2026 NBA Draft: Three Underrated Point Guard Prospects

Arguably the most important and best position in basketball right now is the point guard. From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP season, to Tyrese Haliburton's magical playoff run and Luka Doncic's arrival to Los Angeles, the league runs through the point guard position.

The projected 2026 draft class is filled with guard talent at the top end, but has sneaky depth of guys who can't go unnoticed when the draft rolls around. Here's three of those prospects currently flying under the radar on draft boards that could shoot up throughout the season.

1. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa

Stirtz, along with head coach Ben McCollum, took the Division 1 landscape by storm last season after dominating the Division 2 scene at Northwest Missouri State. In his first season with Drake, Stirtz averaged 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.1 steals and held 49.8 / 39.5 / 79.4 shooting splits. He garnered national buzz multiple times throughout the year, including his game-winning 3-pointer in overtime against Kansas State, and his 21-point performance to upset the Missouri Tigers in the NCAA Tournament.

Stirtz is a crafty yet explosive offensive engine, who the Bulldogs ran everything through last season. He's capable of pulling up for off-dribble 3-pointers, has a soft touch for floaters in the paint, and is comfortable playing off of two feet for easy looks.

Stirtz and McCollum proved too good for the Missouri Valley Conference, finishing 17-3 in conference play and winning the MVC Tournament. The pair are now in Iowa, and will take yet another leap in level of competition. If Stirtz can continue his elite play in the Big Ten, expect the senior guard to rise up draft boards.

2. Anthony Robinson II, Missouri

Stirtz may have defeated Robinson's Tigers in the NCAA Tournament, but Robinson had an impressive 2024-2025 campaign as well. The 6-foot-3, 180 pound guard thrived within the Southeastern Conference's physical style of play, ranking second in the conference in steals per game (1.7) in just 23 minutes per game, earning SEC All-Defensive honors.

Robinson hounded and pressured ball-handlers and used his 6-foot-7 wingspan to stay active in the passing lanes, causing several turnovers a game. As for his offense, he averaged 9 points, 3.5 assists and shot 40 percent from 3-point range while playing a complementary role as the Tigers point guard.

While Robinson was efficient in his smaller role, he'll have a golden opportunity to scale up as one of the team's top scoring options next season, due to the departures of Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill. If Robinson elevates his game to become a top scorer while maintaining his defensive intensity, he could shoot all the way up to the lottery.

3. Labaron Philon, Alabama

Philon was a former 4-star recruit who spent his freshman season on a loaded Alabama squad that was ranked in the top five for AP polling for much of the season. He had a steady volume despite the talent around him, but struggled to score at a consistent rate, having extremely hot and cold spells throughout the season.

Philon averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per game while sharing lead guard duties with Mark Sears, but clearly wasn't at the level of initiator or scorer yet that Sears was. Even so, Philon still impressed with quick-twitch scoring, both attacking the basket and flashes from deep, making him an intriguing prospect for future development.

Philon was well into the 2025 NBA Draft process, and even shut down any possibilities of returning to Alabama – yet he's returning for the 2025-2026 season after withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft. Now as Alabama has moved on from Sears, Grant Nelson, Chris Youngblood and more, there's ample opportunity for Philon to elevate his game once more.