Keaton Wagler Declares For NBA Draft
Illinois guard Keaton Wagler is entering the NBA draft, his agency ProMondo Sports tells Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Twitter link).
Wagler, 19, is coming off a sensational freshman season that saw him lead the Fighting Illini to a 28-9 record and their first Final Four appearance since 2005. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games while shooting 44.5% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range.
The Shawnee, Kansas, native received the Jerry West Award as the best guard in college basketball and was selected as a second-team All-American. He was also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors.
Wagler set an Illinois freshman record on January 24 with 46 points at Purdue, which marked the highest scoring total ever for a visiting player at Mackey Arena. He made nine three-pointers in that game, which is also an Illinois record.
At 6’6″, Wagler can handle either backcourt position and is part of a talented group of guards expected to be taken in this year’s lottery. ESPN has him fifth on its list of the top 100 prospects and projects him as the sixth pick in its latest mock draft.
Wagler has impressed scouts with his positional size, shooting touch and quick decision-making, Woo states in a full story. NBA executives see tremendous upside with a chance for stardom if he can improve as a ball-handler.
2026 NBA Draft Early Entrants List
Early entrants who wish to declare for the 2026 NBA draft tentatively have until the end of the day on Friday, April 24 to make that decision official.
Players who declare for the draft this year will have to withdraw by the end of the day on May 27 if they wish to retain their NCAA eligibility. The NBA’s withdrawal deadline, which is more relevant for international prospects, will be on June 13 at 5:00 pm Eastern time. The 2026 draft will take place on June 23 and 24.
Typically, the initial number of early entrants declaring for the draft is far bigger than the final total will be, since many players “test the draft waters” to get feedback on their stock before ultimately deciding to withdraw.
However, the total number of early entrants has been trending sharply downward in recent years. This is due in part to players who were granted an extra year of eligibility in 2021 due to COVID-19 having graduated, meaning we no longer have dozens of “seniors” on the early entrant list. Additionally, the implementation of a rule allowing student athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) has made college basketball more lucrative than going pro for many young players.
Back in 2022, a total of 283 early entrants tested the draft waters and 149 kept their names in the draft pool. In 2025, those figures were down to just 109 and 46, respectively, and this year’s totals will likely be closer to those recent numbers.
We’ll use the space below to keep track of reports and announcements on early entrant prospects and their decisions. We’ll archive them all here in a running list, which will be accessible anytime under “Hoops Rumors Features” on the right sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” page found in our mobile menu.
The players below are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us.
Last updated 4-27-26 (4:03 pm CT)
College Underclassmen
Expected to remain in draft:
- Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Nate Ament, F, Tennessee (freshman)
- Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Cameron Boozer, F, Duke (freshman)
- Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville (freshman)
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor (junior)
- Chris Cenac, F/C, Houston (freshman)
- AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU (freshman)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (sophomore)
- Kingston Flemings, G, Houston (freshman)
- Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara (freshman)
- Koa Peat, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Jayden Quaintance, F/C, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington (freshman)
- Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas (junior)
- Bryson Tucker, F, Washington (sophomore)
- Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina (junior)
- Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina (freshman)
- Tounde Yessoufou, G/F, Baylor (freshman)
Testing the draft waters:
Note: Some of these players may also be transferring to new schools; their 2025/26 school is listed here.
