The national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament take place on Saturday, April 4, showcasing some of the best athletes across college basketball. Scouts will likely swarm Indianapolis to get a live look at several 2026 NBA Draft prospects in action.<\/p>\n
PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a> features payouts for 2026 NBA Draft predictions, including the No. 1 overall pick, who will be drafted in the top 10 selections, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s highlight the best 2026 NBA Draft prospects playing in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament this weekend.<\/p>\n {{nba_offer_banner=”\/style-system\/ui-components-playbook”}}<\/p>\n Best 2026 NBA Draft Prospects in the NCAA Tournament National Semifinals<\/p>\n The 2026 NBA Draft class is one of the most loaded crops in recent memory, even gaining comparisons to the legendary 2003 class: F LeBron James, F Carmelo Anthony, G Dwayne Wade, and PF Chris Bosh.<\/p>\n BYU F AJ Dybantsa, Kansas G Darryn Peterson, Duke F Cameron Boozer, North Carolina F Caleb Wilson, and Arkansas PG Darius Acuff Jr. all became household names during the 2025-26 college basketball season. Frankly, any of the five prospects could have the stuff to be a No. 1 pick in most draft cycles, but the 2026 group is a different beast.<\/p>\n The top prospects of the 2026 NBA Draft will not play in this weekend\u2019s national semifinals, but elite prospects will still be on show. Illinois G Keaton Wagler, Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg, and Arizona F Koa Peat are a few players earning first-round attention.<\/p>\n In fact, PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a> has each player among payouts to be drafted in the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n Players Drafted in the Top 10 of the 2026 NBA Draft: Favorites, Payouts<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at a full breakdown of the latest favorites and payouts for players to be drafted in the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n Payouts indicate real-money earnings if a 2026 NBA Draft prediction is correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.<\/a> \u201cYes\u201d payouts represent the player being drafted in the top 10 selections; \u201cNo\u201d payouts indicate players if they are not drafted among the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n Illinois G Keaton Wagler, Arizona F Koa Peat, and Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg and C Aday Mara are potential top-10 NBA picks participating in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arkansas PG Darius Acuff Jr. \u2013 Yes 1.02x | No 7.69xIllinois G Keaton Wagler \u2013 Yes 1.06x | No 6.25x\u00a0Houston PG Kingston Flemings \u2013 Yes 1.06x | No 6.25x\u00a0Louisville G Mikel Brown Jr. \u2013 Yes 1.33x | No 2.85x\u00a0Tennessee F Nate Ament \u2013 Yes 2.38x | No 1.47xAlabama G Labaron Philon Jr. \u2013 Yes 2.7x | No 1.35xMichigan F Yaxel Lendeborg \u2013 Yes 2.77x | No 1.33xKentucky C Jayden Quaintance \u2013 Yes 3.33x | No 1.25xMichigan C Aday Mara \u2013 Yes 3.84x | No 1.17x\u00a0Arizona F Koa Peat \u2013 Yes 5x | No 1.11x<\/p>\n As the top prospects of the 2026 class, Dybantsa (22.22x), Boozer (22.22x), Peterson (16.66x), and Wilson (11.11x) feature only lofty \u201cNo\u201d payouts to be drafted in the top 10 picks.<\/p>\n NBA prospects in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals do not stop there, as all four teams are led by at least one potential first-round prospect for the 2026 class. Let\u2019s look at each squad\u2019s best 2026 NBA Draft prospects.<\/p>\n NBA Draft payouts are live as of writing but are subject to change.<\/p>\n Arizona 2026 NBA Draft Prospects<\/p>\n Beginning with Arizona, standout freshman F Koa Peat and G Brayden Burries lead the charge. Burries tops the Wildcats with 16.1 points per game (PPG) and 1.5 steals per contest. Peat\u2019s making a significant impact, too, posting 14.1 PPG and 5.5 rebounds per game (PPG).<\/p>\n Peat has been widely regarded as a potential top-15 selection since erupting for 30 points in his collegiate debut on November 3 vs. Florida. The former five-star prospect continues to help his case with 17.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n Sean Deveney of <\/a>heavy.com<\/a> recently mocked Peat to the Portland Trail Blazers with the 12th overall selection, and Adam Finklestein of CBS Sports<\/a> projected the freshman forward in the 12th spot of his 2026 NBA Mock Draft.<\/p>\n Burries could be one of the big risers for the upcoming draft, as Rookie Scale\u2019s 2026 NBA Draft Consensus Big Board<\/a> ranks the standout guard 10th overall. He also landed ninth overall in Deveney\u2019s mock draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to EvanMiya<\/a>, Burries is an exceptional two-way guard with his elite 3.99 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR).