2026 NBA Draft confidential: Coaches, execs, scouts on Darryn Peterson, guard prospects

Call it “The Great Unspooling.”

This year’s NBA Draft is top-heavy. So heavy it would fall over in a stiff breeze.

There isn’t a singular, obvious, potentially generational player to take with the top pick this year, like there was in 2019 (Zion Williamson), 2023 (Victor Wembanyama) or 2025 (Cooper Flagg). There are, though, a quartet of very, very talented prospects, any of whom could make a legitimate case for going first. In alphabetical order — the better to not get hate comments from you, my dears — they are forward/center Cameron Boozer (Duke), wing A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), guard Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and forward Caleb Wilson (North Carolina).

But none of them are viewed as highly coming into the draft as the Big Three who went before them over the last seven years.

And NIL money is increasing, seemingly exponentially. This year, the spigot of cash enticed several current U.S. college players to stay in school — along with a slew of international players who opted to play for U.S. colleges next season rather than the pros, severely weakening the second round. Multiple teams told The Athletic they are still highly unsure of who will be taken in the draft’s last 20 picks.

But the draft starts with Tuesday’s first round. We start today, with my annual compilation of intel from NBA and college head coaches and assistant coaches, NBA scouts, college executives and NBA front office people. I’ve gathered this over the last three months, going back to before the start of the NCAA Tournament. As ever, the final number of people with whom I spoke will be somewhere between two and three dozen. (I don’t ask coaches about their own players; it’s hard to expect them to be as honest about their own guys as they tend to be about opposing players.)

In exchange for anonymity, they tell me the truth — the absolute, non-agent varnished truth, about each year’s top prospects.

As ever, this is not a definitive list of every potential draftee. Some people you know and love will not appear here. I kept it, as I do most years, to most — not all — of the guys whom I think have at least a puncher’s chance of getting drafted. The incomparable Sam Vecenie went to town again this year with his exhaustive list of 100 potential draftees and two-way players, along with video. It’s truly one-stop shopping for the hardest of hard-core draftniks.

In contrast, my shop is come in, get a cup of coffee, grab a danish, go on about your day. It’s my version of what our Bruce Feldman does every year before the NFL draft — getting the skinny from college and pro coaches and coordinators about the top college football prospects, his detailed reporting a complement to Dane Brugler’s annual Beast.

We will start, as always, with the top guard prospects. On Friday, we’ll move on to the wings. And Sunday brings the big men.

Peterson rising

There may be questions about Darryn Peterson’s physical limits. There are none about his game.

The 19-year-old, who came into the season as the top-rated player in the country, played in just 24 games at Kansas before declaring for the draft, having missed 13 games because of injuries and concerns about the severe cramping he’d suffered early in the Jayhawks’ season, a condition he later said was caused by a severe reaction to taking the training supplement creatine. Despite the limited minutes, which surely kept him from rising higher than second-team All-Big 12, the 6-foot-4 1/2 guard put plenty on tape to leave NBA types salivating, and leave the Washington Wizards, who have the first pick, with a real choice to make between him and Dybantsa.

Peterson is a perfect fit in just about any offense — a three-level scorer who can shoot it (better than 38 percent on 3s; 83 percent from the line) and get to whatever he wants to go on the floor. His handle and footwork make him nearly unguardable one-on-one. Like all great offensive players, he is rarely sped up; his confidence to get off his shot no matter the defender allows him to scan the floor without worry.

Of course, the issue hovering over Peterson is exactly why he didn’t play, or pulled himself out of, so many games. Peterson told ESPN.com in early May that he’d never taken creatine before coming to Kansas, but began taking it while the team was engaged in preseason practice last September. Peterson said the cramps began after a practice and soon impacted almost all of his muscles, necessitating a trip to the emergency room at a local hospital. Doctors treated him with multiple intravenous fluid bags, believing he was suffering from severe dehydration. The incident scared Peterson so badly that he opted to remove himself from games, either before tipoff or during the game, if he felt anything similar to the onset of the full-body cramping.

