Welcome to March, y’all. This week, we’ve hit the ground running with some exciting conference tournament action already, ahead of the NCAA Tournament later in the month. Several key 2026 NBA Draft prospects and hopefuls have already elevated their stocks, while others underperformed.
It seems like we have a general consensus around the top five picks in the draft. The exact order of those guys feels a bit fluid, though. And there’s liable to be plenty of movement elsewhere as the games start to matter more and NBA clubs jockey for optimal lottery odds.
Let’s get into it.
2026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Up
AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
One of three candidates for the No. 1 overall pick in June — with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer — Dybansta enjoyed a terrific Big 12 Tournament debut on Tuesday.
He powered the 22-10 Cougars to a 105-91 victory against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first round, scoring 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe. He also logged nine rebounds and six assists (against six turnovers, but nobody’s perfect), while nabbing three steals.
Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern
The pride of Glenbrook South, the two-time All-Big Ten teamer impressed during 15-seed Northwestern’s 76-66 first-round victory over Purdue. The senior forward scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor (2-of-4 from distance) and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, grabbed nine boards, dished out three dimes, and swiped a steal in 38 minutes.
Martinelli explored the possibility of getting drafted last summer, fresh off his second NCAA Tournament berth with the program in three years. Minimal interest prompted a return to Evanston for his senior season. He’s been individually prolific, but questions remain about his ability to create enough separation to get his shot off at the next level. Three Wildcat alums are currently in the NBA. It seems most likely that Martinelli will be more of a two-way or G League affiliate signing rather than getting drafted, but his stock should be up after an impressive Big Ten Tournament showing.
Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State
On Wednesday, Jefferson scored 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line, while grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds as the 26-6 Cyclones hilariously dominated Arizona State 91-41 in the Big 12 Tournament’s second round.
The senior combo forward helped cement his status as a likely first-round pick through a dominant effort cleaning the glass.
2026 NBA Draft Prospects — Stock Down
Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor
The Bears standout, projected to be picked in the 20s, hinged on foul shooting to eke out a solid individual scoring night in conference tournament play — but his team underwhelmed.
Ultimately, Baylor fell to Arizona State, 83-79, in their Big 12 Tournament clash. But Carr looked okay, scoring 25 points on an inefficient 6-of-17 shooting from the field (5-of-14 from deep) and 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line, while grabbing seven rebounds.
His anticipated fellow NBA draft pick teammate, however, fared even worse in the loss…
Tounde Yessoufou, SG/SF, Baylor
Yessoufou, also expected to be a top-30 selection this summer, had a rough night offensively.
In a team-high 35 minutes, he scored 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting (just 0-of-7 shooting from deep). But unlike Carr, he could not get free throw calls, going just 2-of-4 shooting from the foul line. That’s ultimately what separates them in this week’s stock assessment. Yessoufou grabbed six rebounds and got whistled for four fouls.
Juke Harris, SG, Wake Forest
Although Harris’ Demon Deacons notched a hard-fought 95-89 overtime victory in the first round of the ACC Tournament, he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
Harris scored 10 points on just 3-of-18 shooting from the floor (0-of-6 from 3-point land) and 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line, plus three fouls. In the win, he was outshined by Myles Colvin, Sebastian Akins, Tre’Von Spillers, and even reserves Mekhi Mason, Nate Calmese and Cooper Schwieger — all of whom equalled or bettered his scoring output, on far more efficient stat lines. Harris — expected to be an early second-round selection in the draft — will have a shot at redemption, however, as Wake Forest did advance.
