Draft Day '27: Elite Hoop Stars Dominating Now!

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 13: Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the quarterfinals of the 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images March Madness is here, and with it comes the opportunity to audition for a new job in the NBA for the players competing in the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament. It feels like there’s always a few prospects who shoot up the draft board after a strong tournament performance.

Kon Knueppel wasn’t always considered a top-5 pick, but his breakout March vaulted him up the draft before he emerged as the NBA’s likely Rookie of the Year . Zach Edey wasn’t really considered a lottery pick until he led Purdue to the 2024 national championship game. Davion Mitchell exploded into a top-10 pick by powering Baylor to the 2021 national championship.

Who will move up the board this year? It could be anyone: 24 of the 30 projected first-round picks in this mock draft are playing in March Madness. The number would be even higher if not for injuries to North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance.

Only Washington with Hannes Steinbach, Baylor with Cameron Carr, and Stanford with Ebuka Okorie missed the NCAA tournament with a projected first-round pick. Mexican forward Karim Lopez, who is currently playing in the Australian NBL, is the only international prospect projected to be a first-rounder here. Check out my list of the 50 best players in the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament , which features many of the prospects projected in this mock draft.