Every year, unheralded players see their NBA Draft stock shoot to the moon during March Madness. Of course, big performances during the biggest college basketball event of the year can help out how players are viewed as prospects, but the opposite can be true. If a player struggles when the lights are the brightest, they can see their draft stock plummet. So, check out the gallery to see which players struggled in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and, therefore, aren’t viewed as highly as 2026 NBA Draft prospects anymore.
4. Nate Ament, Tennessee, SF
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Tennessee made a deep tournament run, so their top-billed prospect, Nate Ament, had plenty of time to show his worth to draft evaluators. Instead, Ament flew somewhat under the radar, and players such as Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara had to step up. Ament didn’t even score in Tennessee’s Round of 64 matchup against Miami (OH).
He was great against Iowa State in the Sweet 16, but the Round of 32 and Elite 8 matchups against Virginia and Michigan, respectively, left a lot to be desired. Ament was far too often not engaged in the offensive flow. In Ament’s defense, he wasn’t fully healthy, and a sizeable tournament run on a sixth-seeded team shouldn’t be held against him. Still, for a player who entered the year as a player just on the outside of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson talks, it was disappointing to see Ament play at such a mediocre level during March Madness.
3. Patrick Ngongba, Duke, C
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Patrick Ngongba shouldn’t be fully to blame for his March Madness struggles. The Duke center missed four games at the end of the year and the Blue Devils’ Round of 64 matchup with a foot injury. He should be applauded for risking his health to return and help his team.
However, Ngongba was really bad upon his return to the Round of 32. He totalled just 13 points through three NCAA Tournament games. Of course, Ngongba’s minutes were way down, and he clearly wasn’t playing at full strength, but there still isn’t an excuse for such poor offensive production from a center whose calling card is scoring and not defense.
2. Cayden Boozer, Duke, SG
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Duke vs. UConn’s Elite 8 matchup ended with one of the most memorable moments in March Madness history. Unfortunately, Cayden Boozer was on the wrong end of said history. Duke was up by two points with just a few seconds remaining after giving up a massive lead, and Boozer had the ball in his hands while trying to break a desperation press.
Instead of holding onto the ball or dribbling the clock out, Boozer attempted to heave the ball down the court. His pass was deflected, which resulted in UConn taking possession and Braylon Mullins hitting a near-buzzer-beating game-winner that will be remembered forever. One play doesn’t define a player, but it is going to be hard for anyone to forget Boozer’s massive mistake when they think of him as a draft prospect.
Before that, Boozer was having a solid game as he had 15 points, five rebounds, and six assists. His production in the two games prior was underwhelming, though, as the guard had seven and nine points in the two previous games. Boozer’s twin brother, Cameron, has a case as the number one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but Cayden might be out of the first round entirely.
1. Chris Cenac, Houston, C
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Another projected first-round center who just didn’t meet expectations during the NCAA Tournament was Chris Cenac. The Houston center is viewed as a somewhat raw project, but he produced at a relatively consistent level all season despite this. Then, Cenac scored just seven points in the first round and just six in the Sweet 16.
That played a big part in Houston’s premature elimination from March Madness. There were questions about Cenac’s draft range before the NCAA Tournament, and those questions were only enhanced after it.
Every year, unheralded players see their NBA Draft stock shoot to the moon during March Madness. Of course, big performances during the biggest college basketball event of the year can help out how players are viewed as prospects, but the opposite can be true. If a player struggles when the lights are the brightest, they can see their draft stock plummet.