New Zealand Breakers
International
Wing
6’8” | 220
Age on draft night: 19.19

Strengths

Karim Lopez is a prospect I’ve been tracking for the past couple of years, and his development has been nothing short of intriguing. A native of Sonora, Mexico and the son of former Mexican national team player “Chi…

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Houston
Freshman
Forward
6’10” | 230
Age on draft night: 19.4

Strengths

Chris Cenac Jr. impresses with his rare blend of positional size, skill, mobility, and athleticism. Listed at 6’10” with a reported 7’3” wingspan and a 9’1” standing reach, he’s fluid with quick vertical pop, capable of playing above the rim as a lob threat or dunker-spot finisher. He also has the foundation to grow into a versatile pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop threat. While his outside shot isn’t consistent yet, the mechanics are clean and projectable, giving him real long-term promise as a floor-spacer. He can face up, knock down mid-range jumpers, and even create separation with step-backs or turnaround jumpers.

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Louisville
Freshman
Point Guard
6’4” | 185
Age on draft night: 20.21

Strengths:

Mikel Brown Jr. was one of the big winners of the summer following his breakout performance at the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, where he averaged 14.9 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds to help Team USA go 7–0 and win gold. Many felt he was deserving of the tournament’s MVP, and his play has vaulted him firmly into the conversation as a potential top-five pick—and even a candidate for No. 1 overall—in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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Duke
Freshman
Forward
6’9” | 235
Age on draft night: 18.9

Strengths:

Cameron Boozer arrived on campus as one of the most decorated high school prospects to ever suit up for Duke, a remarkable statement considering the program’s long history of attracting elite recruits. The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, Cameron arrives with a résumé few can match: four consecutive state championships, three Peach Jam titles, and multiple gold medals with Team USA. He’s not only a legitimate candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he also has a strong case to be the national player of the year as a freshman.

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BYU
Freshman
Wing
6’9” | 210
Age on draft night: 19.39

Strengths:

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa has long been a fixture on NBA radars, viewed as an elite prospect well before stepping into high school. Now projected as one of the frontrunners for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he stands out as a franchise-altering talent thanks to his elite blend of size, athleticism, strength, coordination, and natural scoring instincts.

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Kansas
Freshman
Combo Guard
6’5” | 195
Age on draft night: 19.42

Strengths:

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has quickly emerged as one of the early frontrunners to be the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With this class already generating buzz as potentially producing up to four franchise-level players, Peterson is viewed by many as the headliner—a prospect whose tools, mentality, and production all point toward him being a legitimate franchise-changer.

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St. Joseph’s
Junior
Forward-Center
6’9” | 230
Age on draft night: 20.9

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 15

Strengths:
Fleming is one of my favorite players in this class and a guy who immediately popped on film. A former teammate of DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw at Camden High, he’s the one emerging as a real first-round prospect—despite not getting the McDonald’s hype out of high school. What stands out with Fleming is his versatility: he impacts the game as a rim protector, a switchable defender, and a legitimate floor spacer.

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Saint-Quentin (France)
Point Guard
6’3” | 175
Age on draft night: 19.06

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 14

Strengths:
Traore entered the year with lottery buzz—and for good reason. Coming into the season, I had him as a top-5 pick. While his pro season in France brought some uneven performances, the flashes of upside are still very real. At 6’3”, he has good size for a lead guard and pairs that with a lightning-quick first step. He gets downhill, breaks defenders down off the dribble, and creates offense. He’s also a capable playmaker, having led the FIBA U18s in assists.

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Illinois
Freshman
Combo Guard
6’6” | 205
Age on draft night: 19.06

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 13

Strengths:
Jakucionis brings good positional size at 6’6” and the versatility to play on or off the ball. He’s one of the most complete statistical producers in this class—averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. While he’s not an explosive athlete, he compensates with pace, craft, and intelligence. He’s also been one of the most efficient finishers in the class: 64% at the rim overall, and 62% in the halfcourt. Add in 5.1 free throw attempts per game on 84% shooting, and he’s clearly adept at drawing contact despite not being overly quick.

