Jeremy WooApr 9, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseNBA draft analyst and writer Joined ESPN.com in 2023 Covered the NBA and NBA draft for Sports Illustrated from 2015-2023Follow on XMultiple Authors
play0:19Keaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes a 3 for IllinoisKeaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes an open 3-pointer for Illinois.
play0:30Darius Acuff Jr. comes alive late to fuel Arkansas to Sweet 16Darius Acuff Jr. shows up with a few clutch baskets down the stretch to help the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16.
play0:16Kingston Flemings buries a deep 3 for HoustonKingston Flemings makes a move and buries a deep 3 for Houston.
play0:20Brayden Burries’ hustle play punctuates Arizona’s Elite Eight winBrayden Burries dives on the floor and gets the ball to Ivan Kharchenkov for a layup to help send the Wildcats to the Final Four.
play1:05Yaxel Lendeborg: Michigan’s ‘Fab Five’ gave a lot of supportYaxel Lendeborg joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss what it meant to win a national championship for Michigan.
play0:18Aday Mara muscles in a Michigan and-1Aday Mara backs down his defender for an tough lay-in plus the foul.
play0:16Braylon Mullins’ dagger 3 sends UConn to its third title game in 4 yearsBraylon Mullins’ dagger 3 sends UConn to its third title game in four years.
play0:24Koa Peat takes it strong to the basketKoa Peat rebounds his miss and lays it in for Arizona.
Yaxel Lendeborg: ‘The power of friendship’ led Michigan to victory (1:10)Yaxel Lendeborg shares what it means to him to win a national championship with Michigan. (1:10)
Keaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes a 3 for IllinoisKeaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes an open 3-pointer for Illinois.
Darius Acuff Jr. comes alive late to fuel Arkansas to Sweet 16Darius Acuff Jr. shows up with a few clutch baskets down the stretch to help the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16.
Darius Acuff Jr. shows up with a few clutch baskets down the stretch to help the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16.
Kingston Flemings buries a deep 3 for HoustonKingston Flemings makes a move and buries a deep 3 for Houston.
Brayden Burries’ hustle play punctuates Arizona’s Elite Eight winBrayden Burries dives on the floor and gets the ball to Ivan Kharchenkov for a layup to help send the Wildcats to the Final Four.
Brayden Burries dives on the floor and gets the ball to Ivan Kharchenkov for a layup to help send the Wildcats to the Final Four.
Yaxel Lendeborg: Michigan’s ‘Fab Five’ gave a lot of supportYaxel Lendeborg joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss what it meant to win a national championship for Michigan.
Yaxel Lendeborg joins “The Pat McAfee Show” to discuss what it meant to win a national championship for Michigan.
Aday Mara muscles in a Michigan and-1Aday Mara backs down his defender for an tough lay-in plus the foul.
Braylon Mullins’ dagger 3 sends UConn to its third title game in 4 yearsBraylon Mullins’ dagger 3 sends UConn to its third title game in four years.
With the college basketball season in the books, the transfer portal open and the predraft process underway, it’s time to update our top 100 for the 2026 draft class.
Players have exactly 60 days before the draft (the late-June date of which has yet to be finalized by the NBA), going into the draft combine and a high-impact lottery on May 10. The likely wave of college returners means this list will inevitably remain fluid up through the NCAA’s May 27 early entry withdrawal deadline.
Here are ESPN’s updated top 100 rankings for the 2026 draft class, including breakdowns for the top 25. This process is informed by my own player evaluations and intel from around the NBA and college ranks, and it offers a representation of the available player pool and insight into executives’ and scouts’ views.
After a strong individual close to the season, amid BYU’s struggles without Richie Saunders, Dybantsa has become the player NBA executives most commonly project to be selected first, with the expectation that he’ll be a star wing scorer with the capacity to drive winning on both sides of the ball in the long run. In a draft replete with high-level talent, he has positioned himself as the easiest answer at No. 1.
It’s hard to argue with Boozer’s body of work, impeccable offensive feel and productivity, which have drawn comparisons from scouts to players such as Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Love. While he’s not quick or vertically gifted, and there’s some concern he might get exploited defensively in certain situations, there’s plenty of reason to love the things he does well.
