The 2026 NBA Draft class has lived up to expectations as one of the most talented in recent memory. Now it's Champ Week, which means scouts will get to see plenty of top prospects in a more high-stakes environment with potential March Madness bids on the line.
You already know about Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. And we don't need to harp on the favorites of the world, like Duke or Michigan. But these underrated prospects could go a long way toward steering their teams off the bubble and into the Big Dance with a strong performance in their respective conference tournaments.
SEC: Dailyn Swain, Texas Longhorns
Dailyn Swain ranks much higher at FanSided than he does in the consensus, but the Texas junior will get a chance to boost his stock nationwide in the SEC Tournament later this week. The Longhorns are right on the bubble, currently projected as a No. 10 seed by ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Texas is 6-9 against Quad 1 opponents, with 13 total losses on the season. Their case is sketchy at best, but a deep SEC tourney run would probably punch their ticket.
As for Swain, it's about time folks caught on. He has quietly put together one of the most impressive individual campaigns in the SEC, weaponizing his strength in new ways and expanding his range as a scorer. Swain's 3-point shot remains a point of relative weakness, but he needs only to command the bare minimum of respect on the perimeter to open up his elite driving game.
Swain is a bonkers athlete. It's rare to see a wing glide across the floor like him. He blends an explosive first step with unbelievable craft and dexterity; he gets low to the floor, changes speeds and angles on a whim and has more muscle than he did last season at Xavier. That means Swain can drive his shoulder through an opponent when needed.
He's averaging 17.7 points and 3.4 assists on 64 percent true shooting, with strong defensive metrics and a healthy presence on the glass. My two cents: He's the best prospect in the conference, and a Herculean push to get Texas across the finish line could help the broader public realize just how talented Swain is. The Horns have the ninth-ranked offense in college hoops, per KenPom, and Swain is the engine.
ACC: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford Cardinal
FanSided Big Board Ranking: 32
Ebuka Okorie has put enough on tape to earn first-round consideration, but in this NIL era, fewer freshmen are taking the professional plunge without certain guarantees. This is an especially strong guard class, too, which could mean the difference between Okorie declaring for the NBA and sticking at Stanford (or transferring elsewhere) for his sophomore year. If anything will move the needle in the pro direction, it's an explosive March, and Okorie has proven himself more than capable of delivering.
The diminutive freshman is averaging 23.1 points and 3.6 assists on 58.7 percent true shooting, with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio made all the more impressive by his 30.0 percent usage. He scored 40 against Georgia Tech, 36 against North Carolina and 30-plus on five other occasions. The production has crossed the threshold of undeniable. Skeptics will point to his 6-foot-2 frame and express valid defensive concerns, but Okorie exhibits active hands (1.6 steals) and is enough of an athlete to hold his own.
Stanford is 5-6 against Quad 1 opponents and 20-11 on the season. Lunardi's bracketology lists the Cardinal as one of the "next four" (aka within the first eight) teams out of the NCAA Tournament. So these next few games are critical — not only for Stanford but for Okorie, as he attempts to solidify his stock heading into Combine season.
There are few better advantage creators (and extenders) in the 2026 class. Okorie's first step is gnarly and he plays so low, with so much twitch. It's damn near impossible for defenders to stay in front. Okorie's ability to apply pressure and set the offense in motion is first-round caliber. He is projected as the 28th and 31st pick, respectively, at Bleacher Report and Tankathon. A return to school feels probable — let's put the odds generously at 60-40. But with a dominant ACC Tournament run, the tides could shift.
Big East: Acaden Lewis, Villanova Wildcats
FanSided Big Board Ranking: 73
It's probably a stretch to discuss Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis as a one-and-done candidate, but March always holds a few surprises. The Wildcats are admittedly less of a bubble team, currently a projected No. 7 seed at ESPN. Still, toppling UConn and St. John's would be a loud statement, and Lewis would almost certainly drive any success of that magnitude. A four-star recruit from the D.C. area, ranked 48th in his class, Lewis was a long shot to be this good, this soon. He deserves a bit more recognition, even if it's still early.
Lewis' stats align fairly closely with the elite guards garnering recognition at the top of draft boards. He has 24.8 percent usage, with an exceptional 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's 38th in the nation in assist rate (33.9) and 53rd in steal rate (3.9), per KenPom. If he were just a little bit better from 3-point range, converting 26.9 percent on 3.0 attempts per game this season, there's a good chance scouts would be happy to look past the other flaws in Lewis' profile.