It’s made some teams wonder: If Peterson’s body had difficulty dealing with the rigors that came with 30 or so college basketball games, how will he handle an 82-game NBA season? But the talent, as it almost always does, overpowers most objectors. Peterson is just too good not to take with a top-two pick. Almost certainly, either Washington or the Utah Jazz, who have the second pick, will do so.

Darryn Peterson | 6-4 1/2 guard | 19 years old | Kansas

College head coach No. 1 (his team played Kansas): He’s a great kid. He’s quiet, he’s humble. Really competitive. That thing this year was weird. It shocked me. Because it had never been that. Like, in high school, he didn’t duck any smoke. From afar, it was shocking to see that stuff.

Eastern Conference scout No. 1: Darryn has the higher floor (over Dybantsa). He’s going to be really good. Can he be a core player, a Steph (Curry) or Klay (Thompson)? I think he has the ability to be Klay-level. He’s really, really good. I went to a few practices, and he’s as good as any college player I’ve seen. It wasn’t like it was a bunch of first-round picks around him, like if he was at Duke. … His high school team was the same way — it wasn’t great.

Teams try to take him out. I saw him shoot with his left hand on four straight possessions: a jumper, a layup off the glass. … There’s a lot of poise to him. I don’t like anybody doing the Kobe Bryant, “I’ve got Mamba Mentality.” I don’t really like that. He’s a quiet kid. He’s not going to seek attention. I think he’s closer to Kawhi (Leonard) than Kobe in terms of personality.

Eastern Conference scout No. 2: What bothers me is, it’s just some diva-ness there, to me. I think you’re getting kind of a glimpse of who he’s going to be. More like Paul George or Kawhi, where if it’s not healed, he’s not playing. That’s just the way I look at it. I mean, I took creatine. I don’t think that was it. He could have had a reaction to it. And if it was that, you would know that instantly. You start with “Hey, man, what did you take? Why did it take so long for that (reaction) to happen? You said you’ve been taking it since you got there.”

College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Kansas): I love his demeanor. He seemed locked in. (But) when we jumped on them, I felt like he had a little bit of “I don’t want any of this.” There wasn’t a lot of fight from him, which I was a little surprised with. When we played BYU, the skill (from Dybantsa) was there, but I was like, “This guy’s competitive.” I didn’t get that from Peterson.

The size, the shooting was there. That’s a given. I think he handles it fine. He keeps it simple when he needs to. I saw him a lot in high school and AAU, and he’s got a good enough handle. He’s got good size for that position. I just think, naturally, he wants to shoot the ball. But his passing and assists were fine. Defense was OK. Dybantsa, I was like, this dude isn’t the best defender, but he cares.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1: It becomes a little tricky. If he’s just a straight two guard who’s going to be an explosive scorer, and, let’s say, an average playmaker, is it as unique as the 6-10 wing that can play multiple positions?

Peterson has separated himself from the guard pack. But it’s a hell of a pack. Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, Jr., Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Louisville’s Mikel Brown, Jr., Houston’s Kingston Flemings and Arizona’s Brayden Burries could all be taken in the top 10. The Clippers, picking fifth, could start the parade by taking a guard who could help replace James Harden and complement Darius Garland, though it is possible LA could trade down with a team more desperate to get a lead guard on the ball.

Each has leading man credentials. Acuff was a terror in a Power 4 conference, a consensus all-American (Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Sporting News, U.S. Basketball Writers Association) and Player of the Year in the SEC. He was third in the country in scoring at 23.5 per game, shooting an eye-popping 44 percent on 3s, on high volume (nine attempts a game). He was third in the nation in Offensive Win Shares, at 5.5.

