The player pool for the 2026 NBA Draft is officially locked following the NCAA withdrawal deadline on May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET. With the collegiate roster set, ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo released an updated Top 100 big board that sets the final pre-combine evaluations for front offices across the league.
AJ Dybantsa remains the undisputed top prospect across major scouting platforms. The Washington Wizards are heavily projected to select him first overall, a position the franchise has not held since the 2010 draft. Dybantsa enters the professional transition with unprecedented momentum after scoring the third-most points by a freshman in NCAA history.
The updated board also solidifies the draft stock of several standout collegiate athletes making the jump. Tennessee forward Nate Ament climbed into the lottery conversation at No. 9 overall. His Volunteers teammates Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara also secured top-50 evaluations, landing at No. 44 and No. 46 respectively, according to the latest positional rankings breakdown.
Front offices will use these evaluations to dictate their strategy heading into the combine. The consensus surrounding Dybantsa at the top of the board leaves little room for debate, with CBS Sports and other major outlets mirroring ESPN’s assessment of his historic freshman campaign.