2026 NBA Mock Draft: Surprising First-Round Picks That Could Change the Future of Every Team
Bennett Stirtz, a 22-year-old senior who powered Iowa to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, was third in WAR. In fact, five of the top 10 in WAR were juniors or older, and several project to the kind of immediate contributors that win-now teams are usually forced to find in free agency.
NBA Draft TV/Streaming
- When: June 23-24 at Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York)
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Coverage: Round 1 (June 23, ABC, ESPN and Fubo), Round 2 (June 24, ESPN and Fubo)
At the same time, the freshman class is unusually top-heavy. Dybantsa, from BYU, leads the group in the consensus No. 1 projections, while Boozer, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Arizona’s Brayden Burries all ranked among the 10 most-productive players in both the WAR and DRIP rankings. Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. joins them in the top 15 of WAR and Wilson, from North Carolina, the top 20 of DRIP – all part of a remarkable showing for first-year players. Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot 11 Washington freshman, led D-I in rebounds per game.



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