Top Ten One-And-Done NBA Draft Prospects in College Basketball
The start of the college basketball season is right around the corner, which means it is time for the reader to start getting to know the landscape. This includes the NBA Draft talk. While the season is getting started and a lot of the content circles around league predictions, breakout players are always a fun topic.
Fifteen of the third first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft were one-and-done college basketball players. Many of the NBA Drafts follow this, with the majority of players taken – especially in the lottery – one-and-done. This past draft, we saw a slight shift, with four of the top five players taken, were from outside of college basketball.
That is a trend that we could see spill over into this upcoming NBA Draft as well. The G-League Ignite program has as talented a roster as they have had. The NBL is investing in their Futures League. And the international game has a lot of talent.
I wanted to take a look at the college basketball game. While the number one overall pick might not come from the college basketball ranks for the second straight year, there is some talent entering Division 1. Now that official practices have started and foreign tours have been taken, we take a look at the opportunities as we start the season.
Here are the top ten one-and-done NBA Draft prospects as we enter the college basketball season.
Top Ten NBA Draft Prospects that Returned to College Basketball
Ten Sleeper NBA Draft Picks that Returned to College Basketball
1. SG Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor
6-5, 180-pounds | September 2004
The Skinny: Ja’Kobe Walter is in an interesting spot to maximize what he brings to the table. Walter is a scoring guard. He has a smooth jump shot with range that extends well beyond the three-point arc. He is capable of getting to his spots within two and three dribbles. Baylor has the ability to showcase scorers who can get their own shot. Walter also can be a defensive standout. He plays with good size, has good length, and is aggressive. A two-way guard playing in a program that showcases two-way guards in the Big 12, the stars are aligning for Walter to have a nice freshman season.
2. PG Isaiah Collier, USC
6-4, 205-pounds | October 2004
The Skinny: Isaiah Collier separated himself as a passer and a point guard in his 2023 class. He is electric in the pick-and-roll, able to create angles and space to pass his teammates open. Collier also has top-end speed, able to go from zero to 60 in short order. However, as good as he is as a passer, he is one of the most competitive players on the court. The jump shot is the swing skill. Can he at least become a reliable free-throw shooter? His ability to run a team, up until this point in his career, has been impressive.
3. SF Justin Edwards, Kentucky
6-7, 190-pounds | December 2003
The Skinny: Justin Edwards is an excellent connecting piece. Someone who can affect gameplay on both ends of the floor. He is a great team defender, using natural anticipation in the passing lanes and understanding rotations and footwork. Offensively, he has shown a high IQ moving off the ball; he is a very opportune off-ball cutter. Along with developing off the bounce, he will need to show he can consistently knock down shots (28.4% 3P, 59.7% FT on EYBL), and that will be a swing skill for him. He has a nice mid-range game, smooth, and good positional size, with a propensity of being in the right place at the right time.
4. PG Elmarko Jackson, Kansas
6-3, 195-pounds | April 2004
The Skinny: Elmarko Jackson is a speed demon with the ball in his hands. That comes from his background in playing lacrosse and his family’s football pedigree (dad, a running back at Temple, and uncle, a DB at Michigan). Over the past year, the game started to slow down immensely for Jackson. He is comfortable making reads in the half-court and plays with a good pace as he probes the defense. He will need to continue working on the three-point consistency, but his pull-up jump shot has become a threat. Kansas is an interesting fit for him because of the depth they have at the guard position. Jackson will be eased along at his own comfort level. It is hard to ignore his physical tools.
5. C Aaron Bradshaw, Kentucky
7-0, 210-pounds | May 2004
The Skinny: Aaron Bradshaw is a tricky one. On the one hand, you have a 7-footer who is a rim protector and can knock down threes comfortably. On the other hand, he has a thin base that you wonder if he can put on weight, and he has an injury that could prohibit him from playing part of the season. Bradshaw has a smooth shooting stroke, and he is comfortable shooting in the mid-range off movement or one and two dribbles. He is a pick-and-pop threat or a corner floor spacer from beyond the arc. Defensively, he moves well for a big, switches ends quickly, and has natural timing while using his length as a shot blocker. While the tools are intriguing, he needs to add weight and be seen. He is one that could be higher or lower on this list. John Calipari has a track record with bigs.
6. G Stephon Castle, UConn
6-6, 215-pounds | November 2004
The Skinny: Stephon Castle is a gamer. Throughout his career, he has always been at his best when the lights have been the brightest. He is at his best with the ball in his hands, making plays for his teammates or himself. The question with Castle is consistency. He is one who plays better in-game than he practices or works out. Questions he will need to answer: can he continue to play point, and can he find consistency in the jump shot? The door is open for him to step into the lineup for the defending national champions.
7. SF Cody Williams, Colorado
6-8, 180-pounds | November 2004
The Skinny: The bloodlines, Oklahoma City wing Jalen Williams, make you take a look at Cody Williams. Once you put eyes on him, you see the game. He has a great frame, albeit thin, with good length and instincts. What pops about his game is the passing. At 6-foot-8 with his length, Williams is capable of making the pass from different levels at multiple angles. He is still trying to figure out his game. While he is a good athlete, he lacks burst off the bounce. As he gains strength, he should become better able to finish plays through contact. The jump shot needs to find consistency; he shot 19.0 percent from three on the EYBL, but he showed touch, shooting 81.7 percent from the free-throw line.
8. C Aday Mara, UCLA
7-3, 240-pounds | April 2005
The Skinny: Aday Mara is a big human being, standing 7-foot-3 with long arms approaching a 7-foot-8 wingspan. He is a unique passer, as teams are able to run offense through him at multiple levels of the floor, and he delivers passes on target and on time. He uses his length well around the rim on defense, using both hands to affect shots and protect the basket. As expected by his size, Mara will have to show he can play in space. He also will need to show he can spread the floor some offensively. There is a unique nature to Mara’s game, both with this size and processing.
9. G DJ Wagner, Kentucky
6-3, 175-pounds | May 2005
The Skinny: DJ Wagner is one of the best competitors in the class. There is no question that when he steps foot on the floor, he wants to win. On the court, Wagner is quick getting into the lane, and he has a strong finishing package. While he has a quick first step, Wagner lacks burst at the rim for a smaller guard. He can absorb contact, and he spends time at the free-throw line. The jump shot needs to smooth out, especially off movement with his balance. Wagner is a competitive defender, able to guard the point of attack in space. Can he show enough processing to be a combo guard? He has produced, and he has won at every level to this point.
10. PF Omaha Biliew, Iowa State
6-8, 215-pounds | September 2004
The Skinny: The defensive upside that Omaha Biliew brings to the table is very intriguing. He has great length and is able to move his feet on the perimeter and slide down to make his presence felt in the paint. As an offensive player, he is comfortable off two and three dribbles in straight lines in the half-court. Toward the end of the year, Biliew started to show comfort, knocking down corner threes. He is going to have to continue to establish his offensive identity, but he should have every opportunity this season at Iowa State.