Wagler came out of nowhere to lead the Illini to the Final Four. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished third nationally in Win Shares (7.2) and was third in the conference in free-throw attempts (216). Brown battled back problems in his one season at Louisville but was still third team all-ACC, averaging 18.2 points per game. Flemings came to a Houston team that still had multiple players returning from the squad that made the 2025 national championship game, yet became the Cougars’ unquestioned leader. In a conference with Dybantsa and Peterson, Flemings joined Wagler as a second-team All-American, averaging 16.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in more than 31 minutes a game. Burries led Arizona to a 36-3 record and a Final Four appearance.

Darius Acuff, Jr. | 6-2 guard | 19 years old | Arkansas

Eastern Conference executive No. 1: Everyone knew coming in that Acuff could score. Elite, elite scorer from multiple levels. He did not play to his age as a scorer. Where he evolved this year and put himself in a tier with the top prospects was his playmaking. He made huge, huge strides. Throwing lobs, running pick-and-rolls, trying to find a balance between scoring and playmaking.

For a guy who came in as a thirsty guard to now be a legit point guard who can also be an explosive scorer, that is something you look for with a player of his size. The defensive side of the floor is a concern. I worry that he’s going to be a player that teams target. But what gives me hope is that he is built like a tank. … You put the right guys around him, he’s going to be a Tyrese Maxey-level player.

College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Arkansas): Acuff, to me, to be successful, you have to view him, stylistically, and how he’s going to score, like Kyrie Irving. They both play on the ground. They’re both below-the-rim guys. Kyrie’s more gifted than Acuff. But they’re both that 6-2, strong body, quick-handed with the dribble, score with angles. Awkward angles. Bigs go up to get their shot, they use the inside hand. They just have a knack.

Plus, Acuff can really see the floor. Not that he’s Kyrie. But don’t expect a guy that’s going to play like (Russell) Westbrook. He’s not explosive at the rim. He’s a bucket getter, via angles, can shoot high off the glass. Go under you, go to the other side and use the rim as protection. And a much better shooter and passer than he gets credit for. Now, defensively? Pretty horses—. But if a guy is competitive in the context of the game, and Acuff is highly competitive offensively, you sit him down and say, “Now you have to guard.”

Western conference executive No. 1: Acuff has this horrendous defensive profile that’s pretty pronounced. I always feel when you have a real weakness, whether it’s physical, size, defense, it’s like a seesaw. If one side is down, the other side has to be way up. The offense is way up. He’s coming off of one of the great years that the SEC has ever seen. This guy’s averaging 23 a game, shooting over 40 (on 3s). Nobody stopped him in the SEC, which is the most talented league. And (Arkansas coach John Calipari) … turned the team over to him. The game at Alabama, he played 49 of 50 minutes, and three days before, he was in a boot. Cal came up to him and said, “There’s more to this season than playing at Alabama, we’ve got to preserve you, you don’t have to play.” And the kid got upset and said there’s no way I’m not playing. Comes out of the boot, plays 49, and is just stroking everything.

Keaton Wagler | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Illinois

College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Illinois): I think he’s got a high ceiling. I think he’s going to get stronger. He didn’t play as well at the end of the season as he did in the middle of the season, but he was at the top of everyone’s scouting report. He was their go-to guy on the perimeter, and as good as they were, they didn’t really have a post option. The kid is, I hear, a great kid. I don’t know him personally. He’s a very, very good player. He had 46 in Mackey Arena, when they beat Purdue. And I’ve never seen anybody do that as an opponent. I like him better than Jaku (Kasparas Jakučionis, the Illini guard taken by the Miami Heat in the first round last year). I think he’s just going to get better, stronger. Because he’s slotted so high, he has to go, but another year of college would have helped him.

Eastern Conference scout No. 2: For him to excel, it’s going to be (at the) one, because he’s got size, and his shooting is real. As he gets stronger, he can play both because of his size. Once he gets stronger.

College head coach No. 2 (his team played Illinois): I was really impressed with Wagler when we played them. He’s a big shot taker and a big shot maker. And he’s every bit of 6 foot 6. He’s really long. He was a high school kid out of Kansas City, and they did a great job of developing him.

