2026 NBA DRAFT CLASS

JMAC3 · Post #541 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 5:47 pm

tontoz wrote:Ament doesn't get to the rim or shoot 3s well. Turnovers and assists are roughly equal. He has put up stats against .500 teams. The last two games against winning teams he wet the bed. Not impressed

He does get to the rim. You don't shoot 207 Free Throws not getting to the rim.

tontoz · Post #542 » by **tontoz** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 6:12 pm

JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:Ament doesn't get to the rim or shoot 3s well. Turnovers and assists are roughly equal. He has put up stats against .500 teams. The last two games against winning teams he wet the bed. Not impressed

He does get to the rim. You don't shoot 207 Free Throws not getting to the rim.

He tries to get to the rim he just sucks at actually getting there and converting.

Unfortunately, Ament has both struggled to get all the way to the rim and convert when he gets there. There are both physical and technical issues here. From a physical standpoint, Ament doesn’t have a super easy way to create advantages. He’s not a blur with his first step, nor is he so powerful that he can simply drive his man backwards. On a technical level, it feels as if Ament can premeditate his drives at times. He’ll find himself swarmed in traffic but still toss up an ill-advised shot despite open teammates and time on the clock. His counter footwork, particularly with Eurosteps, isn’t always the cleanest, which can lead to clunky gathers. Additionally, his lack of strength is an issue. He has a hard time holding his line when bumped, and he doesn’t elevate well through contact. Ament’s low dunk numbers are a function of his lack of straight-line burst and his subpar lift without a runway. All of these problems compound each other. As a result, Ament is shooting just 46.1% on all twos and 46.7% at the rim in the halfcourt, both of which are scary marks for a forward prospect. And unlike the shooting, it’s harder to be optimistic in my projection here. It feels unlikely that Ament can make such a physical leap in terms of both speed and strength while also

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/nate-ament-and-resetting-expectations

Post #543 » by **HMFFL** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 6:25 pm

BigGargamel wrote:
CptCrunch wrote:It's February, we need to knee jerk as always.

I'm moving Boozer to the #1 locked until draft. Nothing will change this now.

I have Peterson at 2, Wilson at 3, Dybantsa at 4, Fleming at 5, Wagler at 6. That completes tier 1 of this draft. I would be comfortable drafting any of these players as #1 in an average draft.

1. Boozer
2. Peterson
3. Wilson
4. Dybantsa
5. Flemings
6. Wagler

I think the top 6 is pretty much set in stone. As much as it can be in February. I got the same guys, just different order.

1. Boozer
2. Dybantsa
3. Peterson
4. Flemings
5. Wilson
6. Wagler

Next tier, many more question marks - Ament, Acuff, Steinbach, Burries, Philon, Brown Jr.

Kingston Flemings needs to raise his level of play. He has been in a slump against good teams and I expect him to drop some. He won't go top 4.

tontoz · Post #544 » by **tontoz** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 6:29 pm

HMFFL wrote:
Kingston Flemings needs to raise his level of play. He has been in a slump against good teams and I expect him to drop some. He won't go top 4.

Ive had Flemings at 5 for awhile but i am starting to think he has to drop. He doesn't get to the foul line much and doesn't shoot a lot of 3s so his efficiency isn't that good.

JMAC3 · Post #545 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:01 pm

tontoz wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:Ament doesn't get to the rim or shoot 3s well. Turnovers and assists are roughly equal. He has put up stats against .500 teams. The last two games against winning teams he wet the bed. Not impressed

He does get to the rim. You don't shoot 207 Free Throws not getting to the rim.

He tries to get to the rim he just sucks at actually getting there and converting.

