Way-Too-Early 2026 NBA Mock Draft: ESPN Spotlights 5 Returning College Stars to Watch 👀🏀
It’s never too early for NBA Draft talk and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo are already stirring up buzz for the 2026 NBA Draft, more than 11 months before Adam Silver hits the stage again.
On Friday, Givony released his Top 10 mock draft and a full Top 60 Big Board, laying the groundwork for next summer’s speculation. But it was Woo’s five-player spotlight that caught college basketball fans’ attention. These are not freshmen phenoms or international unknowns. These are veterans transfers and returning sophomores who have the NBA’s eye heading into the 2025–26 season.
Among them? An SEC shot-blocker making his return from injury, a mid-major star jumping to the Big Ten, and a Duke sharpshooter ready to explode as a sophomore.
Here are the five returning players Woo says could shake up the 2026 NBA Draft, all currently projected as Top 20 picks by Givony:
🐱 Jayden Quaintance | F/C | Kentucky | Projected No. 6
One of the youngest players in college basketball last year, Jayden Quaintance reclassified early and made an immediate impact at Arizona State, earning spots on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and Defensive Team. Now, he’s taking his talents to Kentucky, where expectations are sky-high for the No. 4 player in the transfer portal.
Quaintance posted 9.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG, and shot 52.5% from the field. But Woo notes that while he has “an excellent physical profile and flashes of talent as a dunker and interior finisher,” he’s still raw and learning the nuances of the game.
His biggest battle ahead? Recovering from ACL surgery in April. If healthy, he could skyrocket into the top 5 of next year’s draft.
💛 Yaxel Lendeborg | F | Michigan | Projected No. 14
After dominating the AAC at UAB with 15.8 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, Yaxel Lendeborg flirted with staying in the 2025 draft. But instead, he withdrew and transferred to Michigan, becoming the No. 1-ranked transfer in the country.
Woo calls Lendeborg a “late-blooming prospect with a mix of offensive skill, defensive playmaking, and excellent length.” In other words, the Wolverines just picked up a potential lottery pick.
🐤 Bennett Stirtz | PG | Iowa | Projected No. 15
Bennett Stirtz is on a meteoric rise.
After transferring from D-II Northwest Missouri State to Drake, he torched the Missouri Valley Conference for 19.2 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG, earning MVC Player of the Year honors. Now, he’s following his coach to Iowa and ready to prove he belongs in the Big Ten.
Givony and Woo both believe he’ll be one of the top guards in the country, and if he thrives against tougher competition, he could be a sleeper lottery pick.
💙 Isaiah Evans | G/F | Duke | Projected No. 16
Evans didn’t see much action during Duke’s Final Four run last season, averaging just 6.8 PPG. But with five Blue Devils declaring for the NBA, the door is now wide open for him to become a go-to perimeter threat.
Woo calls Evans a “legit sharpshooter” after hitting 41.6% from three last year and believes his shooting could be his NBA calling card. If Evans can round out his game especially defensively and as a playmaker he could rise quickly.
🐅 Aden Holloway Pettiford | G | Auburn | Projected No. 20
One of the most explosive freshmen in the SEC last year, Pettiford played a key role off the bench for Auburn’s Final Four squad, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, and shooting 36.6% from deep.
Woo notes his “scoring ability and explosiveness” as his strengths, but says he’ll need to improve as a playmaker and defender to reach his full potential. Back at Auburn and now in a leadership role, Pettiford has the chance to boost his stock dramatically.
🏀 A Glimpse Into the Future
While the incoming freshman class and international talent will dominate most of the 2026 NBA Draft headlines next spring, these five names could be the glue guys, risers, and breakout stars who crash the lottery party.
From Kentucky’s frontcourt anchor to Duke’s next sharpshooter, this list is full of future NBA contributors—and it’s just getting started.
Stay tuned. Draft season always starts earlier than you think. 👀
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