3 players that improved their NBA fate with a strong tournament

The NCAA tournament offers every team in the field a chance to change their fate on the season with a dramatic run to the title game.

The same can be said for the players when speaking about NBA prospects, as a strong tournament run can vault someone up draft boards, securing their future at the next level.

Here are three players who drastically improved their NBA fate with their tournament showing:

Jordan Bell

There's probably nobody in the tournament who improved their NBA draft stock more than Oregon's Bell. The Ducks entered the tourney full of questions after the loss of Chris Boucher left them with only Bell as a viable post option. The junior standout was an absolute monster in Oregon's run to the Final Four, with his eight-block performance against Kansas the shining moment.

Bell is limited on the offensive end, but his ability to guard any position in the pros and crash the offensive glass will make him a viable option at the next level. Draft Express has the third-year player listed as the 42nd-best prospect in the 2017 draft, but don't be shocked if he slips into the late first round after this tournament showing.

Zach Collins

One of the storylines entering the Final Four this year was that there was no "one-and-done" prospect among the remaining teams. Apparently, Collins read all those reports, because the Gonzaga freshman was an absolute beast against South Carolina. The former McDonald's All-American put up a ridiculous line of 14 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks in just 23 minutes for the Bulldogs. Collins didn't put up gaudy numbers in his first season at Gonzaga, but most of that can be attributed to his lack of playing time behind fifth-year senior Przemek Karnowski. His efficiency on the offensive end had him on draft boards, but the defense he showed against South Carolina has him flying into a potential lottery spot for the 2017 NBA Draft.

Sindarius Thornwell

Thornwell didn't have his best game in the Final Four against Gonzaga, but it's probably a safe bet to attribute that to the vicious flu he had leading into the game. South Carolina's standout senior was an absolute beast the rest of the tournament, averaging an insane 25.7 points through the first four rounds.

Thornwell may lack elite athleticism at the next level, but proved throughout the tournament that he can score in a variety of ways on the offensive end, and is more than willing to mix it up on defense. The 6-foot-5, 211-pounder was likely to go undrafted or picked late in the second round, but has probably worked his way into the early- or mid-second round with his play.