Unfortunately, Ament has both struggled to get all the way to the rim and convert when he gets there. There are both physical and technical issues here. From a physical standpoint, Ament doesn’t have a super easy way to create advantages. He’s not a blur with his first step, nor is he so powerful that he can simply drive his man backwards. On a technical level, it feels as if Ament can premeditate his drives at times. He’ll find himself swarmed in traffic but still toss up an ill-advised shot despite open teammates and time on the clock. His counter footwork, particularly with Eurosteps, isn’t always the cleanest, which can lead to clunky gathers. Additionally, his lack of strength is an issue. He has a hard time holding his line when bumped, and he doesn’t elevate well through contact. Ament’s low dunk numbers are a function of his lack of straight-line burst and his subpar lift without a runway. All of these problems compound each other. As a result, Ament is shooting just 46.1% on all twos and 46.7% at the rim in the halfcourt, both of which are scary marks for a forward prospect. And unlike the shooting, it’s harder to be optimistic in my projection here. It feels unlikely that Ament can make such a physical leap in terms of both speed and strength while also

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/nate-ament-and-resetting-expectations

Right, but it doesn't include all the times he is getting fouled and making free throws.
He shoots 80% from FT, so everytime he is fouled he is scoring 1.6 points or equivalent of finishing 80% of layups.
So to me it is silly to exclude that part from the convo because a guy that draws a ton of fouls at the rim is more valuable than a guy who shoots a few % higher but draws half the fouls.

Dybantsa 76% at the rim. 236 FTA
Ament is shooting 55% at the rim. 207 FTA
Philon 67% at the rim. 156 FTA
Acuff 63% at the rim. 135 FTA
Mikel 65% at rim. 112 FTA
Burries 65% at rim. 113 FTA
Ebuki 53% at the rim. 178 FTA.
Fleming 60% at the rim. 101 FTA
Peterson 61% at the rim. 78 FTA
Amari 59% at the rim. 90 FTA.

tontoz · Post #546 » by **tontoz** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:11 pm

JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:
He does get to the rim. You don't shoot 207 Free Throws not getting to the rim.

He tries to get to the rim he just sucks at actually getting there and converting.

Unfortunately, Ament has both struggled to get all the way to the rim and convert when he gets there. There are both physical and technical issues here. From a physical standpoint, Ament doesn’t have a super easy way to create advantages. He’s not a blur with his first step, nor is he so powerful that he can simply drive his man backwards. On a technical level, it feels as if Ament can premeditate his drives at times. He’ll find himself swarmed in traffic but still toss up an ill-advised shot despite open teammates and time on the clock. His counter footwork, particularly with Eurosteps, isn’t always the cleanest, which can lead to clunky gathers. Additionally, his lack of strength is an issue. He has a hard time holding his line when bumped, and he doesn’t elevate well through contact. Ament’s low dunk numbers are a function of his lack of straight-line burst and his subpar lift without a runway. All of these problems compound each other. As a result, Ament is shooting just 46.1% on all twos and 46.7% at the rim in the halfcourt, both of which are scary marks for a forward prospect. And unlike the shooting, it’s harder to be optimistic in my projection here. It feels unlikely that Ament can make such a physical leap in terms of both speed and strength while also

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/nate-ament-and-resetting-expectations

Right, but it doesn't include all the times he is getting fouled and making free throws.
He shoots 80% from FT, so everytime he is fouled he is scoring 1.6 points or equivalent of finishing 80% of layups.
So to me it is silly to exclude that part from the convo because a guy that draws a ton of fouls at the rim is more valuable than a guy who shoots a few % higher but draws half the fouls.

Dybantsa 76% at the rim. 236 FTA
Ament is shooting 55% at the rim. 207 FTA
Philon 67% at the rim. 156 FTA
Acuff 63% at the rim. 135 FTA
Mikel 65% at rim. 112 FTA
Burries 65% at rim. 113 FTA
Ebuki 53% at the rim. 178 FTA.
Fleming 60% at the rim. 101 FTA
Peterson 61% at the rim. 78 FTA
Amari 59% at the rim. 90 FTA.

Driving into guys and getting calls is a different subject. As far as actually getting to the rim and finishing, he sucks. That is a big red flag for a guy that 6'10.

AJ gets to the rim at a high rate and finishes at a high rate. Ament does neither.

JMAC3 · Post #547 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:15 pm

tontoz wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:
He tries to get to the rim he just sucks at actually getting there and converting.