Fleshing those skills out is going to take time — although Wilson is unpolished as a ball handler and a perimeter shooter (he shot just 7-for-27 from 3-point range), his physicality and motor largely compensated in college. His skill level has to improve for him to truly function on the perimeter in the NBA, which means his projection requires a bit more imagination than the other consensus top prospects.
Wagler cemented his breakout season with a Final Four berth, as the primary driver of an elite Illinois offense that stalled out against an experienced UConn team. Although he had some ups and downs in the tournament, Wagler’s long-term upside was on full display. His smart decision-making, perimeter shooting (39.7%) and positional size advantage give him an excellent foundation as he adds strength and gains experience.
Keaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes a 3 for Illinois
Keaton Wagler loses the defender then splashes an open 3-pointer for Illinois.
Acuff finished the season on a heater, leading Arkansas to a Sweet 16 berth and an SEC tournament title while winning SEC Player of the Year honors. It’s hard to have a better freshman season than that, and he has vaulted himself into the mix as a top-five candidate as the most NBA-ready of the talented freshman point guards.
His ability to dictate game flow, elevate in traffic for tough jumpers and find open teammates easily off the bounce gives him real offensive star power to boost his candidacy. Acuff impressively limited turnovers (2.2 per game) while handling a 29.5% usage rate and shooting 44% from 3, building a strong all-around offensive profile for a lead playmaker. Questions persist around his defensive limitations, but teams in need of a true point will have to take a long look early in the draft.
Darius Acuff Jr. comes alive late to fuel Arkansas to Sweet 16
Although Flemings cooled off a bit offensively in the final month of the season, he has proved himself as a winning player and explosive playmaker with the potential to anchor a backcourt long term. NBA teams were impressed with the way he handled pressure and emerged as the top player on an excellent Houston team that ultimately didn’t have a ton of consistent offensive contributors around him.
Kingston Flemings makes a move and buries a deep 3 for Houston.
Knee and ankle injuries in February interrupted Ament’s strong second half, but he returned to contribute to Tennessee’s surprise Elite Eight run. Although he often left scouts wanting more this season, his skill level and fluidity at his size and flashes of shotmaking fit a valuable archetype and supply a strong developmental base in the long run.
It’s likely Ament won’t be ready to contribute to a winning team as a rookie, but players in his mold are hard to find and tend to be valuable in an NBA driven by perimeter size and skill. Scouts are split on the likelihood of him reaching his ceiling, as he’s not an explosive athlete and has had some challenging moments this season. His best flashes in what was a suboptimal team context at Tennessee have kept him in the lottery mix.
Brown sat out Louisville’s final six games with a lingering back injury, missing the postseason and ending his season in a state of flux. NBA teams are well aware of his talent as a playmaker, and many scouts believe he’s capable of outperforming his 34% 3-point clip, but the incomplete nature of his season will place value on his medical.
Although Burries struggled in Arizona’s final tournament games against Purdue and Michigan, he earned a place in the lottery conversation over the course of a strong freshman season. He’s not elite in any one area, but he proved himself as a multifaceted contributor who’s comfortable on and off the ball and adds value defensively and on the glass. He’s a whole year older than most of the other top freshmen and is viewed by teams as a back-half lotto candidate.
Scouts feel Burries’ upside scenarios revolve around whether he develops into more of a full-time ball handler, with his frame playing up better in that role than on the wing. Sharpening his handle and playmaking skills in the long run will be crucial to making that work, with his style of play more reliant on strength and craft than explosive athleticism.
Brayden Burries’ hustle play punctuates Arizona’s Elite Eight win
Lopez enters the draft coming off a productive second season in the NBL, with a mix of positional size, developing skill and toughness that creates a pathway for long-term success. He totaled the most points ever by a draft-eligible Next Stars player and also tied the mark for combined steals and blocks, showing improvement as the season went on and shooting 50% from the field as an 18-year-old playing against much older competition.
Scouts’ questions center around how much offense Lopez will be able to create for himself and how much he’ll improve as a shooter (32.6% from 3), as he isn’t fleet of foot and has to rely more on skill and craft as a perimeter-oriented forward. He will have an opportunity to answer those questions and get in front of teams in the predraft process.
Lendeborg’s outstanding final college season culminated in a national title for Michigan, sending him into the predraft process with momentum. Although he will turn 24 in September, scouts view him as ready to contribute to a rotation, particularly coming off a strong close to the season in which he showcased his shotmaking (52.9% from 3 in his final 11 games) and ability to play in transition.