Western Conference executive No. 1: He can really score. Can play either guard spot. I think he defends the two, probably, more than the one. Got range. Kind of at my own pace, sort of unorthodox. I’m not saying he’s (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), but it’s one of those type of games. Kind of lulls you to sleep, methodically working his way in. He’s not blowing by guys … he didn’t get a dunk this year. So there’s some concerns about his athleticism and defense. … But I don’t know that this era punishes lack of strength and physicality like other eras did. The question with him is, because of the concerns about the athleticism, I don’t know that somebody’s going to jump up and make him the fifth pick, when they have those other alternatives staring them in the face.

Mikel Brown, Jr. | 6-3 1/2 guard | 20 years old | Louisville

College head coach No. 3 (his team played Louisville): We tried to deny him the ball back. He can go right-left. Stronger going left. Tried to deny it and make it tough. Hand in the face. … He’s been playing a lot of basketball for a long time. In AAU, he was a younger kid playing 17-U. His dad believed in having him play up. He should have been playing 15 or 16, but he was playing as a freshman, a ninth-grader, he was playing 17-U. He can score. Things he has to work on are his defense. On offense, we tried to attack him. He does the right things to help teams win and make players better.

College head coach No. 1 (his team played Louisville): He’s big-time. He was always really, really good and knew how to play the position. But between his junior and senior year (of high school), he grew. That’s the big thing. And all of a sudden, athleticism popped in. That took his whole thing to another level. Last year, (at the U.S. men’s World Cup Under-19), the two best guys were A.J. (Dybantsa) and him. He was magical, as a facilitator. He can score it, he can shoot it, he can get to the rim and finish on top of you. … Louisville runs more pattern stuff, more pattern sets. They did allow him to (iso) some. And when he played, if they were in tight games, down the stretch, they put him in spread ball screen and let him go. I’ve seen him hold up (defensively) OK. This year, it was hit or miss. When he wants to, because he’s long and athletic, and he can really move and slide his feet, so when he wants to, yeah, he can. And I think he’ll want to in that league.

Western Conference scout No. 1: If his back wasn’t hurt, he’s probably in the top three or four. ‘Cause that boy can shoot. Athletic. Then his dad was there, putting him through the work. After practice, his dad would have him on the track, doing steps.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1:  For me, it’s trying to find a way to play team basketball. His game can be a little wild. When you’re an elite guard and your game’s wild, it can be hard for other guys to adjust to that. Is that more a situation at Louisville, and they just told him to rock out? I don’t know. Watching some of the high school stuff and U-19 last summer, he can pass with both hands. He does have a feel. He just needs to calm his game down a little bit. He can take shots from the logo. You bet on that being coachable, and fixing that, you’ve got a potential offensive nightmare.

Kingston Flemings | 6-2 1/2 guard | 19 years old | Houston

College assistant coach (his team played Houston): Kingston is smart and (was) coached hard. The year before, (Milos) Uzan was a big part of it and (Emanuel) Sharp. Those are two tough-minded veterans. And I saw them turn the keys over to Kingston. Wow. His speed, his ability to catch on the run, knowing the closeouts already. His ability to finish at the rim, I’m surprised his arms aren’t longer, ’cause it never seemed like he struggled. He shoots it kind of like a corkscrew. … He’s got that midrange, and you can’t get it. He’ll fade, he’ll kick the right leg out a little. Another guy who loved the moment.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1: I love his ability to touch two feet in the paint without a screen. He is a super athletic guard. And his ability to make passes at full speed is very impressive. He and Acuff are interesting in terms of passers. Acuff is more of a savant in pick-and-roll. Flemings is more like, I’m going to put defenses in rotation whenever I want. And Flemings is also better defensively. Why I believe he’s going to make it, and he’s a smaller guard, too, is he’s extremely confident. His shot is a little ugly; he kind of thumbs the ball. But he genuinely believes every shot he takes is going in. And that’s half the battle in the NBA.

