One of the most important events of draft season, the NBA Draft Combine, is now a figment of the past. Some players won big and skyrocketed up the Draft board, while others disappointed. With just 38 days remaining until the Draft, it\u2019s safe to say that excitement for the event is now building rapidly.<\/p>\n
In the immediate aftermath of the Combine,\u00a0USA Today\u2019s\u00a0Mark Giannotto\u00a0has released his latest Mock Draft. The entirety of the top-10 consists of freshmen, led by\u00a0BYU<\/a>\u2018s\u00a0AJ Dybantsa<\/a>,\u00a0Kansas<\/a>\u2018\u00a0Darryn Peterson<\/a>, and\u00a0Duke<\/a>\u2018s\u00a0Cameron Boozer<\/a>. The first non-freshman off the board here is\u00a0Michigan<\/a>\u2018s\u00a0Aday Mara<\/a>. Twenty-eight of the projected 30 First Round picks also played college basketball this season.<\/p>\n The First Round of\u00a0USA Today\u2018s\u00a0latest NBA Mock Draft\u00a0is below<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1. Washington Wizards:\u00a0AJ Dybantsa<\/a>, SF,\u00a0BYU<\/a><\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 7-0.25 Wingspan, 8-10 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Following a historic freshman season at\u00a0BYU, star forward\u00a0AJ Dybantsa\u00a0is projected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. In his lone season in Provo, Dybantsa made an everlasting mark. Dybantsa scored the third-most points in a season by a freshman in NCAA history (894), led the country in scoring (25.5 points), and broke 19 program freshman season\/single-game records. He was named a Consensus All-American and earned First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.<\/p>\n Dybantsa entered the season as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country and played like it all season long. He cemented his mark as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the Draft thanks to a strong end to the season, which saw him score 20-plus points in his final 14 games. This included a 40-point performance in the Cougars\u2019 NCAA Tournament First Round loss to\u00a0Texas<\/a>. Washington would be hitting big with the pick, as All-NBA point guard\u00a0Trae Young<\/a>\u00a0and future Basketball Hall of Fame center\u00a0Anthony Davis<\/a>\u00a0(as of now) would be joining Dybantsa on the court next season.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-9.75 Wingspan, 8-7 Standing Reach<\/p>\n The Utah Jazz were one of the big winners of the NBA Draft Lottery, garnering the No. 2 overall pick. Utah is projected to select\u00a0Kansas\u00a0guard\u00a0Darryn Peterson\u00a0with the pick, giving the Jazz one of the best scorers in the Draft. Peterson struggled with cramping and on-and-off injuries during his lone season at\u00a0Kansas, but looked like one of the best players in the sport when he was on the court. The Canton, OH native earned Second Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors, as he averaged 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.<\/p>\n Peterson\u2019s best game of the season came in\u00a0Kansas\u2018 104-00 OT victory over\u00a0TCU<\/a>\u00a0on Jan. 6. In that win, Peterson scored 32 points (fourth most by a freshman in the\u00a0Bill Self<\/a>\u00a0era) on 44.8% shooting from the field. The freshman totaled 12 20-plus point games, even hitting the mark in three of the Jayhawks\u2019 four postseason games. This included a 28-point performance in\u00a0Kansas\u2018 NCAA Tournament First Round victory over\u00a0Cal Baptist<\/a>.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 7-1.5 Wingspan, 9-0 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Duke\u00a0freshman power forward\u00a0Cameron Boozer\u00a0is projected to be off the board at pick No. 3 to the Memphis Grizzlies in USA Today\u2019s latest NBA Mock Draft. Boozer etched his name in the program\u2019s history books this season, becoming the 14th player in\u00a0Duke\u00a0history to be named National Player of the Year.\u00a0Duke\u00a0enjoyed back-to-back winners of the award, as\u00a0Cooper Flagg<\/a>\u00a0was named NPOY last season.<\/p>\n Boozer willed the Blue Devils to a 35-3 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.\u00a0Duke\u00a0advanced\u00a0to the Elite Eight before falling to No. 2 seed\u00a0UConn\u00a073-72, marking a second consecutive heartbreaking end to the Tournament for the Blue Devils. In the loss, Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds. On the season, the Miami native averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds. He recorded 22 double-doubles.