It's Champ Week in college basketball, with the NCAA Tournament right around the corner. March Madness is the best time of year generally, but it's especially valuable to the NBA Draft hopefuls who need a signature performance or two to boost their stock.
Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament performance is crucial for a key freshman guard seeking to boost his NBA Draft stock.
- Alabama's wing, known for his versatile skill set, could see his draft position significantly change based on March Madness outcomes.
- Texas Tech's star point guard must elevate his team deep into the tournament to overcome concerns about his size and defensive capabilities.
These underclassmen are right on the bubble when it comes to staying in school another year or going pro. In the NIL era, there's more incentive than ever to put off the draft and build your résumé in college. So, which prospects can move the needle toward a pro leap in the days or weeks ahead?
Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is 19-12 with a couple solid ACC wins, but their bubble bid is on life support entering the ACC Tournament. The Hokies need to show out in Charlotte to reaffirm their claim — and it starts with freshman guard Neoklis Avdalas.
Avdalas, 20, came over from Greece this season after tempting NBA scouts overseas. He was probably a second-round pick in 2025; the needle on his stock has moved marginally at best so far this season. There was strong early buzz when Avdalas blitzed a few nobodies in non-conference play, but he has slowly faded from the public consciousness.
There is always interest in 6-foot-8 "guards" who can sling the rock. Avdalas is a brilliant passer, able to process the floor from a high vantage point, manipulate the defense with his eye, and consistently put teammates in a better position to succeed. The popular comp is Egor Dëmin, but Avdalas' shooting indicators are a bit worse. He similarly struggles to turn the corner and pressure the rim as a ball-handler, while the defense is fine at best. It's unclear how exactly Avdalas comes by his points and fully weaponizes his playmaking feel in the NBA.
He would probably benefit from another year in school, maybe even a trip to the transfer portal. If the Hokies can muster some March magic and go on a run, though, Avdalas' archetype could sneak him into the first round discussion. He's a guaranteed Combine invite.
Amari Allen, Alabama
Alabama freshman Amari Allen has been steadily climbing boards for months at this point. He's probably a consensus late first-round, early second-round pick if the season ended today. The NBA will fawn over his skill set; every team wants dribble-pass-shoot wings who can rebound and defend. Yet, in this NIL era, there's so much incentive for younger players to return to school, cash a huge check, and potentially solidify their stock.
Allen's teammate, Labaron Philon, found himself in a similar boat last summer. He went to the Combine, announced his intention to turn pro, and then backtracked at the last possible second to rejoin the Crimson Tide. He probably feels good about that decision. If Allen stays in Tuscaloosa, takes on a larger workload, and quells any lingering concerns from NBA scouts, he's a potential lottery pick in 2027.
With all that said, Allen's skill set is practically tailored for the pros. He's averaging 11.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists on .462/.377/.750 splits. He shoots a healthy volume of spot-up 3s. He can punish closeouts, shift gears as a ball-handler, and attack mismatches with a pro-ready, 205-pound frame. He's a sharp connective passer. NBA teams will see a role player who can step in immediately and do a little bit of everything, with room to improve.
Should he return to Alabama, however, the same logic applies. Allen would assume a much larger workload in year two and potentially give scouts a glimpse of his ceiling, rather than his floor. The NCAA Tournament will probably swing Allen one way or another. There's a version of the next month that leads to Allen coming off the board in the lottery next June.
Christian Anderson Jr., Texas Tech
Texas Tech's regular season ended with losses to TCU and BYU, but ESPN's Joe Lunardi remains confident in their projection as a top-four seed in March Madness. Whether that's deserved or not is up for debate, but for Red Raiders point guard Christian Anderson, the next couple weeks are extremely important.
Anderson is a clear first-round pick on paper. He's averaging 19.2 points and 7.8 assists (2.22 A:TO), shooting 42.7 percent on eight 3-point attempts per game. The sophomore graduated into a full-time starting role this season and took his opportunity in stride. He's the most dynamic pull-up shooter in the draft and a brilliant table-setter.
The issue: he's 6-foot-2, with a light frame that comes with significant defensive concerns. Moreover, this is an impossibly deep guard class. Anderson, ranked No. 21 in FanSided's most recent big board, is our ninth-ranked guard prospect. Not every team will be looking to add an offense-leaning guard, and those that are could have several options besides Anderson.
Factor in the robust NIL package Anderson could receive as a junior, now that he's established as one of college basketball's premier point guards, and there will be a strong pull to stay in school. If Anderson can guide the Red Raiders deep into the tournament, however, Anderson could carry significant momentum into the pre-draft process, where his ridiculous shot-making and high IQ should win over skeptics.
Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Flory Bidunga was frequently written off as a freshman, so his return to Kansas was never really in doubt. His NBA decision gets a bit more complicated the second time around. Now the Jayhawks' primary anchor in the frontcourt, Bidunga leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (64.4) and blocks (2.7). He has meaningfully expanded his offensive profile, averaging 13.8 points and 1.6 assists, while doing everything NBA teams want from a rim-running big man.
