The quality of a historically good freshman class has kept excitement high around the 2026 NBA draft, as reflected by the behavior of multiple teams doing everything in their power to lose games -- and pivot toward improved lottery odds. In 2017, a record 11 freshmen were selected among the 14 lottery picks. This year’s group will challenge and potentially break that mark: The nine prospects atop ESPN’s rankings are all freshmen, with five others inside the top 20 within striking distance. All of them, save for big man Hannes Steinbach (Washington), are projected to make the NCAA tournament, making this one of the most prospect-heavy fields ever. Whether you’ve followed the draft all year or...