Western Conference scout No. 1: He got real coaching, professional coaching. He has a funny spin on the ball, but it goes in. I don’t know if you really want to bother it. He can play in the playoffs, because he defends. He plays hard every game — practice and games.

Western Conference executive No. 1: He got steals, but I think he’s got to get stronger. They can kind of go through him defensively sometimes, through the chest. But he put on 18 pounds after getting there. So he’ll get stronger. His shooting numbers are probably better than they may be early on in the NBA, not just because you’re stepping back. He gets his hands crossed a little bit, so he has to work on that. But he gets to the midrange easily, and because of his elevation, he gets way up there on that jumper. He very seldom gets that blocked. I don’t see him failing. He’s not as offensively talented as Acuff or Brown, but it’s not like he’s a piker. And he’s a great kid. To walk into that program seamlessly, with what was demanded of him, that says an awful lot.

Brayden Burries | 6-3 3/4 guard | 20 years old | Arizona

Western Conference scout No. 2: Close to being explosive in his movements. Stronger than most of the young kids. He’s got a body. Skinny bodies aren’t built for the NBA. Our guys are tall and lean, but they’re not skinny. … He’s got a body, strong legs, he’s got a chest, shoulder width, good length. He can get to the rim and finish through contact. When people try to knock him on the way to the basket, he’s not diverted. Great scorers play through the bump on the way to the basket. … Burries is a little like Desmond Bane — a little taller, not quite as thick. And puts it on the floor better than Bane. But he’s got that kind of strength that Bane has, and Bane’s a really good player.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1: Burries is a three-level scorer. And he’s a fundamentally sound guy. At 6-4, when you’re more of an off-ball guard, you become a little less unique. But he’s built for today’s NBA because he’s so physically strong, and he’s smart, and he’s efficient with the way he plays. He’s very compact. He’s a very good closeout attacker. And the shooting was a big swing skill coming in (to Arizona). He wasn’t known as a reliable 3-point shooter, but he showed this year he has a shot that commands respect. Good at getting to the foul line. He can draw contact, maintain body control. He can guard, run second-side pick-and-roll. He’s more of just a fundamentally sound combo guard.

College basketball assistant coach (his team played Arizona): Great size, super physical. Which I didn’t know coming in. Honestly, I didn’t know much about him. Physical, great body. Elite in transition and the open space. That’s what we tried to focus on with him, keep him in the half court, where we thought he was just a little more indecisive. Doesn’t do anything great, but he’s got good size, good disposition, he’ll try to guard. Surprised he’s up as high as I’ve seen him, but he must be working out well or measuring well.

Western Conference executive 1: Burries, to me, is very fail-safe. He’s physically developed now. He’s like 212 (pounds) or something. He’s strong, can guard, can take on ballhandlers at the point of attack. Offensively, he can shoot with range, drive in there, he has physicality at both ends of the floor. Plays like an older guy; physically, he’s not (20). He was the best player on a team that made the Final Four and that some people thought was the best team in the country. I think you have to look at productivity, too. It’s not just all hypotheticals and what their traits are.

That’s not the end of the guard run.

Another six — Texas Tech sophomore Christian Anderson, Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie, Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon, Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea, Iowa senior (a senior!) Bennett Stirtz and Acuff’s Razorbacks teammate, freshman Maleek Thomas — are likely to all go in the second half of the first round, with one or two of them a potential late lottery selection.

Anderson, who has dual citizenship, played both in the U.S. for the Red Raiders — where he went after decommitting from Michigan following the firing of former coach Juwan Howard — and the German men’s national team. Okorie originally was going to play at Harvard, but a great education at Stanford – the NIL money the Cardinal could provide didn’t hurt – got him to change coasts. Philon flirted with the draft last year before returning for an All-SEC sophomore campaign; de Larrea is one of the few international backcourt players who stayed in the draft with a first-round grade from most NBA teams. Stirtz capped his brilliant college career with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Drake, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Thomas started 21 games for Arkansas, averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting a robust 41.6 percent on 3s.

