2026 NBA mock draft: USA Today updates first round projections before lottery results

One of the most important events on the NBA calendar, the NBA Draft Lottery, is just two days away. The excitement for the draft is building.

Just days away from the Lottery, which will dictate the future for many NBA teams, USA Today‘s Bryan Kalbrosky has released his latest Mock Draft. The entirety of the top 10 in the Mock consists of college freshmen, led by BYU‘s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas‘ Darryn Peterson, and Duke‘s Cameron Boozer. The first non-freshman off the board here is reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Michigan‘s Yaxel Lendeborg. Twenty-eight of the projected 30 First Round picks also played college basketball this season.

The First Round of USA Today‘s latest NBA Mock Draft is below.

1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU

Following a historic freshman season at BYU, star forward AJ Dybantsa is projected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Washington Wizards. In his lone season in Provo, Dybantsa made an everlasting mark. Dybantsa scored the third-most points in a season by a freshman in NCAA history (894), led the country in scoring (25.5 points), and broke 19 program freshman season/single-game records. He was named a Consensus All-American and earned First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.

Dybantsa entered the season as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country and played like it all season long. He cemented his mark as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the Draft thanks to a strong end to the season, which saw him score 20-plus points in his final 14 games. This included a 40-point performance in the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament First Round loss to Texas. Washington would be hitting big with the pick, as All-NBA point guard Trae Young and future Basketball Hall of Fame center Anthony Davis (as of now) would be joining Dybantsa on the court next season.

In a bit of a surprise, Duke freshman power forward Cameron Boozer is projected to be off the board at pick No. 2 to the Brooklyn Nets in USA Today’s latest NBA Mock Draft. Boozer etched his name in the program’s history books this season, becoming the 14th player in Duke history to be named National Player of the Year. Duke enjoyed back-to-back winners of the award, as Cooper Flagg was named NPOY last season.

Boozer willed the Blue Devils to a 35-3 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Duke advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to No. 2 seed UConn 73-72, marking a second consecutive heartbreaking end to the Tournament for the Blue Devils. In the loss, Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds. On the season, the Miami native averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds. He recorded 22 double-doubles.

Caleb Wilson had his lone season at North Carolina unfortunately cut short due to a broken thumb, but he is still projected to be selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets. In 24 games, Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. He was named a Consensus All-American, along with earning First Team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team honors. Wilson was unable to compete in the NCAA Tournament, which led to the Tar Heels being knocked out of the First Round by No. 11 seed VCU.

At the time of Wilson’s unfortunate injury, he was surging as one of the best players in the sport. This was shown on full display during North Carolina‘s upset of rival No. 4 Duke on Feb. 7, in which he scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. His absence from the end of the season was pivotal in the program deciding to part ways with head coach Hubert Davis, following a second consecutive loss in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Although Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has long been projected to be either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick in the Draft, USA Today’s latest mock has him falling to the Utah Jazz at No. 4. Peterson struggled with cramping and on-and-off injuries during his lone season at Kansas, but looked like one of the best players in the sport when he was on the court. The Canton, OH native earned Second Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors, as he averaged 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Peterson’s best game of the season came in Kansas‘ 104-00 OT victory over TCU on Jan. 6. In that win, Peterson scored 32 points (fourth most by a freshman in the Bill Self era) on 44.8% shooting from the field. The freshman totaled 12 20-plus point games, even hitting the mark in three of the Jayhawks’ four postseason games. This included a 28-point performance in Kansas‘ NCAA Tournament First Round victory over Cal Baptist.

Houston point guard Kingston Flemings looks to make it two top 10 selections for the program in the past three NBA Drafts (Jarace Walker at No. 8 in 2023). Flemings, who was named First Team All-Big 12 and All-Big 12 Freshman Team, averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds for the Cougars this season. Houston compiled a 30-7 record and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 3 seed Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen.

Flemings was one of the most dominant freshman guards in the country this season. On the night when Darius Acuff Jr. scored 49 points against Alabama, Flemings scored a career-high 42 points in a 90-86 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech. Although both performances ended in a loss, it truly showed just how special the guard play was from the freshman class this season.

Illinois freshman point guard Keaton Wagler entered the 2025-26 college basketball season as a three-star recruit, but will now surely be selected within the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Wagler exploded as one of the best freshmen in the country this season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for an Illini team that made a run to the Final Four for the first time since 2005. Wagler, who shot 39.7% from three-point range, earned Stephen Curry comparisons throughout the season.