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/nate-ament-and-resetting-expectations

Right, but it doesn't include all the times he is getting fouled and making free throws.
He shoots 80% from FT, so everytime he is fouled he is scoring 1.6 points or equivalent of finishing 80% of layups.
So to me it is silly to exclude that part from the convo because a guy that draws a ton of fouls at the rim is more valuable than a guy who shoots a few % higher but draws half the fouls.

Dybantsa 76% at the rim. 236 FTA
Ament is shooting 55% at the rim. 207 FTA
Philon 67% at the rim. 156 FTA
Acuff 63% at the rim. 135 FTA
Mikel 65% at rim. 112 FTA
Burries 65% at rim. 113 FTA
Ebuki 53% at the rim. 178 FTA.
Fleming 60% at the rim. 101 FTA
Peterson 61% at the rim. 78 FTA
Amari 59% at the rim. 90 FTA.

Driving into guys and getting calls is a different subject. As far as actually getting to the rim and finishing, he sucks. That is a big red flag for a guy that 6'10.

AJ gets to the rim at a high rate and finishes at a high rate. Ament does neither.

Right which is why AJ will go #1 and Ament won't....

Again you don't shoot 200+ FTA if you never get to the rim, but if you don't think that is true then we will just have to agree to disagree.

babyjax13 · Post #548 » by **babyjax13** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:23 pm

JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:Ament doesn't get to the rim or shoot 3s well. Turnovers and assists are roughly equal. He has put up stats against .500 teams. The last two games against winning teams he wet the bed. Not impressed

He does get to the rim. You don't shoot 207 Free Throws not getting to the rim.

Yah, he's actually pretty relentless throwing himself into the paint. He was a little passive to start the year, but in games since then he has been more aggressive. My criticism of him is that he was supposed to be a good shooter and it really looks like he has poor touch on that shot. If it is bad enough he could be Sam Dekker, but I don't think that will be the case. I see a lot of rookie year Chandler Parsons in his game.

babyjax13 · Post #549 » by **babyjax13** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:24 pm

tontoz wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:
tontoz wrote:
He tries to get to the rim he just sucks at actually getting there and converting.

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/nate-ament-and-resetting-expectations

Right, but it doesn't include all the times he is getting fouled and making free throws.
He shoots 80% from FT, so everytime he is fouled he is scoring 1.6 points or equivalent of finishing 80% of layups.
So to me it is silly to exclude that part from the convo because a guy that draws a ton of fouls at the rim is more valuable than a guy who shoots a few % higher but draws half the fouls.

Dybantsa 76% at the rim. 236 FTA
Ament is shooting 55% at the rim. 207 FTA
Philon 67% at the rim. 156 FTA
Acuff 63% at the rim. 135 FTA
Mikel 65% at rim. 112 FTA
Burries 65% at rim. 113 FTA
Ebuki 53% at the rim. 178 FTA.
Fleming 60% at the rim. 101 FTA
Peterson 61% at the rim. 78 FTA
Amari 59% at the rim. 90 FTA.

Driving into guys and getting calls is a different subject. As far as actually getting to the rim and finishing, he sucks. That is a big red flag for a guy that 6'10.

AJ gets to the rim at a high rate and finishes at a high rate. Ament does neither.

Is it a red flag - yes - but he also has such a skinny frame that has a lot of room to add strength. I could see him improving to an acceptable level at the rim pretty easily.

tontoz · Post #550 » by **tontoz** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:25 pm

JMAC3 wrote:
Right which is why AJ will go #1 and Ament won't....

Again you don't shoot 200+ FTA if you never get to the rim, but if you don't think that is true then we will just have to agree to disagree.

I am not claiming he never gets to the rim, i am claiming he sucks at it. Shooting 46% on 2s is a pretty big red flag for a guy 6'10.

Driving into guys and baiting the refs is a different subject.

BlazersBroncos · Post #551 » by **BlazersBroncos** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 7:30 pm

tontoz wrote:
JMAC3 wrote:
Right which is why AJ will go #1 and Ament won't....