This has been quite the season for smaller guards in college basketball. Lewis lacks ideal measurables at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, but he's light on his feet, frequently darting into the paint, manipulating defenders with his handle and delivering passes on a rope. He's such an advanced facilitator for his age, which is an NBA trait on its own. His preternatural feel should help Lewis level up over time; not a lot of teenagers process the floor so quickly. The shooting indicators are less than ideal, particularly with his poor free throw numbers (58.3 percent), but Lewis takes enough 3s and exhibits soft touch at the rim. He should become a dependable shooter eventually, at least to the extent necessary to accentuate his driving and passing skills.
If Lewis has a big March and 'Nova goes on a run, never say never on the NBA Draft front. Lewis should test the waters and at least see what the Combine yields. If he were to declare, there's smart money on a second-round selection.
Big 12: Baba Miller, Cincinnati Bearcats
FanSided Big Board Ranking: NR
Once a highly touted freshman at Florida State, it has been a long and winding road for Cincinnati senior Baba Miller. He's at his third school in four years, with a pitstop at Florida Atlantic last season before opting to finish his college career with the Bearcats. That was the right decision, it seems, as Miller has really found his pulse as a prospect: He's averaging 13.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists (all career highs) on 58.6 percent true shooting, with a BPM (10.0) over double his next-best season.
Cincy is currently one of the first four out of the NCAA Tournament, according to Lunardi's bracketology projection. The Bearcats are an elite defensive unit, but their inability to pressure the rim and secure the basketball have tanked the offense. At 3-11 against Quad 1 opponents, and with 14 losses on the season, it will take a mighty convincing Big 12 Tournament (maybe even a title run, period) to get the 'Cats into the dance.
Miller has led signature wins for Cincinnati this season, however. He put up 15-12-5 in a victory over BYU just recently. He dropped 18-5-8 in a win over Kansas. Miller is a legitimate defensive anchor and the best rebounder in the conference. He has also become one helluva processor on offense: Whether he's on the short roll, facing up at the elbow or backing his defender down in the post, Miller delivers some absolute dimes through the teeth of the defense. His passing is a real standout trait, in addition to steadfast interior scoring that helps to offset a limited perimeter presence.
He's often more of a dirty-work guy than a flashy star type, but Miller's well-roundedness and versatility are what NBA scouts often latch onto in these settings. If the Bearcats can find their stride at the right moment, watch out.
Big Ten: Bennett Stirtz, Iowa Hawkeyes
FanSided Big Board Ranking: 9
There were predictable growing pains this season as new head coach Ben McCollum transferred his snail-paced offensive scheme from Drake to Iowa. He brought his longtime point guard Bennett Stirtz with him. The leap in competition and the subsequent challenges were noticeable early in the campaign, but for both Stirtz and the Hawkeyes, something seemed to click around mid-January. Then, after a six-game win streak, Iowa lost six of eight to close out the season that has put their NCAA Tournament dreams in peril.
Lunardi currently projects Iowa as a No. 9 seed, with a 93 percent at-large probability. Momentum isn't exactly working in their favor, however, so the Hawkeyes could use a loud statement in the Big Ten Tournament. Of all the prospects in the 2026 draft, few truly shape winning as thoroughly as Stirtz. Iowa lives and breathes by Stirtz, sometimes to a fault, but it's mesmerizing to watch the 22-year-old patiently dissect his opponent. His craft as a ball-handler and feel as a distributor is unmatched in this class.
There is an understandable stigma around older guards, especially those projected as first-round (or even lottery) picks. Stirtz is a mold-breaker, though: He's a deadeye shooter and the best passer on the board. What Stirtz lacks in athleticism, he compensates for with gear shifts and countermoves, able to snake his way into the teeth of a defense or create space for his pull-up with textbook footwork.
Iowa runs so much through Stirtz. He will need to adjust more to life off the ball in the NBA, but his shooting touch and IQ should ease that transition. That said, the Iowa supporting cast is weak relative to other Big Ten contenders. If the Hawkeyes want to go on a run, it will require Stirtz being front and center. He stole a game from Missouri in the 2025 NCAA Tournament while captaining a No. 11 seed. There's no reason Stirtz can't light up the month of March again, this time under a brighter spotlight.