Five 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Surging Up Boards During the College Season

The 2026 NBA Draft rankings outside of the consensus at the top are topsy-turvy and won't settle for months.

Amidst the cold spells, hot streaks and endless speculation game-to-game, a handful of prospects have vaulted themselves into a new echelon as the season progresses.

Stars may be born in March, draft stock oftentimes is a slow burn. New skills, thriving in an expanded role or simply an unforgettable scoring performance, we identified five prospects that have turned heads throughout the college basketball season thus far.

Kingston Flemings (Guard, Freshman, Houston)

Draft Stock: Top 5–10

Flemings arrived in Houston a five-star recruit, but has taken the bull by the horns his freshman season and rocketed his way to legitimate Top-5 consideration in recent weeks.

Fresh off a 42-point outburst against Texas Tech on January 24th, Kingston is a dual-wield guard that blends three-level scoring with heads-up playmaking as a north-to-south attacker. He changes speed at a moment's notice, and the body control and ambidexterity he flashes around the rim stands out.

Flirting with a 50-40-80 shooting season, his shooting form is robotic with ample elevation. Defensively, Flemings is fleet of foot on-the-ball and around screens and, after turning 19 years old a month ago, should fill out his frame in due time to quell any strength concerns.

Keaton Wagler (Guard, Freshman, Illinois)

Draft Stock: Top 10

A 6-6 combo guard, Wagler has been lights-out from distance — converting 43.8 percent of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game.

He erupted for 46 points and 9 made threes on January 24th in the midst of an 11-game win streak for the Fighting Illini. Despite a low release point, Keaton's jump shot is snappy and high-arcing. He is comfortable using reset dribbles to free up space against shifting defenders or around handoffs.

Wagler does not possess extraordinary A-to-B quickness and, consequently, he tends to drive the ball with his back turned to defenders or leads with his shoulder. But he is excellent at playing off two feet inside the arc.

He lacks the short-area mobility and lateral shiftiness to keep pace with some opposing guards on defense, but his positional size and plus-wingspan provide a decent floor.

Cameron Carr (Guard, Junior, Baylor)

Draft Stock: Top 20

Carr transferred to Baylor mid-season in 2024–25 after a thumb injury limited him to just four games. He was barely on the draft radar six months ago, but he has flipped the script as a Junior.

From minimal playing time at Tennessee to season averages of 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 52.1 percent from the field, and 40 percent from deep, Carr is a can't-miss prospect.

He has svelte dimensions, a staggering 7-foot-2 wingspan, eye-popping athleticism, and deep shooting range. Carr is attuned to using screens to his advantage and is decisive in a straight-line when run off the 3-point line.

Cameron is limited as a primary ball carrier and distributor, but he fits the 3-and-D mould nicely with the added bonus of being a lob threat when slashing to the basket.

Hannes Steinbach (Forward, Freshman, Washington)

Draft Stock: Lottery

A 6-11, 220-pound hybrid big from Germany, Steinbach shifted from fringe draft prospect to lottery-bound in a matter of months.

He has recorded a double-double in 15 of his 19 college games thus far and converted 37 percent of his 35 3-point attempts. Hannes boasts a floor game that is hard to come by for a guy his size, courtesy of fluid movement and agility.

What he lacks in low-post craft, he makes up for by dominating with a head of steam as a roller and while coasting down floor as a serial transition threat. A smart screener and intuitive cutter, Steinbach's attention-to-detail and court sense is readily apparent on both sides of the ball.

Labaron Philon (Guard, Sophomore, Alabama)

Draft Stock: Lottery

Philon was a late scratch from the 2025 NBA Draft, opting to return to Alabama for his sophomore season despite late first-round to early second-round buzz. A wise decision as it turned out.

Labaron has almost double his scoring output as a Sophomore (an SEC-leading 21.6 points per game) while upping his 2-point and 3-point efficiency on sky-high 31.4 percent usage.

A 6-4 point guard, Labaron is devious with a live dribble with nothing overly flashy or daring. His unpredictable tempo and atypical compass to kite defenders off the dribble, get to spots, and make plays for himself or others.

Despite a wiry frame, Philon is a dogged defender when guarding the ball in a stance.