Again you don't shoot 200+ FTA if you never get to the rim, but if you don't think that is true then we will just have to agree to disagree.

I am not claiming he never gets to the rim, i am claiming he sucks at it. Shooting 46% on 2s is a pretty big red flag for a guy 6'10.

Driving into guys and baiting the refs is a different subject.

But he isnt just baiting guys, he is drawing fouls on plays where he beats his man to the rim.

I am willing to work on a decently small sample size showing poor rim finishing when the same player is posting a .575 FTr. I think the former is more correctable than the latter. Its rare to see guys develop in a large way at getting to the line - less rare to see guys develop in finishing at the rim (EX Scoot Henderson Y1 50%, Y2 59%, Y3 [small sample size] 64%).

Basically, its harder to develop knowing how to get to the rim than it is tweaking some finishing skills. Its a final touch to a bigger trait - simply getting there.

RookieStar · Post #552 » by **RookieStar** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 8:31 pm

I dunno if this is the thread for it, but which of the guys we talked about here you think are "padding" their measurements? Like adding an inch or 2 to their listed height?

Caneman786 · Post #553 » by **Caneman786** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 8:32 pm

Boozer takes the lead in advanced stats for the best single-season all-time!

Link to post: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2396992&start=440#p121232852

Caneman786 wrote:
Caneman786 wrote:With this game, Cameron Boozer passes Zion Williamson in Bart-Torvik's database for the HIGHEST SINGLE-SEASON BPM in NCAA D1 Men's College Basketball history (going back to the 2008–09 season. Not just among freshmen, but any player.

*Including any player who played at least 3% of their team's minutes in a season.

Cameron Boozer's Bart-Torvik BPM is now 18.8

Leaderboard (top 5)

18.8 - Cameron Boozer, Duke Freshman Forward in 2026
18.7 - Zion Williamson, Duke Freshman Forward in 2019
16.6 - Anthony Davis, Kentucky Freshman Forward in 2012
15.8 - Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina Senior Guard in 2017
15.5 - Zach Edey, Purdue Senior Center in 2024

Addition:

Cameron Boozer also has passed Zion Williamson on College-Basketball-Reference's version of BPM, which goes back to the 2010–11 season.

Caneman786 wrote:Turns out Boozer has taken the lead in EvanMiya BPR (passing Zach Edey) and Hoop-Explorer Luck-Adjusted RAPM as well.

So in an update to this post I made earlier here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2396992&start=400#p121208446

Now Cameron Boozer leads all-time for the best single season in ALL of these four major advanced statistics.

Caneman786 wrote:At the age of 18, Cameron Boozer is nearly the best basketball player to step on an NCAA D1 court in the last decade. Not just among freshmen, but even among all players, including superstar seniors like Zach Edey and Yaxel Lendeborg. He's in the conversation for sure.

In these four advanced stats, this is where Cameron Boozer's 2025–26 season ranks all-time with 27 college games played:

College-Basketball-Reference BPM (going back to the 2010–11 season):

+20.1, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019
+19.8, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+17.2, Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis 2012
+17.1, South Carolina Senior Sindarius Thornwell 2017
+16.8, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+16.8, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026

Bart Torvik BPM (going back to the 2007–08 season):

+18.7, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019
+18.2, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+16.6, Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis 2012
+15.8, South Carolina Senior Sindarius Thornwell 2017
+15.5, Davidson Sophomore Stephen Curry 2008
+15.5, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024

EvanMiya BPR (going back to the 2009–10 season):

+14.28, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+14.06, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+13.08, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026
+13.07, Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg 2025
+12.84, Utah Sophomore Delon Wright 2015

Hoop-Explorer Luck-Adjusted RAPM (going back to the 2018–19 season):

+15.6, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+15.3, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+14.8, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026
+14.3, Illinois Freshman Keaton Wagler 2026
+13.6, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019

He is #2 in all of the four statistics! And depending on how his next games shake up, he may have the honor of taking the lead in all four of these stats.

The production is undeniable here.