\u00a0<\/p>\n His teammate, Arizona C Motiejus Krivas, boasts a 4.99 DBPR that ranks sixth nationally. Krivas is another Wildcat carrying NBA attention, ranking 29th on the consensus big board.<\/p>\n {{nba_offer_banner=”\/style-system\/ui-components-playbook”}}<\/p>\n Illinois 2026 NBA Draft Prospects<\/p>\n The Fighting Illini do not have as much talent as Arizona, but Illinois G Keaton Wagler is the most coveted 2026 NBA Draft prospect participating in the national semifinals.<\/p>\n In fact, Wagler is sixth on the consensus big board. Plus, Deveney (sixth) and Finklestein (fifth) have the Illinois freshman as a top six pick in their mock drafts.<\/p>\n Keaton Wagler outdueled Bennett Stirtz to will Illinois to their first Final Four since 2005.<\/p>\n Dropped a game-high 25 points with bevy of downhill spin moves, showing improved physicality bumping off defenders and maintaining balance for coordinated soft-touch finishes.<\/p>\n Even\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WdKl5Vw6lH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) March 29, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Wagler\u2019s 17.9 PPG leads Illinois, and his 48.0% 2-point percentage and 40.7% 3-point percentage prove he\u2019s a legitimate three-level scorer. After recording 15.0 PPG in his first three NCAA Tournament games, the Kansas native comes off his best postseason game in the Round of 8 with 25 points.<\/p>\n Michigan 2026 NBA Draft Prospects<\/p>\n The Michigan Wolverines could be the only team in the semifinals that could rival Arizona\u2019s NBA talent. According to Bart Torvik<\/a>, Michigan (first) and Arizona (second) are college basketball\u2019s leaders in efficiency rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s 8:49 p.m. ET tip-off could become a legendary NCAA Tournament clash, with PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a> listing the Wolverines as a 1.5-point favorite for the spread.<\/p>\n Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg is the squad\u2019s top NBA talent, leading the team with 15.2 PPG. He\u2019s been a one-man wrecking crew in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 21.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG while shooting 59.2% from the field and 50.0% on 3-pointers.<\/p>\n Rounding out the daunting frontcourt, Michigan F Morez Johnson Jr. (26th) and C Aday Mara (25th) each rank among the top 30 prospects on the consensus big board.\u00a0<\/p>\n Johnson (13.2 PPG) and Mara (11.8 PPG) are the team\u2019s second- and third-leading scorers. Additionally, EvanMiya credits Johnson (4.68) and Mara (5.32) with dominant DBPRs.<\/p>\n UConn 2026 NBA Draft Prospects\u00a0<\/p>\n Similar to Illinois, UConn is led by one potential 2026 NBA Draft first-round selection. Frankly, the Huskies could be the least talented team in the national semifinals.<\/p>\n While UConn C Tarris Reed Jr. has been a monster with 21.8 PPG and 13.5 RPG in the NCAA Tournament, No Ceilings\u2019 2026 NBA Draft Big Board<\/a> has the Huskies big man ranked 40th overall. UConn G Braylon Mullins (11.9 PPG), who drained the Round of 8\u2019s legendary game-winning 3-pointer, tops the Huskies\u2019 NBA prospects, ranked 17th on the consensus big board.<\/p>\n Mullins entered the 2025-26 college basketball season as potentially one of the best shooters of the 2026 draft class. However, he\u2019s shot only 32.8% on 3-pointers this season and 20.8% in the NCAA Tournament. Perhaps Mullins\u2019 late-game heroics in the regional finals have aided his first-round draft potential.<\/p>\n {{nba_offer_banner=”\/style-system\/ui-components-playbook”}}<\/p>\n Make 2026 NBA Draft Picks on PrizePicks\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the mentioned 2026 NBA Draft prospects, Wagler, Burries, Peat, and Mullins are all freshmen. The 2025-26 college basketball season has showcased one of the best freshman classes in years.<\/p>\n PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a> offers payouts for freshmen to be selected in the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft. Currently, \u201cYes\u201d for 8+ freshmen to be drafted in the top 10 has the lowest payout at 1.04x.<\/p>\n You can predict your NCAA Tournament winners and make predictions on where the top NBA Draft prospects will land on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a> to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you\u2019re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over\/unders, now available in 35 states<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stick around with the Playbook<\/a> for continued college basketball predictions<\/a>, picks, and news through the NCAA Tournament and for the latest news surrounding the 2026 NBA Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n