In a world with Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham, there will always be interest in springy centers who can set screens, get up for lobs, and do the dirty work in the frontcourt. Bidunga does the small things at an extremely high level. He is also, point blank, one of the most dominant rim protectors in college basketball. There is a substantial defensive ceiling given his length, agility and timing as a shot-blocker.
What's most exciting about Bidunga coming into March, however, is his growth beyond his role player trappings. In Kansas' Darryn Peterson-less win over Arizona earlier this season, Bidunga put up 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks on 8-of-11 against a typically dominant Wildcats frontcourt. The 20-year-old is a freakish athlete and he's starting to put that to use with as a face up scorer. He's a gazelle in transition. When Bidunga is operating with confidence, he can overwhelm the competition.
NBA teams will question his overall feel and upside without a viable jump shot, but Bidunga feels right on the cusp of the first round. Kansas will be one of the more fascinating teams to monitor this March for a variety of reasons, but if Bidunga gets his moment in the sun, it could really move the needle toward a professional debut in 2026-27.
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
Ebuka Okorie will face immediate pressure in his first taste of high-level postseason basketball. ESPN's Joe Lunardi projects Stanford among the first four out of the NCAA Tournament right now. That means Stanford needs to stack a couple wins in the ACC Tournament to bolster its case and win over the selection committee.
If there is any freshman in the country capable of single-handedly dragging a flawed roster to multiple standout victories, it's probably Okorie. The dude is nuts, quietly mounting a freshman campaign on equal footing statistically with Darius Acuff and other touted guards in this draft class. Okorie is averaging an ACC-leading 23.1 points and 3.6 assists on .460/.361/.832 splits, scoring prolifically at all three levels. He scored 40 in a win over Georgia Tech and 36 in the Cardinal's real signature win over North Carolina earlier this year.
Okorie faces all the standard challenges of a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard when it comes to generating NBA interest. That is also compounded by the absurd volume of talented guards currently on NBA radars. And yet, Okorie generates 1.6 steals per game with active hands; he's not a slouch on defense. There is also value, regardless of size, in advantage creation. Okorie is a bullet shot of the chamber. His speed, twitch and creativity as a ball-handler leaves defenses constantly scrambling. It's hard to keep him out of the paint.
NBA teams would love if Okorie's playmaking numbers were a bit more robust, but it's not like he can't extend those advantages with quality passing reads against a defense in rotation. At worst, it's easy to imagine him as a classic sixth man who comes in off the bench for 20 minutes a night and lights the net on fire. If Stanford can spark a run in the coming days, expect the Okorie buzz to rise.
Allen Graves, Santa Clara
Santa Clara's trip to the WCC championship game should seal an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, even if Gonzaga prevails in the end. The Broncos are an incredibly fun and severely underrated team, made of real late-round Cinderella material. One of the major reasons for their success is freshman forward Allen Graves, who has quietly worked his way into the draft conversation.
Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski were both only recently plucked out of relative obscurity at Santa Clara. There's a track record here. Graves is a bit unique — he's a bench piece averaging 22.1 minutes per game — but he's an absolute darling in the analytics community. Second to only Cameron Boozer in BPM among freshman (12.9), Graves has incredible defensive metrics and scores with pristine efficiency from multiple areas on the court.
He's averaging 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in his limited runtime, offering elite instincts and range at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, with NBA-grade physicality. He's a detonator. He blows things up. Graves hits 42.5 percent of his 3s, he can post mismatches on the block and score with strength or finesse. NBA teams probably want to see Graves return to school (or perhaps transfer to a bigger program) and prove his mettle in a larger role. But if Santa Clara keeps the momentum rolling deep into March, his case will become harder and harder to ignore — especially for a smart front office late in the first round who can weaponize a promise to keep Graves in the draft.
Graves does not turn the ball over, he can shoot, beat closeouts, and defend with psychic powers of anticipation while hammering the glass. Really, what's not to love? Limited role and slightly lesser competition are the only knocks. We shall see if he can get his moment in the big dance.
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
Meleek Thomas has been somewhat subsumed and overshadowed by the mania around Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff, who has put together the most impressive non-Boozer or Dybantsa freshman season in 2025. But Thomas probably deserves a bit more love from NBA prognosticators.
Most projections pin Thomas in the 20-40 range on draft boards. To keep it blunt, there's almost no chance Thomas goes pro without a guarantee somewhere in the first round. Even if he gets that sort of security, with all the NIL money at stake, there's a decent chance Thomas decides to run it back with the Hogs, with Acuff out of the equation, and boost his stock as more of a primary option. He could view himself more favorably as a potential lottery pick in 2027.
A lot of it will come down to how far Arkansas goes in March and the role Thomas plays in any success. He dropped 28 points in 45 minutes in the Razorbacks' OT victory against Missouri over the weekend. That came with Acuff in street clothes.
Thomas has a lot of desirable NBA traits. He's an effortless shooter, both off the catch and off the dribble. He keeps a lid on turnovers (2.7 A:TO), he's averaging 1.5 steals, with the length and athleticism to muck things up on defense. A high volume of 3s, mixed with soft touch and craft inside the arc, leaves Thomas with a fairly complete offensive profile. A few more strong performances in a high-stakes environment could punch Thomas' NBA ticket.