Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects in College Basketball
We are approaching the NBA Draft with the June 26 date only four months away. As we continue to progress, we are still finding that players are not differentiating themselves into tiers. This cycle, players have been able to use their seasons to move up or down draft boards, with some pretty drastic movement taking place.
NBA scouts and personnel have a couple of years of work and scouting notes on each of these players, yet there remains no consensus as to the order they will hear their names called on NBA Draft night.
Last year, four of the top five and five of the top ten picks, came from outside of college basketball. This year, with the play of players like Alexandre Sarr from the NBL and Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis from the G-League Ignite program. And international players like Zaccharie Risacher, Nokola Topic, and Tidjane Salaun there are sure to be several non-college players taken again in the lottery.
However, for the general NBA fan, they have a working knowledge of college basketball and its players. That is what is on television, almost, nightly and pushed by networks and publications, throughout the season. The general NBA fan is at least familiar with names when it comes to college basketball players. The depth of this class makes things interesting, even though the 2024 NBA Draft lacks a top-level type, more traditional No. 1 pick. We could see an influx of older college players, like Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht, go earlier than in recent memory, as well as programs take a swing on an upside guy like Miami forward Kyshawn George, projecting what a player could grow into.
Cody Williams ended the 2023 high school recruiting cycle as the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 On3 150. With the season he has had at Colorado, he has moved up to the No. 1 college player on this list. I last updated this list on Jan. 22, at which point Ja’Kobe Walter was No. 1. Still on the list, his unsteady play has brought more questions than answers over the last month.
Let’s discuss the top ten NBA Draft prospects in college basketball, version 3.0.
1. F Cody Williams, Colorado
The Buzz: The frame sticks out immediately with Cody Williams, listed at 6-foot-8 with a reported 7-foot-2 wing span. The counting numbers he has put up this season have been good, along with the percentages, 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 59.0 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three. This season, Williams has not been asked to do much initiation with the play of KJ Simpson. However, in high school and EYBL play, he played primarily on the ball and showed comfort in making decisions and delivering on target and on time. He is a crafty finisher at the rim but not super bursty. The three-point shooting is on small volume this season, and he has not shown much as a mid-range jump shooter that is the swing skill for him.
2. F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
The Buzz: Dalton Knecht is the odds-on favorite to win SEC Player of the Year this season. When healthy he has consistently destroyed defenses throughout the year, with 30-plus-point outbursts against UNC, Georgia, Florida, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina. The 6-foot-6, 213-pound wing can create offensive opportunities and score consistently from each level of the court. He has deep range, comfortably shooting off the bounce and the catch. He is averaging 20.1 points in SEC play while knocking down 42.9 percent from three. Knecht can put pressure on the rim and finish among the trees. While he is an average (generously) defender, another drawback is that he will be 23 years old on NBA Draft night.
3. G Stephon Castle, UConn
The Buzz: Stephon Castle is a big and physical guard. He came into college with questions if he was able to play off the ball, and he has shown at UConn that he can fit right into a role as a secondary, or a complimentary wing. UConn is a deep team, with five starters who have scored 20 or more in a game this season. The ball moves and each person on the floor can finish plays. Castle is a quick processor with the ball, and he is turning into a lock-down type defender. Since the start of the 2024 calendar year, Castle has averaged 12.1 points and 3.1 assists and is shooting almost 35 percent from three. He is a gamer, that is where his skill set comes to full light and the production/winning things happen. While there are still questions if he can be a primary on-the-ball guy, his winning plays put him in the conversation, the shooting will be the swing skill.
4. G Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
The Buzz: It has been an up-and-down season for Ja’Kobe Walter. He has scored over 20 points in eight games this season while knocking down four or more threes in eight games. The 6-foot-6 wing came in with a shooter’s reputation, and he has shown that he is comfortable taking shots off the catch or from movement. Since the 2024 calendar year started, Walter is shooting 28.3 percent from three. Down from a November and December that saw him shoot 43.3 percent from deep. Walter is an instinctive off-ball defender but has shown lapses in guarding the ball this season. His lack of creation might limit the upside, however, there is somewhat of a high floor with the shot-making versatility he has shown capable of.