Christian Anderson | 6-1 guard | 20 years old | Texas Tech

College basketball general manager (his team played Texas Tech): He’s terrific. His dad did a great job. Those boys (Anderson’s younger brother Lucai is a top Class of 2027 high school recruit playing in Texas) were in the gym every day, four hours a day. They’ve been in the gym every day. He’s not huge, but I think he’s fine. Good athlete, not a great athlete. But his handle, passing and shooting are so underrated. I think he’s late lottery to 25, 25 to 30. What he did on the German national team, he grew between last year and this year. I did think he was small a year ago. He’s definitely bigger now. He was fantastic on the German team.

College head coach No. 2 (his team played Texas Tech): The coach there did a good job by having him play point guard. I think he learned a lot this year playing point, because he’s always been off the ball. This year, he was on the ball, and he was really good with his pocket passes to (J.T.) Toppin on the short roll. But I keep comparing guys to (Damian) Lillard, who can shoot and score. He’s a lot more like Acuff, but doesn’t have the passing ability of Acuff. Acuff can really pass.

Eastern Conference executive No. 1: Polished offensive guard. He played more off the ball last year. Transitioned into a full-time point guard. The transition he made in that area was unheard of. Elite shooter. He might be a better shooter than Acuff. He can get it from deep, he can get it off the dribble, pick-and-roll. The ability to shoot, and to make passes off the pick-and-roll, that translates to the NBA. Defensively, he needs to get better. Had a growth spurt at Tech. May be getting used to playing at his new size.

College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Texas Tech): I love Christian Anderson. After Dybantsa, he was one of the best players in the league. Poise, skill. Made all the right passes, especially when they had Toppin and everyone wasn’t keying on him. He passed the ball well; shoots it with range. I just think he’s got such a great feel for the game. He can come in and be a backup point guard somewhere. He’s got to get stronger. He’s got a chance to be a good player. When we played them, it looked like he’d grown a little bit. I thought he was going to be 6-3. But he’ll be fine. He can shoot it.

Ebuka Okorie | 6-1 1/2 guard | 19 years old | Stanford

College head coach No. 4 (his team played Stanford): He reminds me of Kemba (Walker). Size-wise, his ability to get to the rim. Some Kyrie kind of finishes and stuff, that touch getting to the rim. I thought our guys did a nice job on him, but he’s really talented. We prepped in two ways. We never had to go the most uncomfortable way, trapping. We played drop and tried to force him to our bigs. It just never got to that. …Watching him in other games, he was really impressive. We tried to put him in as many pick-and-rolls as we could, just trying to force him to defend. He’s got good hands. He’s not a punk. He’s confident.

Western Conference executive No. 1: This guy’s had eight games of 30 or more (points) in the ACC. … He gets in there, and he always has an answer, on the ground or in the air. He never gets swallowed up. The ball is on a string with him. He got to the line six, seven times a game. I think it’s 6-1 without shoes, and his wingspan is close to 6-7. He came in and played like he’d been in the ACC for five years. Their coach said right away, I’ve got to hand the keys to the car to this guy. Really good in the open floor, great feet. OK defensively. They’ll hunt him in the NBA at that size. But he’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands and produced at such a high level.

Labaron Philon | 6-2 1/2 guard | 20 years old | Alabama

Eastern Conference executive No. 2: Just a winner. That guy, he’s a little bigger than you think he is. Even though he’s quiet, he’s a leader. Not physically tough per se, but he’s a tough kid. Shoots it, can pass it. Has the ability to defend.

