panthers failed to make the playoffs for the fifth time in six years and the 15th time in 17 seasons.

”It’s disappointing,” said center Vincent Trocheck, who finished the season with a team-high 31 goals. ”Everybody here had one goal, and that was to make the playoffs and then go on a push. We were really hoping we’d get a little help from some other teams and maybe get in. I think there’s a lot of teams that didn’t want to play us if we got in.”

The Panthers finished with a 44-30-8 record for 96 points, matching the 2014-15 Boston Bruins for most points for a team missing the playoffs. The Panthers were 25-8-2 after the All-Star break, tying the Winnipeg Jets for most victories over the final 35 games.

But Florida couldn’t overcome a slow start. The Panthers was 4-8-2 in its first 14 games and played catch-up the whole season. They held a playoff position for one day (after the games of Oct. 12) the entire season.

”We’re extremely proud of this group,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. ”The effort they put forth, especially in the second half of the season … 96 points is not easy to do in this league. It’s a shame that we’re not in with that kind of a total. Maybe that’s something that’s going to even drive us harder next year.”

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Some things to know about the Panthers’ disappointing 2017-18 season, and a look to `18-19:

OFFSEASON PRIORITY: The Panthers don’t seem to need much after their post-All-Star break performance, particularly since every key member of the team is signed through next season or beyond. The top seven scorers, as well as goalies Roberto Luongo and James Reimer Cheap Customized Denver Broncos Jerseys , are signed through the 2019-20 season. If anything, the Panthers could use another scorer and maybe a defenseman, but the team has a solid foundation in place.

YOUTH IS SERVED: Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism for the Panthers looking ahead has to do with a core that’s been around for a few years but is still very young. The team’s top three scorers – Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau – and top-four defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Mike Matheson all are 24 or younger.

HOME COOKING: The Panthers’ season-ending five-game winning streak including a sweep of a four-game homestand that featured games against two of the top four teams in the NHL, the Nashville Predators and the Boston Bruins. A 4-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres in the home finale helped the Panthers set a franchise record with 27 home victories, breaking the mark of 26 set in 1999-2000.

STILL GOING: Defenseman Keith Yandle completed a ninth consecutive season without missing a game, extending the longest active streak in the NHL to 715 consecutive games. Yandle ended the season with 56 points, one shy of the franchise record for defensemen set by Robert Svehla in 1995-96. His blueline partner Aaron Ekblad tied the franchise mark for defensemen with 16 goals, first set by Jason Garrison in 2011-12.

HOW LONG CAN LUONGO GO? Goalie Roberto Luongo started three games in four nights last week as the Panthers made their final push to the playoffs, and he joined Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the only goalies to play 1,000 games when he defeated Boston on Thursday. But he did turn 39 on April 4 and missed 32 games this season because of injuries. The Panthers will have to decide whether they want to come back next season with Luongo and James Reimer as their goaltending duo.

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