Ranking the 10 best NBA prospects in the NCAA Tournament

March Madness is here. For college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. For NBA front offices, it’s arguably the most important.

The 2026 draft class is shaping up to be one of the deepest — and the next few weeks will reveal just how special it really is. With that in mind, here’s a look at the 10 best NBA prospects in the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina freshman sensation Caleb Wilson is sidelined because of an injury and won’t play in the tournament. If healthy, he’d rank fourth overall.

1. Forward AJ Dybantsa, BYU (25.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.8 APG)

Dybantsa is the nation’s leading scorer and the easiest to project as a pro. His game is similar to Boston's Jaylen Brown and his ceiling looks something like Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady's.

At 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, he’s an explosive wing who draws fouls like an All-NBA player and can score from all three levels. The knock on him is his three-point shooting consistency (34.1 percent), but the shot is clearly there. 

In the Big 12 tournament, he dropped 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting against Kansas State with half the league’s front offices watching courtside. BYU won’t win it all, but don’t be shocked if Dybantsa carries them to the second weekend. 

2. Guard Darryn Peterson, Kansas (19.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 APG)

Peterson (6-foot-6 and 205 pounds) is the most complicated top prospect in years — and also potentially the most rewarding. Watch Kansas one game and you’ll think you’re watching the next Kobe Bryant. Watch the Jayhawks another night and you may barely notice Peterson, who has missed significant time this season because of cramping and other health concerns. 

When healthy and unleashed, he looks like an All-NBA player was dropped into a college game. That should make him the top choice in any draft, but the bizarre health situation and seeming detachment from his Jayhawks teammates has left the door open for the No. 1 pick.

3. Forward Cam Boozer, Duke (22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG)

Boozer, who should win National Player of the Year, has been an absolute force for the Blue Devils and would become only the fifth freshman to win the award.

Boozer scores in double figures every game and has 19 double-doubles. An elite prospect with a refined offensive game, he can score in the post, shoot from deep (40.9 percent from three) and pass about as well as any freshman big you’ll see. That said, his size (6-foot-9 and 250 pounds) and limited athleticism make him a little difficult to peg as a pro. The best comp is a modern-era Kevin Love. 

4. Guard Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas (22.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, 3.2 RPG)

Acuff Jr. (6-foot-3 and 190 pounds) took the SEC by storm this season, collecting conference Player of the Year honors and leading Arkansas to the SEC tournament title. He is a big-game player and put up cartoonish numbers throughout the season — like when he broke the Arkansas freshman scoring record by dropping 49 points, five rebounds and five assists in a double-overtime loss to Alabama. 

Acuff Jr. is a score-first guard but is an underrated playmaker who averaged only 2.1 turnovers per game. 

5. Guard Kingston Flemings, Houston (16.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.9 RPG)

Flemings (6-foot-4 and 190 pounds) is the most explosive downhill guard in the class. At times, he has looked like Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose. He’s the engine that drives Houston, and when he gets into the paint, he’s near-impossible to contain. 

Flemings' shot mechanics have drawn skepticism from evaluators, but the results don’t lie (83.9 percent from the line and 39.2 percent from three). If Houston goes deep, it won’t be because of their defense — it’ll be because Flemings dominates. 

6. Guard Keaton Wagler, Illinois (17.9 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.8 RPG)

Wagler (6-foot-6 and 180 pounds) was an off-the-radar recruit who exploded onto the scene this season and easily took home the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He is an elite shooter (40.2 percent from three) with a rare feel for the game, the blueprint for an NBA backcourt fixture. He’s not a great athlete, but he’s smart and knows how to create space to get off shots. He plays a little like Denver star Jamal Murray but can’t explode around the rim as easily. 

7. Forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan (14.4 PPG, 7 RPG, 3.3 APG)

Look out if the Oklahoma City Thunder land Lendeborg (6-foot-9 and 230 pounds) with one of their first-round picks. Lendeborg won Big Ten Player of the Year and is the most NBA-ready defender in this draft class. 

With a 7-foot-4 wingspan and the mobility to guard guards, wings and bigs, he’s the kind of versatile big man who the Thunder (or other contenders) could unleash as part of their second unit. 

The asterisk is his age (he’ll be 24 on Sept. 30) and his three-point shooting is merely adequate (34.3 percent this season). But if a playoff team is looking for a reliable, Swiss Army knife of a forward who can step in and contribute on Day 1, Lendeborg is the guy. 

8. Wing Nate Ament, Tennessee (17.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.5 APG)

Ament, a 6-foot-9, 207-pound wing who can put the ball on the floor, pass and shoot over defenders, began the season as the prospect with the best chance at breaking into the Peterson-Dybantsa-Boozer prospect tier. However, Ament got off to a slow start and his draft status took a hit. 

But he got going during SEC play and averaged 19 points while shooting 36.8 percent from deep in conference games. He must add strength and become a more consistent finisher, but the tools are real and a team could land a potential Michael Porter Jr. type of player late in the lottery.

9. Forward Thomas Haugh, Florida (17.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.0 APG)

Haugh is certain to be a good NBA player. He checks all the boxes of a high-level role player and could even be more if he continues to develop at the same rate. Haugh played a key role on Florida’s national championship team a season ago and stepped into the starring role this season. 

Haugh is the kind of big, athletic wing (6-foot-9 and 215 pounds) who NBA teams can’t get enough of. He's versatile, tough, never stops competing and is always in the right place. He may not have the same upside as some of this class’ freshmen, but he’ll play right away for a playoff team picking toward the end of the lottery.

10. Guard Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville (18.2 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.3 RPG)

Brown has had a star-crossed season after a back injury cost him double-digit games. His NCAA Tournament status is uncertain, but let's include him because, when healthy, Brown has the ability to go off. In February, he dropped 45 points and buried 10 threes in a win over North Carolina State. 

Brown is a silky pick-and-roll operator who can play on or off the ball and has elite pull-up shooting ability. At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, he profiles as an offensive engine at the next level.