No matter who ends up winning it all and is in the final shot of One Shining Moment, raising the NCAA Championship trophy into the air, March Madness is always a terrific time for NBA Draft prospects to begin making a name for themselves before the full-blown pre-draft cycle begins.
Performing well and shining in the spotlight can be the difference in the lives of many of these collegiate players, and if you don't believe this, just ask Donte DiVincenzo.
This year's 2026 NBA Draft class figures to be one of the deepest, most talented groups we have ever seen enter the league all at once, and the list of standouts from this year's tournament is already long after just the first weekend.
AJ Dybantsa and BYU didn't win their first-round game, but NBA scouts from all across the nation are beginning to label him as the clear-cut favorite to be the No. 1 pick. Obviously, his 35-point, 10-rebound performance without checking out of the game once didn't hurt him in this No. 1 pick argument whatsoever.
Cameron Boozer continues to engulf the spotlight with Duke winning their first two games, and the same can be said about freshman guard Kingston Flemings with Houston looking to punch their ticket to the Final Four with two more wins just seven minutes down the road from their campus.
And then there are plenty of other names who stood out during the first weekend of the tournament — Darius Acuff Jr. obviously dominating social media content and leading all players in scoring through Arkansas' first two games.
March Madness is in full swing, and the Sweet 16 will begin on Thursday night. Looking at the 16 teams remaining, there are plenty of prospects and storylines to pull from, but here are the four NBA Draft prospects making the most noise that are worth keeping an eye on this weekend.
West Region: Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas
No player has been more impressive during the later stages of the college basketball season and through his first two games of March Madness than Darius Acuff Jr.
Whenever Arkansas needs a basket, Acuff is there to deliver, and he did just this in that electrifying second-round game against High Point that came down to the final few possessions.
Acuff finished this game with 36 points, scoring 12 of the Razorbacks' 16 points in the final five minutes of play. It just seems like this guy lives for and delivers in the biggest of moments, which is why he has scouts across the country anticipating this Sweet 16 matchup with Arizona, a team many think can win the entire tournament.
Not only has Acuff scored 60 points in his two tournament games to lead all players offensively, but he is shooting nearly 46 percent from 3-point range in March Madness. He will now draw a matchup with Arizona's Jaden Bradley, who is one of the best guard defenders in the country. This will be must-watch basketball on Thursday night in San Jose.
East Region: Tarris Reed Jr. – UConn
Before the NCAA Tournament began, we marked Tarris Reed Jr. as one of the most intriguing draft prospects who is on the rise and could play himself into being a first-round pick based on how he performs for UConn.
Well, the UConn center had quite the game against Furman in the first round, dropping 31 points and 27 rebounds. Yes, you are reading that right — 27 REBOUNDS. Reed etched his name next to Tom Gola (1995), Elvin Hayes (three times; 1966 & 1968 twice), and Jerry Lucas (twice; 1960 & 1961) as the only players in NCAA Tournament history to record a 30-point, 25-rebound game.
In his very next outing against a very strong-willed UCLA team, Reed had 10 points and 13 rebounds, bringing him to 41 points and 40 rebounds through the Huskies' first two tournament games. Since 1971, only four players have had at least 40 points and 40 rebounds through two games: Bill Walton (1972 – UCLA), Hakeem Olajuwon (1983 – Houston), Tim Duncan (1997 – Wake Forest), and now Tarris Reed Jr.
That is quite the list to be a part of, and this is just the start of Reed's rise. Tom Izzo coaching against Dan Hurley is entertainment in itself, but if you need any other reason to watch UConn's Sweet 16 game, it definitely has to be for Reed.
By the time June comes around, we could be discussing Reed as the best center prospect in this draft class, assuming he doesn't return to college with plenty of major NIL offers that will likely come his way.
Midwest Region: Keaton Wagler – Illinois
Since Illinois is one of the top offensive teams in the country, individual performances often go unnoticed for the Illini. However, Keaton Wagler has been a standout freshman performer for Illinois this season, and they wouldn't be in the Sweet 16 if it weren't for his consistent play and timely shot-making throughout the season.
In their two games against Penn and VCU, Wagler scored 32 combined points on 12-of-24 shooting, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. Not only has he been shooting very efficiently from everywhere on the court, but he's also recorded 12 rebounds and nine assists through his first two tournament games.
When it comes to NBA Draft prospects, Wagler won't blow you away like the athletic and dynamic players at the top of the board, but he is developing a very consistent, honest approach on the offensive end of the court, and his length provides plenty of upside to be a tall scoring guard on the perimeter at the next level.
This Sweet 16 matchup against Houston is a huge opportunity for Wagler to raise even more eyebrows from NBA personnel, as how he attacks his opponent's stout defense and handles the pressure will be two key elements to a potential Illinois upset in the Cougars' backyard.
South Region: Morez Johnson Jr. – Michigan
It was tough choosing between Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg for this spot in the South Region. Lendeborg was a player we highlighted as a much-watch draft prospect before the tournament began, and he delivered with 25 points in Michigan's Round of 32 game against St. Louis.
While Lendeborg is the player most likely to go in the lottery out of these two Wolverine prospects, there is a lot to like about Johnson, and NBA scouts have been monitoring him closely as one of those late-season bloomers before the draft cycle kicks things into full swing.
Johnson is a big-bodied forward who does almost all of his damage in the paint and has allowed Lendeborg to thrive. Not only can Johnson be a double-double-like threat, but he's extremely efficient when it comes to finishing around the rim, shooting just about 64 percent from the floor in the tournament.
As good as Lendeborg and others on Michigan's roster are, Johnson is the key to this team possibly cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. Every successful college team has that one guy who could be labeled as a stabilizer and one who really delivers when his team needs it.
Johnson is that player for Michigan, and his play is catching a lot of attention when it comes to draft talent currently hovering outside the lottery.