Western Conference executive No. 1: He gets fouled a ton. Very unorthodox driver, crafty … like Rod Strickland a little bit. Strickland would sort of slither his way in the lane, and he wasn’t trying to go on top of anybody. But he’d get up in the air, and no matter where the defense met him, he had an answer for it. This guy does that. He’s got the Euro step; he’s very good on the ground in the lane, setting it up. He’s a very advanced offensive player. … he’s not a big-time athlete. He’s very slight. After being there two years, he’s only in the 170s (weight). So, defensively and things involving strength are a bit of a concern right now. But, man, this guy’s got a game. He’s tricky and crafty as hell, and productive.

Sergio deLarrea | 6-6 guard | 20 years old | Valencia Basket

Eastern Conference executive No. 3: Really climbed the board. He’s in the 20s, comfortably. A big, playmaking wing. Played in quality games. They played against Panathinaikos (in the EuroLeague quarterfinals), Game 5, played with Braxton Key and other two-way (NBA) players. This guy plays with those guys. Do the Americans like him? And they do. They like the way he plays; they don’t think it’s hype. He had to work for it. He plays for a hard-nosed coach who really pushes them. Really came on the last two months. Shoots it well enough to keep you honest. He can playmake, 6-7, big legs, kind of a Hugo Gonzalez body. But this guy’s more of a playmaker. … They qualified for the semifinals of ACB and are waiting to see who they’ll play. They could play Real Madrid in the final. The whole NBA will be watching.

Western Conference executive No. 1: I saw (Valencia) two years ago, when they played two games against Santa Cruz (the Warriors’ G League team). He was going to go to Gonzaga. He’s got good size for a guard that’s going to be on the ball. Coming off a very good year. That’s a good league. He’s improved as a shooter, got passing ability. What he doesn’t have is, he’s not a big-time athlete. But he has size, and has a decent body now, and a pretty good feel. And he’s productive in a pretty good league.  … He got time as a young player and shot the ball well for a (European) Final Four team, that had its best year in a long time. He’s not very athletic, and he’s got to build the body. But he has steals. He offensive rebounded. Shot the ball really well, 40-something on 3s. Makes a play, has the ball in his hands a lot. There’s stuff there to build on.

Bennett Stirtz | 6-2 1/2 guard | 22 years old | Iowa

College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Iowa): He doesn’t get sped up. He wants to go right almost every single time. You’ve got to keep him from going right. So he has to develop going both ways. He can really score. He has deep range. One of the top free-throw scorers in our league. And he really shares the ball. Florida, for whatever reason, put pressure on him, up by two (in the NCAA Tournament). And this kid kicked it to the corner, instead of keeping the ball for himself. This kid has won at every level — Division II, Drake and here. He may be a little slow of foot, a backup kind of kid. But he’ll find a way to get on the floor.

Eastern Conference executive No. 4: I struggle with guys like him. If you like him, I see why you like him. But he was so ball-dominant in college. Every single play was for him. He had the ball every single time. He will move it. He knows how to play. But he will be a problem at the other end. It depends on where he goes. If he went to an Oklahoma City, he’d be fine, because they can cover up for him. But if you put him on a bad team, he’s not going to be good enough. He’s like an A.J. Green. If you really want to think he’s great, you’d say Austin Reeves. He’s got more dribble game than A.J., but A.J. played point in college. He can play and make shots, but he’s limited physically.

Eastern Conference executive No. 5: He will have some early struggles guarding various actions, but he’s awfully smart and I think he will figure it all out and not be a big liability on D. He will be capable of playing both on and off the ball because he understands spacing and can really shoot it. He’s bigger than T.J. (McConnell) and a much better range shooter, but he can have a similar impact off an NBA bench as T.J. has.

Meleek Thomas | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Arkansas

College assistant coach (his team played Arkansas): Unorthodox. Funky. Certain guys, you can say, “When he gets to this spot, and if he crosses over left to right, it’s a jump shot. If he has it with his left hand, it’s (to the) rim. We’re going to show it to you over and over again.” Meleek Thomas, I couldn’t tell you how he scores. He could be going sideline to sideline, and then jump up and then get turned in the air, and shoot it. We’d be sitting on the bench going, “What did he just do?” What I love about him is he’s really confident. A little quicker than you think, long to the rim, can shoot it. One of those guys that gets buckets. The only thing that would worry me in that system is Cal gives those guys an exceptional amount of freedom. But he needs volume. He needs a little volume. No excuses, but that’s who he is.