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 7-0.25 Wingspan, 9-0 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Caleb Wilson\u00a0had his lone season at\u00a0North Carolina\u00a0unfortunately cut short due to a broken thumb. However, he is still projected to be selected with the No. 4 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. In 24 games, Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. He was named a Consensus All-American, along with earning First Team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team honors. Wilson was unable to compete in the NCAA Tournament. This led to the Tar Heels being knocked out of the First Round by No. 11 seed\u00a0VCU<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the time of Wilson\u2019s unfortunate injury, he was surging as one of the best players in the sport. This was shown on full display during\u00a0North Carolina\u2018s upset of rival No. 4\u00a0Duke\u00a0on Feb. 7, in which he scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. His addition to Chicago\u2019s roster would provide a massive spark to a franchise desperately seeking success. He\u2019d join a young core consisting of players such as\u00a0Matas Buzelis<\/a>,\u00a0Josh Giddey<\/a>, and\u00a0Rob Dillingham<\/a>.<\/p>\n 5. Los Angeles Clippers (via IND):\u00a0Keaton Wagler<\/a>, PG,\u00a0Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-6.25 Wingspan, 8-4 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Illinois\u00a0freshman point guard\u00a0Keaton Wagler\u00a0entered the 2025-26 college basketball season as a three-star recruit, but will now surely be selected within the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Wagler exploded as one of the best freshmen in the country this season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for an Illini team that made a run to the Final Four for the first time since 2005. Wagler, who shot 39.7% from three-point range, earned\u00a0Stephen Curry<\/a>\u00a0comparisons throughout the season.<\/p>\n He was named a Consensus All-American this season. He also earned First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Wagler was also named the recipient of the Jerry West Award, given to college basketball\u2019s top shooting guard. His best moment of the season came in Illinois\u2019 88-82 road victory over No. 4\u00a0Purdue<\/a>\u00a0on Jan. 24, in which he scored 46 points. The Clippers earned this pick in their trade with the Pacers this season, which sent\u00a0Ivica Zubac<\/a>\u00a0to Indiana.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-7 Wingspan, 8-2.5 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Reigning SEC Player of the Year,\u00a0Arkansas\u00a0point guard\u00a0Darius Acuff Jr.\u00a0seems poised to become\u00a0John Calipari<\/a>\u2018s 21st player selected within the top 10 in the NBA Draft. Acuff Jr. was so good for\u00a0Arkansas\u00a0this season that it created a conversation regarding whether or not he was the best point guard to ever play for Calipari. In 36 games, the Detroit native averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. He became the first SEC player since\u00a0Pete Maravich (1969-70) to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists.<\/p>\n Acuff Jr.\u2019s signature moment in Fayetteville came during\u00a0Arkansas\u2018 117-115 2OT loss to No. 25\u00a0Alabama\u00a0on Feb. 18, in a game that many considered to be one of the best of the year. The star guard scored 49 points on 16-of-27 shooting from the field. Acuff Jr. also scored 30-plus points in three of\u00a0Arkansas\u2018 six postseason games, including a 37-point performance in a SEC Tournament Quarterfinal win over\u00a0Oklahoma<\/a>\u00a0and a 36-point performance in a NCAA Tournament Second Round win over\u00a0High Point<\/a>.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-7.5 Wingspan, 8-4.5 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Louisville\u2018s Third Team All-ACC guard,\u00a0Mikel Brown Jr., is projected to be selected with the No. 7 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings. If selected in the top-10, Brown Jr. will become\u00a0Louisville\u2018s player to go in the top-10 since\u00a0Samaki Walker\u00a0in 1996. In 21 games this season, the Orlando native averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. Brown Jr. struggled with the injury bug this season, however, missing 14 of\u00a0Louisville\u2018s 35 games.<\/p>\n When he was on the court, Brown Jr. was seemingly one of the best players in the ACC. His availability, however, prevented the Cardinals from returning to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. His best game of the season came in\u00a0Louisville\u2018s dominant 118-77 win over\u00a0Will Wade<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NC State<\/a>\u00a0on Feb. 9, which saw him score a career-high 45 points. Brown Jr. would give the Kings a young, flashy point guard to build on for the future.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-3.5 Wingspan, 8-2.5 Standing Reach<\/p>\n Houston\u00a0point guard\u00a0Kingston Flemings\u00a0looks to make it two top-10 selections for the program in the past three NBA Drafts (Jarace Walker<\/a>\u00a0at No. 8 in 2023). Flemings, who was named First Team All-Big 12 and All-Big 12 Freshman Team, averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds for the Cougars this season.