2024 NBA draft rankings: Jonathan Givony's top 25 prospects
It's officially the home stretch for professional basketball teams across the world, while March Madness is starting to heat up in the United States.
As seasons come to an end, March will be a crucial month for prospects slated for the 2024 NBA draft.
A pair of French players once again claim the top two spots, as small forward Zaccharie Risacher of JL Bourg in France maintains his place at No. 1 while Perth center Alex Sarr lands at No. 2. The duo to watch, though, could be a couple of Kentucky Wildcats who have a good case as top-five picks.
Guard Reed Sheppard has quickly become one of the most intriguing players in the upcoming draft despite coming off the bench for a ranked Kentucky squad. Teammate Rob Dillingham also checks in at his highest placement this season at No. 3. Both will have plenty to prove come tournament time, but they have done enough this season to warrant serious consideration near the top of the draft.
The rankings -- compiled by NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony with Jeremy Woo assisting on analysis -- continue to change throughout the draft cycle.
Check back all season as we inform you of the risers and fallers of this draft class.
Rankings and write-ups last updated: Tuesday, March 5.
1. Zaccharie Risacher | SF | JL Bourg
6-foot-10 | Age: 18.9 | Previously ranked: 1
Risacher had a quiet February due to the FIBA national team window and the French Basketball Cup, playing only two league games since Jan. 20. He made his French senior national team debut versus Croatia; unfortunately, he landed in concussion protocol after he was elbowed in the face just a few minutes in, which also knocked him out of JL Bourg's game this past weekend. The small forward already has played 48 games this season, and with three or four packed months still in store, this time off before his team's most important stretch might end up being a blessing in disguise for Risacher, who is in the midst of an outstanding campaign. He is averaging 20 points per 40 minutes and shooting 46% for 3 while playing mistake-free basketball on both ends of the floor. His team will be competing in the EuroCup quarterfinals starting March 12 or 13 and looks poised for a deep playoff run in France, where it is currently in third place. Risacher will have NBA eyes on him every time he steps on the floor. -- Givony
2. Alex Sarr | PF/C | Perth
7-1 | Age: 18.8 | Previously ranked: 2
The playoff push will begin Friday for Sarr and the Wildcats, who finished second in the National Basketball League table and will take on third-seeded Tasmania in a best-of-three semifinal. Sarr is well-established at this point as a top pick candidate after completing the regular season with a productive string of games. He'll now have an excellent opportunity to contribute in meaningful postseason play, with NBA lottery teams watching closely. Sarr's upside is significant, considering his physical gifts and potential to be an excellent defender with room to grow on offense. His consistency as a rebounder and ability to process the floor at a higher speed will be key areas for improvement and adapting at the NBA level. -- Woo
3. Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.1 | Previously ranked: 7
Dillingham is a bit of a polarizing prospect among NBA teams, but it's hard to argue with the sheer star power he offers in a draft severely lacking in that category. He has been just as aggressive and effective against high-level SEC competition, coming up huge down the stretch of several games for Kentucky despite continuing to come off the bench and being on somewhat of a short leash at times.
Dillingham's ballhandling ability, shiftiness, passing creativity, dynamic shot-making and overall scoring instincts are of All-Star caliber. But his lack of size and length and his thin frame continue to hamper him as a finisher and on defense, leading to a wide range of opinions regarding what kind of NBA player he might become. His explosive offensive game appears tailor-made for the scoring-crazed NBA, however, and that should ultimately help him find a suitor early on draft night, especially if he finishes the season on a strong note. -- Givony
4. Nikola Topic | PG | Red Star
6-7 | Age: 18.5 | Previously ranked: 5
Topic continues to work his way back from a knee injury sustained in January, shortly after moving to Red Star. At this stage, he appears to be in little hurry to return, with his club having clinched first place in the Adriatic League and little left to play for in the EuroLeague. It's been disappointing from an evaluation perspective to not see more of him over the back leg of the season, but Topic put enough on film in the fall to solidify high-level interest in the lottery. His size and playmaking ability ultimately help set him apart, but with his eventual return date likely in late March or early April, teams also will hope to have opportunities to learn more about him in the pre-draft process. -- Woo
5. Reed Sheppard | PG/SG | Kentucky
6-2 | Age: 19.5 | Previously ranked: 12
Despite still coming off the bench, Sheppard has proved impossible to keep off the floor for Kentucky in SEC play, where he already has had several signature moments in cementing his case as the best freshman in college basketball. Scouts regularly express concern about his limited physical tools (6-foot-2 in shoes and 187 pounds with a 6-3 wingspan) and what that means for his defensive and finishing potential in the NBA. But that he continues to make strides with his pick-and-roll playmaking combined with his historically great 3-point shooting is increasingly hard to ignore. Only one NCAA first-round pick in the past 35 years (Michigan's Glen Rice in 1989) has shot over 50% from 3 on more than four attempts per game like Sheppard is doing this season (see note below), and Sheppard's basketball instincts should help him impact winning in a variety of other ways. -- Givony
CJ McCollum (Lehigh) and Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt) also hit these criteria but only played 12 and 14 games, respectively, due to early-season injuries.
