"I see them as the two legitimate candidates to be taken No. 1 overall at this stage." - The Athletic's Sam Vecenie views Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith as potential top picks in the 2022 NBA draft

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie believes Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. are the only two contenders to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

With the NCAA Tournament starting next week, Holmgren of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Smith of the Auburn Tigers have separated themselves from every other draft prospect.

"I have Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith in a mini-tier to themselves," according to Sam Vecenie.

They are still bunched together, however. In the rest of the lead-up to this year's draft, one candidate may become the clear No. 1 pick, but the race is now in a dead heat.

“I see them as the two legitimate candidates to be taken No. 1 overall at this stage” says Vecenie.

Holmgren is an elite shot-blocker for his age (turning 20 in May), making him a top candidate for a team needing rim protection. Smith is an elite shooter, so he can fit on almost any NBA roster.

The difficult decision between Holmbren and Smith over who will be the top pick may come down to which team has the selection.

The other prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft

The rest of Sam Vecenie's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0 has some elite prospects who can make a late-season push up draft boards. Among that group are several big names from powerhouse schools.

Purdue's Jaden Ivey and Duke's Paulo Banchero were contenders to be the No.1 pick. But they have fallen behind Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Auburn's Jabari Smith. Both will need strong showings in March Madness and the predraft process to challenge Holmgren and Smith.

The draft process is starting to diverge rather than become more competitive. The others in the top 10 are not in the tier with Ivey and Banchero, let alone Smith and Holmgren.

All four had parents who were athletes in college.

Holmgren's father, Dave, played for Minnesota in the 1980s. Smith's father played at Louisiana State University before being drafted in the second round in 2000 and playing in the NBA and internationally.

Ivey's mother, Niele, played at Notre Dame before being drafted in the second round of the 2001 WNBA draft, playing five seasons in the league. His father, Javin Hunter, was a wide receiver at Notre Dame and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft.

Banchero's parents met at Washington. His father, Mario, was a tight end for the school's football team. His mother, Rhonda Smith-Banchero, played basketball and was a third-round pick in the 2000 WNBA draft.