BigGargamel · Post #554 » by **BigGargamel** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 8:58 pm

tontoz wrote:
HMFFL wrote:
Kingston Flemings needs to raise his level of play. He has been in a slump against good teams and I expect him to drop some. He won't go top 4.

Ive had Flemings at 5 for awhile but i am starting to think he has to drop. He doesn't get to the foul line much and doesn't shoot a lot of 3s so his efficiency isn't that good.

Well, to drop someone, someone else has to go up. I have Wilson/Flemings/Wagler pretty even. I don't see anyone else breaking through and taking over those guys, slumps or not.

tontoz · Post #555 » by **tontoz** » Wed Feb 25, 2026 9:03 pm

BigGargamel wrote:
tontoz wrote:
HMFFL wrote:
Kingston Flemings needs to raise his level of play. He has been in a slump against good teams and I expect him to drop some. He won't go top 4.

Ive had Flemings at 5 for awhile but i am starting to think he has to drop. He doesn't get to the foul line much and doesn't shoot a lot of 3s so his efficiency isn't that good.

Well, to drop someone, someone else has to go up. I have Wilson/Flemings/Wagler pretty even. I don't see anyone else breaking through and taking over those guys, slumps or not.

Yeah i currently have Wagler at 6, Acuff at 7. Both guys have been playing well. I can see moving one or both ahead of Flemings if he doesn't pick it up.

I actually have Wilson at 3.

azcatz11 · Post #556 » by **azcatz11** » Thu Feb 26, 2026 2:32 am

ReggiesKnicks wrote:
azcatz11 wrote:
ReggiesKnicks wrote:
In what sense?

Reed is significantly better in college.

Do you think Reed is an actual prospect? He seems like he could have a solid career as a third string center I guess. UCONN doesn't really run any set plays for him down low. Seems like all his offensive production is second chance points.

I like his mobility at his strength for a center. Mostly a backup center, correct. He has some face-up and post-up game, which shows some ability; it isn't like he is a complete nothing offensively.

Maybe he doesn't get drafted, but I like him as a 2nd round pick.

Did you see the game tonight? Monster first half…he was all over the place.

vincecarter4pres · Post #557 » by **vincecarter4pres** » Thu Feb 26, 2026 3:11 am

Feel like Amari Allen is way too slept on, should get late lotto to late teens love, could be a massive steal.

babyjax13 · Post #558 » by **babyjax13** » Thu Feb 26, 2026 7:39 am

I still need to be sold on Flemmings. I see some of the appeal, but he has a very high dribble and isn't someone transcendent game manager. He fits the modern NBA and I think he will be good, but I definitely prefer Mikel Brown and I think I prefer Acuff, too? What am I missing? I may have just caught the wrong games so far lol.

vincecarter4pres · Post #559 » by **vincecarter4pres** » Thu Feb 26, 2026 1:45 pm

babyjax13 wrote:I still need to be sold on Flemmings. I see some of the appeal, but he has a very high dribble and isn't someone transcendent game manager. He fits the modern NBA and I think he will be good, but I definitely prefer Mikel Brown and I think I prefer Acuff, too? What am I missing? I may have just caught the wrong games so far lol.

I was super high on Flemings earlier, but lately he’s been pretty inefficient and a little sloppy.

I think he’ll be money in the NBA, but already had him and Acuff neck and neck.

Acuff looks pretty incredible, the issue with him is he feels like a guy who has to keep doing what he’s doing with the high usage, focal point heliocentric to have big impact, so you have to believe he’s a Dame or Marbury without the crazy, or Brunson kind of guy to take him super high. Not even saying I’d bet against him, but still.

I feel like Flemings could be a lot more like an athletic Conley even if he doesn’t become a total star.

Idk how to feel about Brown. He’s so fire and ice, but he’s also creative and probably has the best measurements.

Philon needs mention as well, he should be right in the mix with these guys and Wagler.

Tough class. Super talented, high floors, high ceilings, a lot of quality quantity, but there’s just no way they all pan out.

BostoNZ · Post #560 » by **BostoNZ** » Fri Feb 27, 2026 3:32 am

Glad you mentioned Philon - could see him going as high as 5th, he's so good.