5. C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
The Buzz: Kyle Filipowski’s role has morphed from last season to this year. As a freshman, the 7-foot-0 post player was asked to finish plays. This year, Duke has been at their best when they are playing through him, and he is processing reads in the flow of the offense. Filipowski’s unique gift is his passing. The Denver Nuggets have shown what kind of weapon it can be by having five players on the floor who can create an advantage and process. Filipowski’s ability to deliver on target from different levels is appealing. He has also upgraded his status as a shooter, knocking down 36.4 percent of his threes through his last 15 games. Filipowski is not a rim protector, but he is a good team defender, with solid feet and an understanding of angles. He struggles to finish around the basket, and that will need to continue developing.
6. F Johnny Furphy, Kansas
The Buzz: Johnny Furphy has started 12 games this season, and has provided a spark to the Kansas lineup with his long-range shooting. The 6-foot-9 wing from Australia is averaging 13.3 points and is shooting 42.3 percent from three in his starts. Furphy is a fluid athlete with some sneaky burst in transition. He can get lost on the defensive end, but he gives good effort and has excellent positional size and projectable athleticism. The shot-making has stayed consistent and the positional size is very intriguing.
7. C Yves Missi, Baylor
The Buzz: While some might suggest that the NBA has gone away from bigs who are not offensively skilled, Yves Missi has proven to be one of the top rim-running bigs in college basketball. Through seven games in February, the 7-foot-0, 235-pound center is averaging 12.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per contest while shooting 63.0 percent from the field. He is a disruptor around the rim with his twitchy athleticism and vertical burst. He also carries a reported 7-foot-5 wing span. While his vertical spacing big archetype does not have much versatility, his play style translates, and relatively quickly. He will need to add weight to his core and base, but his ability to move, run, and jump with fluidity and explosion is interesting, especially when packaged inside a frame with a reported 9-foot-1 standing reach.
8. G Robert Dillingham, Kentucky
The Buzz: The offensive game, is where Robert Dillingham thrives. Especially when playing one-on-one. Dillingham has a shifty handle, with an array of right-to-left and left-to-right hesitations, each paired nicely with counter upon counter. He has excellent footwork off the bounce and is quick to rise up the instant his defender is off-balance. The other aspects of Dillingham’s game come into question. More importantly, despite being so gifted offensively, Dillingham has been unplayable, at times, at the end of games. Offensively, the ball can get stuck with him and his passing reads can be late, off-target, or do not come. It is quite the mixed back with Dillingham. His measurements might end up the biggest piece for him as we head toward the NBA Draft. Overtime Elite listed him at 6-foot-1, 158 pounds last season. USA Basketball has him listed at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds. Kentucky has him listed at 6-foot-3, 178 pounds. There are currently 20 players in the NBA who are 6-foot-1 or below. Only 13 of them play 15.0 or more minutes per game.
9. G Devin Carter, Providence
The Buzz: Devin Carter plays with a physicality that sets him apart from many of his college peers. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard has ramped up his scoring each month this season. Through six February games, Carter is averaging 21.7 points. He is also shooting 51.2 percent from three and scored over 20 points in ten of his last 16 games. On the season, Carter is shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc on 6.5 attempts per game. Carter is a rugged defender, able to shut down the point-of-attack while also playing well in an off-ball role. After Bryce Hopkins went down for new Providence coach Kim English, Carter became the focal point of the opposing team’s scouting reports. He has done nothing but produce ever since.
10. F Kyshawn George, Miami
The Buzz: Kyshawn George is an interesting prospect. While older than most freshmen, putting him here is banking on the fact that he is not a finished product. The 6-foot-8 wing was a late-bloomer, growing a reported four or five inches and 40-plus pounds over the last couple of years. This spurt took him from a combo guard to a forward’s size. George maintains that fluidly with the added size and a lengthy wing span. This season, for an underwhelming – injury-riddled – Miami team, George’s flashes have been quite bright. He is shooting 40.4 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game. As a starter, in 14 games, George is averaging 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists to just 1.9 turnovers. He has shot over 40 percent from three for each of the last three months. In an NBA Draft filled with question marks, the upside here could make for an intriguing swing.