Western Conference executive No. 1: He’s not in that top group (of guards), but he can score. They made it work. Both of those guys (Thomas and Acuff) came out of the AAU, high school ranks as, yes, very talented, deserving of high ranks but sort of selfish, headstrong offensive players. But they made it work. He can really play. No blowups behind the scenes — the Thomas family doesn’t think Acuff gets too much attention, or anything. It worked.

To the second round and beyond…

Jack Kayil, a 6-5 guard from Berlin who’d committed to Gonzaga, opted to remain in the draft last week, prompting scuttlebutt that he’s got a promise from someone either late in the first round or early in the second. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who played at Belmont and Maryland before transferring to Tennessee for his senior season, measured just 5-11 3/4 in Chicago. But the former football player was one of the nation’s top defenders, averaging more than two steals per game, and broke both the Volunteers’ season record for steals (79) and steals in a game (eight, against Oklahoma in February). Ohio State senior Bruce Thornton is a rarity in today’s game — a four-year player for the same team. Thornton started every one of the 136 games he played in Columbus and was Jake Diebler’s best option this past season, averaging nearly 20 a game and shooting 40 percent from deep.

And multiple others, including Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, Houston’s veteran duo of Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan, Louisville’s Ryan Conwell and Purdue’s all-time great point guard, Braden Smith, the first-team All-American, could hear their names called on the second day. Or not. But signing as an undrafted two-way player these days is better in many ways than getting drafted to non-guaranteed money late in the second. Alex Caruso, the former two-way Lakers legend, can show you the big, shiny ring he got in Oklahoma City last year.

Jack Kayil | 6-5 guard | 20 years old | Alba Berlin

Eastern Conference executive No. 3: He kind of came on late. I think some people were playing chicken with him, thinking he wouldn’t keep his name in the draft. … Fairly interesting. I would have liked him to remain in Europe one more season. Kind of reminds you (when Élie) Okobo came out. Kind of a combo guard rather than a point guard. But not afraid, and he can make shots. That’ll help him. With Ajay Mitchell playing as well as he has, I think people are looking at combo guards who can come over and shoot it. They’re not really docking them anymore because they’re not traditional point guards. Your best player is going to have the ball in his hands, and you have to be able to catch and shoot off of them. There is a place for a player of his archetype. He’s productive in Germany.

Western Conference executive No. 1: Good size for a guard on the ball. Coming off a very good year. That’s a good league (Germany’s basketball Bundesliga). He’s improved as a shooter, he has passing ability. What he doesn’t have is, he’s not a big-time athlete. But he has size. Pretty good feel. He’s productive in a pretty good league. He definitely gets drafted, probably in the first 40.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie | 5-11 3/4 guard | 22 years old | Tennessee

College head coach (his team played Tennessee): Really good with the ball. Really good handle. He can shoot it. He’s an older Okorie. Who are you going to take? Probably Okorie over him, just because he’s young. I like Gillespie; he’s just not very big. He’s not defending at an extremely high level.

Bruce Thornton | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Ohio State

Eastern Conference Executive No. 5: His body type could make some matchups in the backcourt difficult. He doesn’t possess elite foot speed, but he is strong and will have to maximize his strength to try and bother guys. He handled being the go-to guy fairly well; he’s a natural penetrator and scorer, but the workload did impact his play at times. His experience did come through when he was fresh and in the flow; just a difficult guy to contain for college guards.

Eastern Conference executive No. 4: I like him. He’s a third point. He would be in the mold of a (Marcus) Sasser or a (Jamal) Shead. Maybe not great at anything, but he’s a pitbull out there. He’s a winner, plays hard. But I don’t think he gets drafted.