The national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament take place on Saturday, April 4, showcasing some of the best athletes across college basketball. Scouts will likely swarm Indianapolis to get a live look at several 2026 NBA Draft prospects in action.
PrizePicks Team Picks features payouts for 2026 NBA Draft predictions, including the No. 1 overall pick, who will be drafted in the top 10 selections, and more.
Let’s highlight the best 2026 NBA Draft prospects playing in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament this weekend.
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Best 2026 NBA Draft Prospects in the NCAA Tournament National Semifinals
The 2026 NBA Draft class is one of the most loaded crops in recent memory, even gaining comparisons to the legendary 2003 class: F LeBron James, F Carmelo Anthony, G Dwayne Wade, and PF Chris Bosh.
BYU F AJ Dybantsa, Kansas G Darryn Peterson, Duke F Cameron Boozer, North Carolina F Caleb Wilson, and Arkansas PG Darius Acuff Jr. all became household names during the 2025-26 college basketball season. Frankly, any of the five prospects could have the stuff to be a No. 1 pick in most draft cycles, but the 2026 group is a different beast.
The top prospects of the 2026 NBA Draft will not play in this weekend’s national semifinals, but elite prospects will still be on show. Illinois G Keaton Wagler, Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg, and Arizona F Koa Peat are a few players earning first-round attention.
In fact, PrizePicks Team Picks has each player among payouts to be drafted in the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Players Drafted in the Top 10 of the 2026 NBA Draft: Favorites, Payouts
Let’s look at a full breakdown of the latest favorites and payouts for players to be drafted in the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Payouts indicate real-money earnings if a 2026 NBA Draft prediction is correct; for example, 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks. “Yes” payouts represent the player being drafted in the top 10 selections; “No” payouts indicate players if they are not drafted among the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Illinois G Keaton Wagler, Arizona F Koa Peat, and Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg and C Aday Mara are potential top-10 NBA picks participating in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals.
- Arkansas PG Darius Acuff Jr. – Yes 1.02x | No 7.69x
- Illinois G Keaton Wagler – Yes 1.06x | No 6.25x
- Houston PG Kingston Flemings – Yes 1.06x | No 6.25x
- Louisville G Mikel Brown Jr. – Yes 1.33x | No 2.85x
- Tennessee F Nate Ament – Yes 2.38x | No 1.47x
- Alabama G Labaron Philon Jr. – Yes 2.7x | No 1.35x
- Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg – Yes 2.77x | No 1.33x
- Kentucky C Jayden Quaintance – Yes 3.33x | No 1.25x
- Michigan C Aday Mara – Yes 3.84x | No 1.17x
- Arizona F Koa Peat – Yes 5x | No 1.11x
As the top prospects of the 2026 class, Dybantsa (22.22x), Boozer (22.22x), Peterson (16.66x), and Wilson (11.11x) feature only lofty “No” payouts to be drafted in the top 10 picks.
NBA prospects in the NCAA Tournament national semifinals do not stop there, as all four teams are led by at least one potential first-round prospect for the 2026 class. Let’s look at each squad’s best 2026 NBA Draft prospects.
NBA Draft payouts are live as of writing but are subject to change.
Arizona 2026 NBA Draft Prospects
Beginning with Arizona, standout freshman F Koa Peat and G Brayden Burries lead the charge. Burries tops the Wildcats with 16.1 points per game (PPG) and 1.5 steals per contest. Peat’s making a significant impact, too, posting 14.1 PPG and 5.5 rebounds per game (PPG).
Peat has been widely regarded as a potential top-15 selection since erupting for 30 points in his collegiate debut on November 3 vs. Florida. The former five-star prospect continues to help his case with 17.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in the NCAA Tournament.
Sean Deveney of heavy.com recently mocked Peat to the Portland Trail Blazers with the 12th overall selection, and Adam Finklestein of CBS Sports projected the freshman forward in the 12th spot of his 2026 NBA Mock Draft.
Burries could be one of the big risers for the upcoming draft, as Rookie Scale’s 2026 NBA Draft Consensus Big Board ranks the standout guard 10th overall. He also landed ninth overall in Deveney’s mock draft.
According to EvanMiya, Burries is an exceptional two-way guard with his elite 3.99 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR).
His teammate, Arizona C Motiejus Krivas, boasts a 4.99 DBPR that ranks sixth nationally. Krivas is another Wildcat carrying NBA attention, ranking 29th on the consensus big board.
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Illinois 2026 NBA Draft Prospects
The Fighting Illini do not have as much talent as Arizona, but Illinois G Keaton Wagler is the most coveted 2026 NBA Draft prospect participating in the national semifinals.
In fact, Wagler is sixth on the consensus big board. Plus, Deveney (sixth) and Finklestein (fifth) have the Illinois freshman as a top six pick in their mock drafts.
Wagler’s 17.9 PPG leads Illinois, and his 48.0% 2-point percentage and 40.7% 3-point percentage prove he’s a legitimate three-level scorer. After recording 15.0 PPG in his first three NCAA Tournament games, the Kansas native comes off his best postseason game in the Round of 8 with 25 points.
Michigan 2026 NBA Draft Prospects
The Michigan Wolverines could be the only team in the semifinals that could rival Arizona’s NBA talent. According to Bart Torvik, Michigan (first) and Arizona (second) are college basketball’s leaders in efficiency rankings.
Saturday’s 8:49 p.m. ET tip-off could become a legendary NCAA Tournament clash, with PrizePicks Team Picks listing the Wolverines as a 1.5-point favorite for the spread.
Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg is the squad’s top NBA talent, leading the team with 15.2 PPG. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 21.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG while shooting 59.2% from the field and 50.0% on 3-pointers.
Rounding out the daunting frontcourt, Michigan F Morez Johnson Jr. (26th) and C Aday Mara (25th) each rank among the top 30 prospects on the consensus big board.
Johnson (13.2 PPG) and Mara (11.8 PPG) are the team’s second- and third-leading scorers. Additionally, EvanMiya credits Johnson (4.68) and Mara (5.32) with dominant DBPRs.
UConn 2026 NBA Draft Prospects
Similar to Illinois, UConn is led by one potential 2026 NBA Draft first-round selection. Frankly, the Huskies could be the least talented team in the national semifinals.
While UConn C Tarris Reed Jr. has been a monster with 21.8 PPG and 13.5 RPG in the NCAA Tournament, No Ceilings’ 2026 NBA Draft Big Board has the Huskies big man ranked 40th overall. UConn G Braylon Mullins (11.9 PPG), who drained the Round of 8’s legendary game-winning 3-pointer, tops the Huskies’ NBA prospects, ranked 17th on the consensus big board.
Mullins entered the 2025-26 college basketball season as potentially one of the best shooters of the 2026 draft class. However, he’s shot only 32.8% on 3-pointers this season and 20.8% in the NCAA Tournament. Perhaps Mullins’ late-game heroics in the regional finals have aided his first-round draft potential.
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Make 2026 NBA Draft Picks on PrizePicks
Among the mentioned 2026 NBA Draft prospects, Wagler, Burries, Peat, and Mullins are all freshmen. The 2025-26 college basketball season has showcased one of the best freshman classes in years.
PrizePicks Team Picks offers payouts for freshmen to be selected in the top 10 picks of the 2026 NBA Draft. Currently, “Yes” for 8+ freshmen to be drafted in the top 10 has the lowest payout at 1.04x.
You can predict your NCAA Tournament winners and make predictions on where the top NBA Draft prospects will land on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news through the NCAA Tournament and for the latest news surrounding the 2026 NBA Draft.
