Arizona's Burries Draft Stock High After Stellar Rookie Campaign

Burries’ scoring ability was on display all season. He scored 20 or more points in 14 games this past season, with his season-high being a 31-point outing in an 88-79 win over Colorado. He is considered one of the top guards available in the 2026 NBA Draft due to his ability to score, defend at a high level, and be active on the glass. 

Burries Key to Arizona’s Success 

His play helped the Wildcats have one of their most memorable campaigns in recent memory, winning a program-record 36 games with a .923 winning percentage — also a program-record for a full season — and reaching the Final Four for the first time since 2001. Despite Burries being merely a freshman, his veteran playstyle and mentality were beneficial to the Wildcats this season. 

As part of Arizona’s star freshman trio alongside Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov, it was Burries who stood out most prominently amongst his peers, and his efforts have resulted in his draft stock rising significantly throughout the season. 

Originally projected as a possible first-round pick at the start of the season, Burries has climbed the ladder and is now seeing his name mentioned in the lottery of the 2026 NBA Draft. Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor recently projected Burries to be selected eighth overall by the Utah Jazz. 

O’Connor’s Thoughts 

“Burries doesn’t need the ball to make an impact,” O’Connor said. “He stays pedal to the metal with hustle plays all over the floor. He also flashes stardom as a shot-creator, which helped him earn his spot as a potential lottery pick."

"He plays with physicality and can beat you from all three levels. He's a methodical creator rather than an explosive one. If he doesn’t turn into a star scorer, Utah has plenty of other on-ball talents anyway which would allow Burries to slide in as a Swiss Army knife in the backcourt.”

Burries will look to keep boosting his draft stock ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, hoping to pick up where he left off at the next level.