USATSI
Offseason in college basketball is officially in full swing. With a champion crowned, there are more than 1,200 players already in the transfer portal and a strong contingent of the sport’s top talents have formally declared for this year’s draft well ahead of the looming entry deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 24.
In fact, nearly half of the top 60 talents on the CBS Sports Big Board have formally declared for the draft and four of the top 10 to boot. The names continue to get bigger as we get closer to the deadline. Jabari Smith, Jaden Ivey and Johnny Davis — top-five prospects on our board — entered their name into the draft after breakout 2021-22 seasons. Kentucky guard TyTy Washington is also now in the mix after a brief stay in Lexington. Together, they join a growing list of potential first-rounders already testing the draft process that includes Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin, Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell, Iowa’s Keegan Murray and LSU’s Tari Eason. Elder statesmen like Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis are also testing the waters and leaving open a return to college.
More top underclassmen talents will likely be joining this list soon in the coming days and weeks ahead of the April 24 declaration deadline. With so many top talents playing deep into the NCAA Tournament this year, though — like KU’s Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun or Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Mark Williams and AJ Griffin — they could be later decisions to drop in the process. After all, Kansas didn’t have its championship parade until Sunday — they’ve had other things on their mind.
As the list grows we’ll continue this updated tracker to give you a full scope of what the draft landscape looks like ahead of this summer. Keep in mind that not only is this list is expected to grow, but underclassmen that declare — even if they sign with an agent — are still eligible to return to college. The withdrawal deadline this year is nearly one month after the combine, scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on June 13.
Underclassmen on the NBA Draft Big Board
Other early entrants
Justyn Mutts, Virginia Tech
Jordan Walker, UABRon Harper Jr., Rutgers
Alondes Williams, Wake ForestJake Laravia, Wake ForestJohni Broome, Morehead StateDaivien Williamson, Wake Forest
James Akinjo, BaylorJaylin Williams, ArkansasTrayce Jackson-Davis, IndianaDrew Timme, Gonzaga
Teddy Allen, New Mexico StateAdonis Arms, Texas TechCole Swider, SyracuseIzaiah Brockington, Iowa StateKevin McCullar, Texas TechKeion Brooks, KentuckyAu’Diese Toney, ArkansasGabe Brown, Michigan StateDavid Roddy, Colorado StateLester Quinones, MemphisVince Williams, VCUKyle Foster, HowardMarcus Bingham Jr., Michigan State
Trevion Williams, PurdueMarcus Sasser, HoustonJustin Minaya, ProvidenceAnthony Duruji, Florida
Jaden Shackelford, AlabamaIsiaih Mobley, Missouri StateIsaiah Mobley, USCOsun Osunniyi, St. BonaventureCourtney Ramey, TexasTaze Moore, Houston
Tyrese Martin, UConnJustin Bean, Utah State
Peter Kiss, BryantTyler Burton, RichmondKenneth Lofton, Louisiana TechNijel Pack, Kansas StateJordan Hall, Saint Joseph’sNate Roberts, WashingtonJaden Jones, RutgersRyan Terell, Yeshiva University