- Matt Able, G, North Carolina State (freshman)
- Amari Allen, F, Alabama (freshman)
- Alijah Arenas, G, USC (freshman)
- Flory Bidunga, F/C, Kansas (sophomore)
- Finley Bizjack, G, Butler (junior)
- John Blackwell, G, Wisconsin (junior)
- Shane Blakeney, G, Drexel (junior)
- Anton Bonke, C, Charlotte (junior)
- Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane (junior)
- Elliot Cadeau, G, Michigan (junior)
- Rueben Chinyelu, C, Florida (junior)
- Jacob Cofie, F, USC (sophomore)
- Cruz Davis, G, Hofstra (junior)
- Kennard Davis, G/F, BYU (junior)
- Keanu Dawes, F, Utah (junior)
- Gabe Dynes, C, USC (junior)
- Eian Elmer, F, Miami (OH) (junior)
- Jeremy Fears, G, Michigan State (junior)
- Colby Garland, G, San Jose State (junior)
- Juke Harris, G, Wake Forest (sophomore)
- Isiah Harwell, G, Houston (freshman)
- Louis Hutchinson, G/F, Alabama (junior)
- Morez Johnson, F/C, Michigan (sophomore)
- Acaden Lewis, G, Villanova (freshman)
- Aday Mara, C, Michigan (junior)
- Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State (junior)
- Malachi Moreno, C, Kentucky (freshman)
- Paulius Murauskas, F, Saint Mary’s (junior)
- Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford (freshman)
- Dennis Parker, G, Radford (junior)
- Sebastian Rancik, F, Colorado (sophomore)
- Billy Richmond, G/F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Andrej Stojakovic, G/F, Illinois (junior)
- Tyler Tanner, G, Vanderbilt (sophomore)
- Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Aiden Tobiason, G, Temple (sophomore)
- LeJuan Watts, F, Texas Tech (junior)
International players
Note: The country indicates where the player had been playing, not necessarily where he was born.
- Mohammad Amini, G/F, France (born 2005)
- Pavle Backo, C, Serbia (born 2007)
- Bassala Bagayoko, C, Spain (born 2006)
- Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain (born 2005)
- Francesco Ferrari, F, Italy (born (2005)
- Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada, G, France (born 2006)
- Vsevolod Ishchenko, G, Russian (born 2005)
- Jack Kayil, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Karim Lopez, F, Australia (born 2007)
- Alex Samodurov, F, Greece (born 2005)
- Luigi Suigo, C, Serbia (born 2007)
Draft Notes: Yessoufou, Fears, Mullins, Roy
On the heels of a strong freshman season, Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou has declared for the 2026 NBA draft, he announced on social media (Instagram link). While Yessoufou could test the waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, his statement doesn’t say anything about that, so we’re assuming for now that he’s focused on going pro.
Yessoufou, 19, was a day-one starter for the Bears in 2025/26 and averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.6 assists in 32.6 minutes per contest. The 6’5″ guard/forward launched 5.3 three-point attempts per game and hit just 29.3% of them, but given his strong physical tools and “flashes of shot-making,” he’s an intriguing NBA prospect, writes Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
Wasserman has Yessoufou coming off the board 34th overall in his latest mock draft, while ESPN’s Jeremy Woo places him 40th on his top-100 list. The 19-year-old has a chance to become a first-round pick with a strong pre-draft process.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Michigan State junior guard Jeremy Fears will test the NBA draft waters this spring, he announced Friday on Instagram. Fears had a breakout 2025/26 season, averaging 15.2 points and an NCAA-best 9.4 assists per game en route to spots on the AP’s All-American second team and the All-Big Ten first team. Still, the 6’2″ guard wouldn’t be a lock to be drafted if he keeps his name in the pool — he ranks 76th on ESPN’s big board.
- After helping UConn reach the national final by scoring double-digit points in five of six NCAA tournament games and hitting a game-winning three-pointer in the Elite Eight vs. Duke, freshman guard Braylon Mullins will face a decision on whether or not to enter the draft. Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com explores that decision, citing one NBA executive who suggested that Mullins would be better off staying in school for another year. UConn head coach Dan Hurley said during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show that Mullins could be better off returning to the Huskies if he’s not sure he’ll be a lottery pick. “Players like Braylon, he probably would make more money at UConn next year than he would if he was the 15th pick,” Hurley said. For what it’s worth, Wasserman moved Mullins up to No. 9 in his latest mock draft, though the freshman ranks 17th on ESPN’s board.
- Oklahoma State guard Anthony Roy is going through the NBA pre-draft process, agent Scott Nichols tells Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link), but he’s also entering the transfer portal in the hopes of gaining one more year of NCAA eligibility due to an ankle injury that limited him to 11 games in 2024/25 at Green Bay. Roy has been enrolled at six schools in six years from 2020-26, but spent two of those seasons at small non-NCAA colleges.
Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie Declaring For 2026 NBA Draft
Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, agents CJ Ward and Mike Miller tell Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Givony, who refers to the freshman as a projected first-round pick, says Okorie has “two feet in the draft,” but if the ACC’s leading scorer returns to college, it will be to Stanford.
Okorie confirmed the news on social media (Instagram link), and his announcement doesn’t say anything about maintaining his college eligibility, even though it sounds like he’ll be testing the draft waters.
A 6’2″ guard, Okorie had an incredibly productive freshman season for the Cardinal, averaging 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals on .465/.354/.832 shooting in 31 games (35.1 minutes per contest). He finished eighth in the country in scoring and only behind projected lottery picks AJ Dybantsa and Darius Acuff Jr. among freshman, writes Josh Dubow of The Associated Press.
“A year ago you guys took a chance on a kid from New Hampshire with zero high major offers, welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to be the best version of myself on and off the court,” Okorie wrote in thanking Stanford’s coaching staff.
Okorie comes in at No. 38 on ESPN’s latest big board, which would make him an early second-round pick, but he goes No. 21 overall in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, who says Okorie’s draft range appears to be wide, with a variety of opinions from scouts.
Draft Notes: Graves, Burries, Mara, Harris, Able, More
Santa Clara freshman forward Allen Graves is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, he announced this week on social media (Twitter link).
Graves only started four of 35 games during his first college season, but he was a valuable reserve for the Broncos, averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 assists in 22.6 minutes per contest. The 19-year-old also had a solid shooting line of .512/.413/.750 and won a pair of awards, having been named the WCC’s Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.
Graves comes in at No. 32 overall in the newly updated big board from Jeremy Woo of ESPN, making him a candidate to be a first-round pick this spring if he has a strong pre-draft process.
Here’s more on the 2026 draft:
- Woo’s new top-100 list features BYU forward AJ Dybantsa taking over the No. 1 spot, with Illinois guard Keaton Wagler moving into the top five in place of Houston’s Kingston Flemings, who slips to No. 7. The biggest risers near the top of Woo’s board are Arizona’s Brayden Burries, who jumped from No. 17 to No. 10, and Michigan’s Aday Mara, who is up to No. 14 after previously ranking 32nd.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has published an updated version of his mock draft, which features Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. coming off the board fifth overall and UConn’s Braylon Mullins moving up to No. 9.
- Wake Forest guard Juke Harris is entering the transfer portal while testing the draft waters, he confirmed on Instagram. Harris had a breakout year for the Demon Deacons as a sophomore in 2025/26, increasing his scoring average to 21.4 points per game and earning Most Improved Player honors in the ACC. He’s currently ranked 39th on ESPN’s big board.
- North Carolina State guard Matt Able, who averaged 8.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG as a reserve across 34 appearances as a freshman, has entered the transfer portal while also putting his name in the NBA draft pool, tweets Jeff Borzello of ESPN. Able is the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s board.
- The following prospects are also entering the 2026 draft (players marked with an asterisk are entering the transfer portal too):
- Dai Dai Ames, G, California (junior) (Twitter link via Joe Tipton of On3) *
- Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane (junior) (Twitter link via Tipton) *
- Dennis Parker, G, Radford (junior) (Twitter link via Travis Branham of 247 Sports) *
- Bryson Tucker, F, Washington (sophomore) (Twitter link)
- LeJuan Watts, F, Texas Tech (junior) (Twitter link via Borzello) *
Houston’s Chris Cenac Entering 2026 NBA Draft
Houston freshman big man Chris Cenac Jr. has decided to enter the 2026 NBA draft, he confirmed today on Instagram. Although Cenac has the option of testing the draft waters while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, his announcement doesn’t say anything about taking that route, so it sounds like he’s committed to going pro.
