These 10 NBA Draft prospects improved their stock in March Madness

March Madness is now complete, which means a month of transfer portal shenanigans and the extended prelude to June's NBA Draft. Prospects will declare, but many will maintain their college eligibility and toe the line, waiting on scouts' insight before determining whether to take the next step or return to school.

The NCAA Tournament is the best stage to evaluate prospects, as every game carries life-or-death stakes. It's a small sample size at the end of the day — hardly the end-all, be-all — but it means something. Here are 10 prospects who helped their cause, either for this year or future years, over the past few weeks. Prospects who began the tournament with a solid consensus lottery grade, such as Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler and Labaron Philon, were left off.

Álvaro Folgueiras | F | Iowa

Álvaro Folgueiras will almost certainly return to Iowa for his senior season, but this March Madness run offered a nice launchpad for his 2026-27 draft candidacy. He didn't get much mainstream traction this year, but Folgueiras has the profile of a classic sleeper — an analytics darling with positional size and a funky but functional skill set.

Folgueiras was effectively benched early in Iowa's Elite Eight loss to Illinois after a couple of turnovers, but the Hawkeyes don't get that far without him. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 14.7 points through the first three rounds, showcasing his slick interior finishing, his quick hands on defense, and a penchant for timely 3s — including the game-winner against Florida in their Round of 32 upset.

Folgueiras is not a great athlete on paper, but he's so slippery and deceptive with his movement. He's a great finisher around the rim (74.7 percent), he gets his hands everywhere on defense (2.7 STL%) and his positional rebounding is rock solid. If he can produce more consistent results from 3-point range next year in a more focal role, don't be shocked if he's a 2027 first-round pick.

Bennett Stirtz | G | Iowa

This is a slight cheat, as Bennett Stirtz ranked ninth on FanSided's last big board and he probably won't improve on that. In the consensus, however, Stirtz was viewed more as a late-teens or 20s prospect coming into the tournament. That could hold true come June, but an incredible run to the Elite Eight will at least force teams to think a bit harder about the senior point guard.

Stirtz was already a fringe first-round candidate last summer, when he led 11-seed Drake to an upset of Missouri in the tournament's opening weekend. A year later, on a real team with real resources, he led the Hawkeyes to the second weekend, which required the upset of the tournament over 1-seed Florida.

No coach trusts his star more than Ben McCollum trusts Bennett Stirtz. The man played all 160 minutes of Iowa's four NCAA Tournament games. Over that span, he committed three turnovers and one personal foul — with 73 points, 14 assists and three steals. Stirtz's IQ and command of the court, paired with electric shot-making skills on the perimeter, puts him in a rare category for older guard prospects. He's worth lottery consideration, truly.

Billy Richmond III | F | Arkansas

Arkansas sophomore Billy Richmond is another probable return candidate whose name could start to generate real buzz next spring. That said, he will get his share of looks now, and testing the waters wouldn't be the worst idea. In keeping with John Calipari tradition, Richmond is one of several top-shelf athletes in an Arkansas roster that frequently out-ran and out-jumped its opponents.

Richmond is an effortless high-flyer who dominates out in transition, where he exhibits remarkable body control at full speed. A smaller wing with a limited playmaking profile is not every team's cup of tea, but Richmond's bounce allows him to defend much larger than his 6-foot-6 listed height. He creates events on one end (3.0 BLK%, 2.2 STL%) and finished with authority at the rim, often as a lob target who can stretch the floor vertically.

NBA teams will want to see Richmond handle a few more on-ball reps and shoot better than 25.9 percent from deep, but athletes of his caliber tend to stick on NBA radars.

Andrej Stojakovic | F | Illinois

Andrej Stojaković has an NBA case at 21 years old, but he's probably a second-round pick at this point, so returning to Illinois and a productive partnership with David Mirković is probably the correct path forward. That said, he swung the momentum of several Illinois victories this March, most notably with his 21-point performance against VCU in the second round.

Stojaković doesn't put up the flashiest numbers, really in any respect. His stocks are low, he's shooting 24.4 percent from deep and averaging more turnovers (1.3) than assists (1.0). And yet, Stojaković is a classic example of "has that dawg in him" energy on the basketball court. He's a much more impactful defender than the numbers suggest, and there are positive indicators for NBA teams (or Illinois) to take solace in.

He's an 80-plus percent free throw shooter over the last two seasons, which is a positive sign for his long-term shooting development. Stojaković also gets downhill relentlessly, drawing fouls at a healthy clip and converting 65.7 percent of his attempts at the rim. If the shot comes around as a senior, with his hardcore mentality and winning personality, Stojaković will gain a lot of fans.

Pryce Sandfort | F | Nebraska

Pryce Sandfort will undergo sports hernia surgery this offseason, which ironically improves the outlook for Nebraska. It all but guarantees his return after a brilliant Sweet 16 run, which included 23 points on seven made 3s against Troy and 25 points on six made 3s in a nail-biting loss to Iowa.

Sandfort is firmly on the NBA map at this point. Every NBA team wants shooting, which Sandfort delivers en masse. He's a classic movement shooter on the wing, with solid positional size and enough activity on defense to stick at the next level. He plays smart, too, with an extraordinarily low turnover rate (5.9 TO%).

A lack of rebounding and overall physicality could hamper Sandfort's upside at the next level, but he's a clear as day role player bet, with the IQ and off-ball gravity to really accuentate an established core in the NBA.