\u00a0Houston\u00a0compiled a 30-7 record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 3 seed Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen.<\/p>\n Flemings was one of the most dominant freshman guards in the country this season. On the night when\u00a0Darius Acuff Jr.\u00a0scored 49 points against\u00a0Alabama, Flemings scored a career-high 42 points in a 90-86 loss to No. 12\u00a0Texas Tech<\/a>. Although both performances ended in a loss, it truly showed just how special the guard play was from the freshman class this season.<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-6 Wingspan, 8-2.5 Standing Reach<\/p>\n After months of NBA Mock Drafts, Arizona combo-guard Brayden Burries finally finds his name listed as a potential top-10 pick. In this Mock, Burries is projected to be off the board at No. 9 to the Dallas Mavericks. Many Mocks have Dallas landing on Louisville\u2018s Mikel Brown with this pick, but with Brown off the board at No. 7, Burries is the pick here. In his lone season at Arizona, Burries averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.<\/p>\n Burries was pivotal in Arizona\u2018s first run to the Final Four since 2001. The California native scored at least 13 points in all five of the Wildcats\u2019 NCAA Tournament games, although he shot a combined 8-26 from the field in the Elite Eight and Final Four games. Arizona\u2018s combo-guard is looking to become the program\u2019s first top-10 selection in the NBA Draft since 2022 (Bennedict Mathurin<\/a> at No. 6).<\/p>\n Combine Measurables: 6-11.5 Wingspan, 9-1.5 Standing Reach<\/p>\n In his lone season in Knoxville,\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0power forward\u00a0Nate Ament\u00a0made an indelible mark on Volunteer fans. Ament became a massive fan-favorite, averaging 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds for a\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0program that made a third consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight. He was named a Second Team All-SEC selection, along with being tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Ament appears to be on his way to being\u00a0Rick Barnes<\/a>\u2018 first top-10 NBA Draft selection since\u00a0Tristan Thompson<\/a>\u00a0in 2011.<\/p>\n Ament contributed seven 20-plus point performances in SEC play this season. This includes 29-point performances in wins over\u00a0Oklahoma<\/a>\u00a0and No. 17\u00a0Alabama<\/a>. He goes down as one of the best freshmen in\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0program history, and will certainly be one of the highest drafted in program history.<\/p>\n Picks 11-30<\/p>\n 11. Golden State Warriors: Aday Mara<\/a>, C, Michigan<\/a>
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC):\u00a0Yaxel Lendeborg<\/a>, PF,\u00a0Michigan<\/a>
13. Miami Heat:\u00a0Labaron Philon<\/a>, PG,\u00a0Alabama<\/a>
14. Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach<\/a>, PF,\u00a0Washington<\/a>
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR): Jayden Quaintance<\/a>, C,\u00a0Kentucky<\/a>
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via ORL): Cameron Carr<\/a>, SG,\u00a0Baylor<\/a>
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI): Chris Cenac Jr.<\/a>, PF,\u00a0Houston<\/a>
18. Charlotte Hornets (via ORL): Karim Lopez<\/a>, PF,\u00a0New Zealand Breakers
19. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz<\/a>, PG,\u00a0Iowa<\/a>
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL):\u00a0Morez Johnson Jr.<\/a>, C,\u00a0Michigan<\/a>
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN): Christian Anderson<\/a>, SG,\u00a0Texas Tech<\/a>
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU): Allen Graves<\/a>, PF,\u00a0Santa Clara<\/a>
23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE): Isaiah Evans<\/a>, SG,\u00a0Duke<\/a>
24. New York Knicks: Koa Peat<\/a>, PF,\u00a0Arizona<\/a>
25. Los Angeles Lakers: Henri Veesaar<\/a>, C,\u00a0North Carolina<\/a>
26. Denver Nuggets: Amari Allen<\/a>, SF,\u00a0Alabama<\/a>
27. Boston Celtics: Luigi Suigo, C,\u00a0KK Mega Basket
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET): Ebuka Okorie<\/a>, PG, Stanford<\/a>
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SA): Malachi Moreno<\/a>, C, Kentucky<\/a>
30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC): Dailyn Swain<\/a>, SF,\u00a0Texas<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of the most important events of draft season, the NBA Draft Combine, is now a figment of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536747,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3780],"tags":[7,73892,6,682,468,3892,683],"class_list":["post-736161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-washington-wizards","tag-basketball","tag-darius-acuff-25-img-academy","tag-nba","tag-washington","tag-washington-wizards","tag-washingtonwizards","tag-wizards"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116586023764433196","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}