Cenac had an impressive 2025/26 season for the Cougars, starting 36 of 37 games and averaging 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per contest. The 6’11” forward/center also flashed the ability to stretch the floor, knocking down 30-of-90 three-point attempts (33.3%), and averaged a double-double (10.0 PPG, 12.3 RPG) in three NCAA tournament games.
According to Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link), Cenac is viewed by many NBA executives as a probable top-20 pick in the 2026 draft.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has the 19-year-old ranked 18th overall in his latest big board update, writing that Cenac took some important steps forward as a freshman and has intriguing tools, but “remains a ways from being ready to add value in an NBA game.” Still, he did a good job handling physicality during his first college season and looks like one of the top bigs in this year’s draft class, Woo adds.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has Cenac coming off the board at No. 25 in his latest mock, suggesting that his draft slot may ultimately come down to a team’s belief in his potential as a shooter.
Wizards Hold Onto Lottery Pick As Losses Pile Up
The Wizards preserved their 2026 lottery pick with their latest loss.
Washington won’t have to convey its first-round pick to the Knicks after falling to 17-62 on the season with a 129-98 loss to Chicago on Tuesday. The pick was top-eight protected and the Wizards are now assured of finishing among the bottom three teams in the league, Josh Robbins of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). That means Washington can’t wind up with a pick lower than seventh, regardless of the draft lottery results.
The Wizards no longer owe the Knicks a first-rounder. Instead, they’ll convey their second-round pick this June and their 2027 second-rounder to New York. This year’s second-round selection will be No. 31 overall if the Wizards don’t win one at least one of their final three games.
The Wizards cycled through 26 players this season while failing to win more than two games in a row. They added former All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis via midseason deals, but Young only appeared in five games for the team while Davis has yet to make his D.C. debut.
After winning their first two games following the All-Star break, the Wizards went into all out tank mode and have won just one of their last 24 games. They’ll wrap up their season with home games vs. Chicago on Thursday and Miami on Friday, followed by a visit to Cleveland on Sunday.
Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon Among Prospects Entering Draft
Texas Tech sophomore point guard Christian Anderson is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, agent Aaron Mintz tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Anderson, who turned 20 last Thursday, played a whopping 38.4 minutes per game in 33 starts for the Red Raiders this season and enjoyed a breakout season, claiming a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and being named the conference’s Most Improved Player. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, with a strong shooting line of .472/.415/.805.
Anderson currently ranks 19th on ESPN’s big board for the 2026 draft, with Jeremy Woo writing in last month’s mock draft that NBA evaluators like Anderson’s “well-rounded” game, including his ability to play both on and off the ball.
Here are a few more of the latest draft decisions from NCAA prospects:
- Another breakout sophomore, Alabama guard Labaron Philon, is entering the draft pool, he announced on Instagram. Philon, the No. 21 prospect on ESPN’s board, more than doubled his scoring average, from 10.6 PPG as a freshman to 22.0 PPG in 2025/26. He also contributed 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, making 50.1% of his shots from the floor and 39.9% of his three-pointers. Philon has improved his draft stock after testing the waters and unexpectedly withdrawing a year ago.
- Texas junior wing Dailyn Swain is declaring for the draft, his agents at WME Basketball tell Givony (Twitter link). After transferring from Xavier to the Longhorns for the 2025/26 season, Swain emerged as an All-SEC second-teamer, scoring 17.3 PPG on 54.2% shooting to go along with 7.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG. The 6’8″ swingman is viewed as a potential first-round pick, coming in at No. 29 on ESPN’s board.
- Wisconsin guard John Blackwell will test the draft waters on the heels of a big junior year that saw him make the All-Big Ten third team, he told Jeff Borzello of ESPN (Twitter link). Blackwell, the No. 65 prospect on ESPN’s board, isn’t a lock to be drafted and has also entered the transfer portal, so he may be playing for a new school if he returns to college for his senior season.
- Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, who started 30 games for the Wildcats as a freshman, is testing the draft waters this spring, agent George S. Langberg tells Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 22.6 minutes per contest across 36 total outings in 2025/26. If he decides not to go pro, the plan is for him to return to Kentucky, Chepkevich notes.