Jeremy Fears Jr. | G | Michigan State

Jeremy Fears Jr., the older brother of Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears, took critical steps toward an NBA future this season. The Spartans fell short against an indomitable UConn team in the Sweet 16, but not before Fears dropped 11 assists against North Dakota State and 16 assists — a new program record — against Louisville.

There are definite concerns about Fears' inconsistent jumper and overall scoring efficiency, but he was the best setup man in college hoops this season. He's a strong, bursty guard who gets into the teeth of the defense and maps out the floor beautifully, able to deliver difficult skip passes on the move or thread a bounce pass to the backdoor cutter.

His assist (53.0 AST%) to turnover (16.5 TO%) ratio is, frankly, hard to comprehend. He also locks in on defense, despite his constant involvement on the other end. Fears will need to prove he can score, but he's a second-round pick if he declares. If he comes back to East Lansing, expect a monster senior campaign. Fears has a couple outlier traits that merit NBA attention, warts and all.

Isaiah Evans | F | Duke

Of the many Duke prospects, Isaiah Evans definitely helped his cause the most. His best performance came in a thrilling Sweet 16 victory over St. John's, which saw Evans drop 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting against the grimiest, grittiest defense in college hoops. There was a lowlight in the UConn game, when Evans failed to get a hand up on Braylon Mullins' 40-foot game-winner, but this was an overwhelmingly positive tournament for the sophomore.

Evans could also return to school, but he's knocking on the first round door — projected 30th overall to Dallas in FanSided's latest NBA mock draft. The movement shooting is Evans' calling card, his one surefire elite NBA skill. But he really rounded out his profile nicely this season. Evans finished 68.9 percent of his rim attempts, mixing underrated burst and change-of-pace ability as a slasher. He could become a legitimate three-level weapon in the NBA.

Strength development will be critical for Evans, as will improving his defensive impact, but the archetype for a talented off-ball scorer who's beginning to flesh out the rest of his skill set ought to capture the imagination of several teams.

Braylon Mullins | G | UConn

Braylon Mullins' freshman season was up and down for the Huskies, but he locked in at the perfect moment and put his skill set on full display in March Madness. The NBA loves a shooter and Mullins might be the very best in the draft. Folks may balk at the surface numbers — 33.5 percent on 3s — but Mullins' volume (6.5 3PA/G) and dynamism are the real signals. Mullins took a lot of 3s. A lot of difficult 3s, often running full-tilt off a pindown or snaking through a DHO action with a defender on his hip.

Mullins needs little space or balance to get a shot up and on target. He's endlessly confident, with a preternatural gift for relocating into open space and manipulating a defense with his off-ball movement. His 40-foot game-winner against Duke was the signature shot of this season, honestly. But he also forced a turnover on that play, and made the heads-up pass to advance the rock and set up a trailing shot at the buzzer. That highlight is only the tip of the iceberg.

Mullins will need to add strength in a major way and improve his scoring inside the arc, but elite skills tend to translate and Mullins has a very valuable one in his back pocket. NBA teams looking for an easy, complementary fit will give Mullins a long, hard look. He could rise as high as the lottery come June.

Tarris Reed Jr. | C | UConn Huskies

Front to back, Tarris Reed Jr. was probably the best player in March Madness. He dropped 31 points and 27 rebounds on Furman in the opening round. He notched 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in UConn's thrilling Elite Eight comeback over Duke. He put up 17 points and 11 rebounds against Illinois. And 13 points with 14 rebounds in the title game against a massive Michigan frontcourt, when neither team could hit the ocean from the beach.

Reed will need to address his foul problems, which can be especially problematic for an older prospect. Those issues were scarce in the tournament, however, and the totality of his skill set more than makes up for it. Reed is a prolific shot-blocker, one of the very best rebounders in college basketball, and a legitimate offensive hub at the five spot, able to attack defenders with the blunt force of his 265-pound frame and balletic footwork — or he can thread the needle with passes on the move.

Worst case scenario, Reed is going to inhale rebounds, clean up on easy finishes at the rim and throw his weight (and 7-foot-5 wingspan) around on defense. That sounds like a first-round prospect. After the last few weeks, Reed may very well end up with a guaranteed contract, which felt far-fetched even a couple months ago.

Aday Mara | C | Michigan

Aday Mara spent two lost years at UCLA before linking up with Dusty May and Michigan in the offseason. It's the best decision he could've made. Now an NCAA champion, Mara might be the first Michigan prospect off the board in June. A jump into the lottery is fully possible, as NBA teams don't see Mara's 7-foot-3 frame, dominant rim protection (12.0 BLK%) and advanced passing chops packaged together very often.

Mara will need to improve his physicality at the next level. A high center of gravity leaves him vulnerable to foul trouble and sloppy turnovers in the post. That said, he's mostly an elegant mover, with real footwork and force as a rim finisher and the lateral agility to cover ground as a shot-blocker and paint deterrent on the other end. Smart teams will attempt to stretch Mara out to the 3-point line and attack in space, but as a drop coverage big, he's one of the most impactful defenders the league has seen in years.

Optimism about Mara becoming a floor spacer down the road is probably misguided — he's a 56.4 percent free throw shooter — but it doesn't matter when he can set screens, catch lobs and do so much the grease the wheels on an offense with his facilitating. Mara reads the defense from a skyscraper's perspective and delivers advanced skip passes or mid-post bounce passes on a rope. He's also great for an up-tempo offense, comfortable throwing the touchdown pass to a teammate leaking out in transition once he cleans up the defensive glass.

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