We find ourselves firmly in the midst of March Madness, with plenty of busted brackets and exciting storylines abounding. For fans of the Chicago Bulls and the league’s other nine tanking teams (so far), our eyes are understandably turning to the NCAA Tournament, as we dream of nabbing a transformational superstar in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The expected top two picks, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, are both already down for the count. The anticipated No. 4 selection, UNC forward Caleb Wilson, missed the Big Dance with a fractured left hand.
Here’s who is trending in the right direction — and whose stock has slipped.
2026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Up
Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas
Sure, he was on here just last week, but the newly crowned SEC Player of the Year’s season keeps improving!
Through five games of the SEC Tournament and March Madness play (all wins), the true freshman has been averaging an eye-popping 30.2 points on .456/.486/.870 shooting splits, 7.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals a night. Next up, his No. 4 seed Razorbacks will square off against No. 1 Arizona in a Sweet Sixteen clash Thursday.
An elite three-level scorer in college already, the big knock against his game has been his defense. That could hamper just how high he goes in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he’s clearly got All-Star potential in the pros.
He has a knack for getting clutch buckets, but his passing savvy needs to be appreciated, too. He’s the first player to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists since one Pistol Pete Maravich. He also made NCAA history when he became the first active male college athlete (i.e., non-pro) to sign a deal with a major U.S. sportswear brand, agreeing to create a signature sneaker through Reebok.
John Calipari sure knows how to pick ’em.
Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke
Where in the top four will Carlos’ son be selected? The big holes in his game are his lack of a 12-foot jumper and his defense. Prior to March Madness, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo predicted that Boozer would be selected with the third overall pick. The longer he lasts and wins, could pundits rethink just how high he’ll fly come June?
North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson’s defensive upside, meanwhile, could help him bridge the perceived gap between himself and Boozer. Wilson is a dunk machine, although his handle isn’t quite at that level. Could his injury-mandated absence from the NCAA Tournament weirdly ratchet up his value in the draft?
For now, Cameron has been terrific during the Blue Devils’ March Madness run, pushing Duke to a Sweet Sixteen return.
Zuby Ejiofor, C, St. John’s
The former Kansas big man submitted a massive revenge game in the Round of 32. He can’t shoot from distance, but manages to consistently notch some fascinating late-game heroics.
Ejiofor blossomed spectacularly with the Red Storm, earning Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors for his play this season.
Projected originally as a late second-rounder at best, if the undersized five (he’s just 6-foot-9) manages to pull off another insane upset and down Duke in the Sweet Sixteen, he might move up draft boards quickly.
2026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Down
Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
Peterson got annihilated against St. John’s. As intriguing as Rick Pitino’s latest college success story has been, Peterson has to take some of the blame for the Jayhawks’ failure to survive and advance.
Although health had been his biggest issue during his likely one-and-done NCAA season, Peterson had an uneven run through his two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. He logged only a single assist during his entire March Madness run. He didn’t quite look like his normal explosive self on offense during the NCAA Tournament games, in fairness.
The defensive upside is there, but the passing instincts, availability, and offensive finishing consistency are not. Yet.
Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
The 2026 All-SEC Teamer has been grappling with an ankle ailment lately. Although he was the No. 5 player among his 2025 prep school class, he could be in jeopardy of falling towards the end of the lottery.
Although he’s an inefficient shooter and not quite a top-tier athlete, at 6-foot-10, he has the length and height to be a tantalizing NBA prospect.
Through two March Madness appearances, Ament has been averaging a scant 8.0 points on .286/.250/.875 shooting splits, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 0.5 assists, and 0.5 steals a night.
Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State
Jefferson looked rough playing in the Big Ten, where he shot just 39 percent from the floor and a Ben Simmons-esque 31 percent from the charity stripe. Health concerns may preclude Jefferson from suiting up against Ament and the Vols in the Sweet Sixteen, as he hurt his ankle against Tennessee State on Friday.
The No. 6 seed Vols (24-11) are underdogs against No. 2 Iowa State (29-7). The victor of their showdown would face either No. 1 Michigan (33-3) or No. 4 Alabama (25-9) in the Elite Eight.
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