Wow! It truly does feel like March, doesn’t it?
The college tournaments have kicked off, bringing with them some exciting, competitive basketball. And this isn’t even the main event, it’s all just feeding into the hype of the NCAA tournament. Normally we do a heat check just once a week, but the 2026 NBA Draft class is enjoying the spotlight, and we need to talk about them.
@ William Purnell-Imagn Images2026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Up
AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
Is it possible for a top-three pick to get even better? I assumed not, but AJ Dybantsa had something to say about that. After getting snubbed for Big 12 Player of the Year because he was on a BYU team that entered the conference tournament as the 10 seed, AJ played with a chip on his shoulder.
The best part about a great player on a bad team is that you get more opportunities to see them play. In the three games Dybantsa played in his first ever Big 12 Tournament, he put up three very impressive stat lines. In his game against Kansas State, he dropped 40 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals, the most points ever scored by a freshman in Big 12 Tournament history.
Against West Virginia, he followed it up with 27 points, and in his final game against the Houston Cougars he added another 26.
AJ Dybantsa's Big 12 Tournament run:vs. HOU 26 PTS | 7-18 FG | 3-5 3PT | 5 REBvs. WVU 27 PTS | 11-24 FG | 7 REB | 3 ASTvs. KSU 40 PTS | 15-21 FG | 9 REB | 6 AST | 3 STLThe freshman averaged 31 PPG | 52 FG% | 7 RPG | 4 APG pic.twitter.com/A4BIYqmikQ
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 13, 2026Despite losing to the second-best team in the Big 12, his run was legendary. It literally set a Big 12 Tournament record, and he won’t even be playing the final two days. His 93 points also helped him pass Kevin Durant, always a great name to be placed next to.
He showcased a great ability to produce highlights, score the skin off the ball, and show off a killer competitive mentality. That alone helped him jump from a top-three pick to a top-two pick in the 2026 NBA Draft almost instantly in one week. Imagine what he would’ve been able to do on a better team.
Made his mark.#Big12MBB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/oNxRY7wCXC
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 13, 2026 © Zachary Taft-Imagn ImagesIsaiah Evans, G, Duke
Last night, the best team in the nation was in trouble. They were locked in a losing battle with Florida State in their first game of the ACC Tournament. A loss wouldn’t have changed their standing heading into the NCAA Tournament, but it would have left them with egg on their face on the biggest stage so far.
It was understandable, Duke was shorthanded. No Caleb Foster and no Patrick Ngongba really throws a spanner in the works. But it also opens the door for someone else to step up.
And that’s exactly what Isaiah Evans did last night. He caught fire when the Duke Blue Devils needed it most.
He finished with a season-high 32 points, six rebounds, a steal, and a block. Evans shot 11-of-20 from the field and caught fire from behind the arc, sinking seven threes when the Blue Devils needed the firepower the most.
With that performance, Duke lived to fight another day, and Evans’ draft stock in the 2026 NBA Draft is on the rise.
SHOWTIME IN HIS CITY32 POINTS6 BOARDS3 DIMES pic.twitter.com/vkCOAjDebd
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 13, 2026 © Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesHannes Steinbach, F, Washington
A real victim of the “great player on a bad team” situation has to be Hannes Steinbach. In the 2026 NBA Draft class, the guard depth is high, but the big-man depth is not. Steinbach, a lottery pick, has been able to showcase a dominant ability on the glass and make his 6’11” presence known in the paint.
Unfortunately, because of his team’s lack of success, it raises questions about whether his stats are empty. So either his numbers needed to look even more absurd, or he would have to start winning more games.
He definitely did one of those really well. Over his last six games, and probably the last six of his college career, he averaged 22 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal per game. He was shooting a very impressive 73% from inside the arc and even attempted a handful of threes.
His best game came in conference play, where he put up 22 points and 24 rebounds in a win. Hannes does all the right things well, and I just know there are teams, like the Chicago Bulls, salivating at the idea of having a dominant presence like him on the roster.
As of today, before the NCAA Tournament tips off, he’s raised his stock in the 2026 NBA Draft to a guaranteed lottery pick.
Why is no one talking about Hannes Steinbach? Dude is straight bullying his opponents ? pic.twitter.com/Be3sMnFPbw
— Recruits News (@recruitsnews) March 12, 20262026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Down
Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech
Texas Tech played their first game in the Big 12 Tournament last night, and also their last. Technically, in a game where they were the favorites and the higher seed, they didn’t reap any benefits of “home-court advantage.” In fact, the court may have been their biggest opponent.
Texas Tech lost to Iowa by 22 points, a demolition against a team that was supposed to be the fourth-best in the conference. Yes, Texas Tech wasn’t at 100% without JT Toppin, but this performance, on paper, was super embarrassing.
Anderson, the best player on the team, who’s averaging 19 points and eight assists per night while playing a conference-high number of minutes per game, put up 10 points and three assists in 31 minutes before leaving the game with a groin injury.It’s important to note that the entire Big 12 Tournament was being played on a court made of LED screens, a big change of pace from the regular hardwood. Anderson’s injury even forced the Big 12 to play the last two days on regular courts.
But his injury, combined with a poor performance and a loss by such a huge margin, will drop his draft stock in the 2026 NBA Draft, whether he likes it or not.
Big 12 abandoning LED glass court after Christian Anderson's injury t.co/zMkbXdqWzd pic.twitter.com/aUhmYxoHTk
— New York Post (@nypost) March 13, 2026Hence then, the article about 2026 nba draft prospect heat check historic run for dybantsa evans saves duke steinbach goes out with a bang was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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