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Stanford
Senior
Center
7’1” | 250
Age on draft night: 22.2

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 12

Strengths:
I’ve been higher on Maxime Raynaud than the consensus for a while now, and after speaking to a few scouts at EYBL Session 1 in Phoenix, I realized I’m not alone—there are decision-makers around the league who are right there with me. There’s a lot to like: Raynaud is a legit 7-footer who averaged 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting 34.7% from three on 5.5 attempts. He brings rare skill for his size, and in my opinion, he’s the most polished post scorer in this class.

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BYU
Freshman
Combo Guard
6’9” | 190
Age on draft night: 19.3

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 11

Strengths:
Egor Demin’s appeal is rooted in his rare combination of positional size and feel—at 6’9”, he’s arguably the best passer in the draft, with elite vision, instincts, and unselfishness. He regularly makes advanced reads and uses his height to exploit angles over the top of defenses. He’s the kind of playmaker teammates gravitate toward, and his unselfishness is infectious.

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Duke
Freshman
Wing
6’7” | 215
Age on draft night: 19.8

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 10

Strengths:
Knueppel was a guy I was really high on coming into the season—he opened Big Board 1.0 as my No. 8 prospect. There were moments early where I started to second-guess that ranking, but by the end of the season, he had fully settled in as one of the more consistent and efficient players in college basketball. He finished the year averaging 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds per game on 48/40/91 shooting splits. He knocked down 40% of his threes on five attempts per game and showed real value as a connective passer within Duke’s offense.

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Maryland
Freshman
Post
6’10” | 245
Age on draft night: 19.9

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 9

Strengths:
At one point in the season, Derik Queen was one of the more polarizing prospects in this class. But as the year progressed, more scouts and front offices started to come around to the idea that he’s simply too skilled and too productive to ignore. Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 52% from the floor and getting to the line 6.1 times per game.

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Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Wing
6’9” | 195
Age on draft night: 18.5

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 8

Strengths:
I’ve been consistently high on Noa Essengue throughout the cycle. He came in at No. 11 on both Big Board and now in 4.0, I’m moving him up to No. 8. What’s kept me bought in is his consistent production at the pro level—despite being one of the youngest players in this class.

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Duke
Freshman
Center
7’2” | 250
Age on draft night: 18.7

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 7

Strengths:
Khaman Maluach’s numbers won’t jump off the page—he averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per game. But you’re not drafting him in the top 10 based on production. You’re drafting him for what he could become. Maluach fits the mold of the modern NBA big—an athletic 7’2” center with a massive wingspan, rim-running instincts, and flashes of shooting touch.

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Baylor
Freshman
Wing
6’5” | 180
Age on draft night: 19.8

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 6

Strengths:
VJ Edgecombe just misses my top five after a strong freshman campaign at Baylor where he flashed real upside and two-way potential. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on 43/34/78 shooting splits. One of the better rebounding guards and connective passers in this class, Edgecombe plays with energy and has the type of athleticism you just can’t teach.

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Texas
Freshman
Wing
6’6” | 185
Age on draft night: 19.2

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 5

Strengths:
Tre Johnson came into his freshman season at Texas with the reputation as one of the best shot-makers in the class—and he backed it up. He led the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game, arguably the most competitive…

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Oklahoma
Freshman
Guard
6’4” | 180
Age on draft night: 18.7

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 4

Jeremiah Fears has been the biggest riser in this draft class. He wasn’t on my Big Board 1.0 and wasn’t even on my radar as a one-and-done prospect coming into the year. Fast forward a few months, and he’s earned legitimate top-5 buzz. Fears had a breakout freshman campaign at Oklahoma, leading them to the NCAA Tournament while averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

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Rutgers
Freshman
Wing
6’10” | 200
Age on draft night: 18.8

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 3

Strengths:
Ace Bailey entered the season as one of the few prospects with the tools to challenge Cooper Flagg for the No. 1 spot in the 2025 draft. While it didn’t take long for Flagg to separate himself as the clear-cut top prospect, Bailey still put together a productive freshman season. He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steal per game on 46/34/69 shooting splits.

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Rutgers
Freshman
Combo Guard
6’6” | 215
Age on draft night: 19.3

Big Board 4.0 Rank: 2

Strengths:
Coming into the year, I had some reservations—but it didn’t take long for Dylan Harper to prove he’s the real deal. He averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 steals on 48/33/75 shooting splits, and what stood out most was how unstoppable he was at getting downhill. Teams knew what he wanted to do—collapse the defense, get into the paint—and they still couldn’t stop him. He shot an elite 67% at the rim.

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