Wagler was named a Consensus All-American, along with earning First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. He was also named the recipient of the Jerry West Award, given to college basketball’s top shooting guard. His best moment of the season came in Illinois’ 88-82 road victory over No. 4 Purdue on Jan. 24, in which he scored 46 points.

Reigning SEC Player of the Year, Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. seems poised to become John Calipari‘s 21st player selected within the top 10 in the NBA Draft. Acuff Jr. was so good for Arkansas this season that it created a conversation regarding whether or not he was the best point guard to ever play for Calipari. In 36 games, the Detroit native averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. He became the first SEC player since Pete Maravich (1969-70) to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists.

Acuff Jr.’s signature moment in Fayetteville came during Arkansas‘ 117-115 2OT loss to No. 25 Alabama on Feb. 18, in a game that many considered to be one of the best of the year. The star guard scored 49 points on 16-of-27 shooting from the field. Acuff Jr. also scored 30-plus points in three of Arkansas‘ six postseason games, including a 37-point performance in a SEC Tournament Quarterfinal win over Oklahoma and a 36-point performance in a NCAA Tournament Second Round win over High Point.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the 2025-26 Big Ten Player of the Year, makes the leap into the top-10 of USA Today’s latest Mock. Lendeborg enjoyed a monstrous year at Michigan, where he averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. With the UAB transfer leading the charge, the Wolverines claimed their first National Championship since 1989. Most mock drafts have Lendeborg in the 12-15 range, but he is projected to be selected by the Grizzlies at No. 6 here.

If Lendeborg is selected within the top-10 picks in the Draft, he will join the likes of Jamal Crawford, Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, and Franz Wagner as Michigan players to do so since 2000. At 23 years old, his age has been a bit of a concern in a Draft full of younger freshmen. However, the on-court production could very well outweigh the age concerns if Dallas does, in fact, choose to jump on Lendeborg this early.

Arizona shooting guard Brayden Burries, who helped lead the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, is projected to go off the board at No. 9 to the Chicago Bulls. Burries emerged as one of the best players in the Big 12 in his lone season in Tucson, earning First Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 39 games, and scored in double-figures in all five of Arizona‘s NCAA Tournament games.

If Burries does get selected within the top-10, he will join Bennedict Mathurin as the second Arizona guard to be selected within the top-10 of the NBA Draft in the past 20 years. He is one of two Wildcats projected to be taken in the First Round of the 2026 NBA Draft by ESPN (Koa Peat).

Louisville‘s Third Team All-ACC guard, Mikel Brown Jr., is projected to be selected with the No. 10 overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. If selected in the top-10, Brown Jr. will become Louisville‘s player to go in the top-10 since Samaki Walker in 1996. In 21 games this season, the Orlando native averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. Brown Jr. struggled with the injury bug this season, however, missing 14 of Louisville‘s 35 games.

When he was on the court, Brown Jr. was seemingly one of the best players in the ACC. His availability, however, prevented the Cardinals from returning to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. His best game of the season came in Louisville‘s dominant 118-77 win over Will Wade and NC State on Feb. 9, which saw him score a career-high 45 points. Brown Jr. would give future Basketball Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo a young, flashy point guard to play with next season if he remains with the organization.

Picks 11-32

11. Golden State Warriors: Karim Lopez, PF, New Zealand Breakers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Aday Mara, C, Michigan
13. Miami Heat: Koa Peat, PF, Arizona
14. Charlotte Hornets: Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR): Hannes Steinbach, PF, Washington
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via ORL): Joshua Jefferson, PF, Iowa State
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI): Nate Ament, SF, Tennessee
18. Charlotte Hornets (via PHO): Jayden Quaintance, PF, Kentucky
19. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL): Dailyn Swain, SG, Texas
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN): Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU): Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford
23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE): Chris Cenac Jr., PF, Houston
24. New York Knicks: Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara
25. Los Angeles Lakers: Morez Johnson Jr., PF, Michigan
26. Denver Nuggets: Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor
27. Boston Celtics: Henri Veesaar, PF, North Carolina
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET): Tyler Tanner, PG, Vanderbilt
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS): Luigi Suigo, C, KK Mega Basket
30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC): Tarris Reed Jr., C, UConn