"In an era when college basketball teams are increasingly reliant on the transfer portal to recruit more experienced players -- and less interested in stockpiling one-and-done recruits, with the expectation of Duke -- having raw talent with pro upside on a roster still matters. Last season's national title team at Florida featured first-round 2025 NBA Draft pick Walter Clayton Jr., two second-rounders (Alijah Martin and Will Richard) and two more projected 2026 first-rounders ( Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh)."
"UConn's back-to-back champs produced six total NBA draft picks, with one more in the pipeline ( Alex Karaban). All of that to say: It's no surprise that most of the 2026 title contenders find themselves on this season's list of teams with the most NBA talent, based on ESPN's NBA draft big board. It's also worth noting the team with the projected No. 1 pick, Kansas and Darryn Peterson, didn't make the cut."
College basketball increasingly relies on the transfer portal to add experienced players, reducing emphasis on one-and-done recruits. Teams retaining raw talent with NBA upside remain competitive for national titles. Florida's national title roster included 2025 first-rounder Walter Clayton Jr., two 2025 second-round picks (Alijah Martin, Will Richard) and two projected 2026 first-rounders ( Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh). UConn produced six NBA draft picks with another projected pick ( Alex Karaban). Preseason No. 1 Purdue and projected No. 1 pick Kansas are notable exceptions with limited top-100 prospects. ESPN ranked teams by future NBA talent using its draft big board.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]