Mikel Brown Jr. To Enter 2026 NBA Draft
Projected lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. has confirmed that he intends to enter the 2026 NBA draft, revealing his plans to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
Brown, 20, had a strong freshman season for Louisville in 2025/26, averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 29.2 minutes per game. His shooting line was .410/.344/.844.
Unfortunately, the 6’5″ guard battled back issues for much of the season and was limited to 21 outings, including 19 starts. Brown didn’t play after February 28, and while he was only formally ruled out for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, he suggested to Spears that he likely wouldn’t have been able to suit up even if the Cardinals had advanced to the Sweet 16.
“(My back) really was messed up, but I just kept trying to play through it. And then eventually it just led me to the decision that I wasn’t going to play in both tournaments — the ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament — just because I’m not trained to go half speed at all,” he said. “I always want to go full speed in everything I do, whether that’s me working out or playing a game. I just wasn’t able to do that at the time. So, I just felt like it was best for me to just sit out.”
According to Brown, his injury – diagnosed as a back strain – is improving. He told Spears he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to take part in pre-draft workouts this spring and play in Summer League in July.
While teams drafting in the lottery will likely want to take a close look at Brown’s medicals leading up to June’s draft, the sense remains that he’s a strong candidate to come off the board within the first 10 picks. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has Brown ranked ninth on his big board, while Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has him being selected at No. 8 in his newly updated mock draft.
As Wasserman writes, Brown showed off impressive shot-making and offensive creativity as a college freshman, though he took some questionable shots and didn’t have a great assist-to-turnover ratio. Comparing Brown to Tyler Herro, Wasserman says some NBA evaluators may view him as more of an “offensive spark or specialist” rather than a lead guard.
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Mara, Prospects, Hurley, Lewis
Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg sprained the MCL in his left knee and sprained his left ankle on a dunk attempt in the first half of Saturday’s Final Four victory over Arizona, but he’s determined to play in Monday’s NCAA final, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
“I will be on that floor in that game,” Lendeborg said.
A fifth-year senior who is a projected first-round pick, Lendeborg exited the game twice in the first half after suffering the injuries and played a few minutes in the second half. The 6’9″ forward admitted he was far from 100%.
“I was very scared to guard out there,” Lendeborg said. “And once I did a little bit, it didn’t feel well. I didn’t feel much pain on the plant. So I mean … when I play Monday, I’m going to be a corner three-point shooter.”
Michigan trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg had limited swelling when the injuries occurred, and told ESPN the Big Ten Player of the Year will receive “around-the-clock” treatment ahead of Monday’s championship game.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Although Lendeborg was productive (11 points and three rebounds), he was limited to just 14 minutes due to foul trouble and the injuries. Michigan center Aday Mara stepped up in a major way in the blowout victory over the Wildcats, finishing with 26 points (on 11-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. “Aday was sensational,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “He was at the rim, catching lobs. He was a force down low. He was a pressure release up top. I mean, he’s such a smart basketball player. And obviously his rim protection — he did a great job on (Koa) Peat. He did a great job forcing a lot of those misses around the basket because of his aggression.” Mara, a 7’3″ junior from Spain, is currently No. 32 on ESPN’s best available players list.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports listed 24 potential NBA prospects to watch prior to the Final Four, including Lendeborg, Mara, and Peat, among others. UConn defeated Illinois in the other Final Four matchup and will be looking for its third title in four years.
- Speaking of the Huskies, head coach Dan Hurley told Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 that he’s not interested in UNC’s head coaching vacancy (Twitter video link). However, he left the door open for a possible NBA job in the future. “I’m a UConn coach until the end,” Hurley said. “You know, maybe the NBA some day down the line.” The Lakers tried to hire Hurley a couple years ago, but he wound up returning to Storrs on a lucrative long-term contract.
- Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis is entering the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). The 6’2″ guard, who was a second-team All-Big East selection in 2025/26, is also entering the transfer portal, Tipton adds.