6. Matas Buzelis | SF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 6
Buzelis put together a productive past few weeks, taking advantage of more opportunities to showcase his offense with teammate Ron Holland done for the season. While some of it has to be contextualized correctly -- G League Ignite has been struggling to win all season, and it's easy to accumulate counting stats in fast-paced G League games -- Buzelis has enough size, skill and shot-making ability to pique interest, and he has made some strides defensively. His difficult shot selection and struggles to create separation against defenders are areas for concern in projecting him as a top-scoring option, but the tools are there for him to carve out a solid role at the next level, and there's still room for his frame to keep filling out as he matures. -- Woo
7. Cody Williams | SG/SF | Colorado
6-8 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 3
After recovering from a wrist sprain, Williams had a difficult month of February, missing games due to eye and ankle injuries and struggling against some of the better competition that the Buffaloes have faced in Pac-12 play. Williams should be back on the court imminently, and he has some work to do still in assuaging concerns about his offensive game and what his NBA role projects as in the short term. Playing with a mask has diminished some of the aggressiveness and confidence he displayed earlier this season; these are important attributes considering his jump shot is not thought to be a strength (16 made 3s in 18 games). It's not clear what version of Williams we'll see moving forward or how long his season will last with Colorado firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, but finishing on a strong note would be beneficial to return to top-tier prospect consideration. -- Givony
8. Ja'Kobe Walter | SG/SF | Baylor
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 7
Walter's stock has remained steady as one of the draft's top shot-makers, and he'll enter the league with a polished sense of how to score from long range for his age. He doesn't do anything else at an NBA level yet, but his potentially elite ability to shoot on the move and stretch defenses coupled with his competitiveness makes him plenty interesting. Walter isn't a very good ball handler, and he hasn't proved to be an advanced defender at this stage, so it will be on him to expand his game and become more multidimensional over time. But considering the NBA's premium on shooting and his room for growth defensively, it's easy to see Walter becoming a useful contributor in the future, even if he never develops much self-creation ability. -- Woo
9. Donovan Clingan | C | UConn
7-2 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 11
Clingan is hitting his stride at the right time for UConn, moving better and looking more like the dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor that NBA teams expected to see from the sophomore before his slew of injuries. He is playing above the rim more frequently, putting a lid on the basket defensively with his terrific shot-blocking timing and going out of his area for rebounds prolifically. He even is showing more flashes of ability as a passer and a free throw shooter, indicating there's possibly even more to the 19-year-old's game that can still be unlocked by his future NBA team, something we've seen in UConn warmups, when he shows soft touch beyond the arc. UConn's biggest games of the season -- particularly in the NCAA tournament -- will go a long way in solidifying how Clingan is ultimately viewed, giving him a huge platform to continue to work his way back to where he started the season as a projected top-seven pick. -- Givony
10. Tidjane Salaun | PF | Cholet
6-10 | Age: 18.4 | Previously ranked: 8
The French Basketball Cup and FIBA qualifying window made for a quiet month for Salaun and Cholet -- who only played two games since Feb. 10. A 10-rebound, six-assist outing in his most recent contest showed some of the subtle ways Salaun is improving as the season moves on, and his defense also has made significant strides, as his nonstop intensity has helped him carve out a significant role. That's important, because Salaun's jumper has been streaky since his scorching month of January (26% from 3 in the past 12 games) and he isn't a reliable shot-creator or decision-maker. It's rare to see an 18-year-old contributing at this level of competition, however, and he is clearly nowhere near reaching his full potential. Cholet has a huge month in store in the FIBA Champions League's top 16 stage while trying to lock down a playoff spot in Pro A, giving Salaun a significant platform to work off. NBA teams will be present for every game he plays. -- Givony
11. Kyle Filipowski | PF/C | Duke
7-0 | Age: 20.3 | Previously ranked: 9
Filipowski has put together an All-American-caliber season and has helped to address some of the NBA's concerns about his game, making strides as a defender at his size and proving more mobile and versatile than many expected. While limited a bit athletically, he can create matchup problems at his size due to his skill level and should have good utility on the offensive end provided he continues to improve as a shooter. He isn't a fit for every team -- he's likely better suited for a half-court-oriented style that is slower paced -- but supplies unique qualities that will warrant consideration early in the draft, depending on what a team needs. -- Woo
12. Ron Holland | SF | G League Ignite
6-7 | Age: 18.6 | Previously ranked: 10
Holland's season came to an end with surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, which also kept him out of G League Ignite's events at last month's All-Star Weekend. He'll finish behind Jaden Hardy as the team's second-leading scorer in program history at 19.5 points per game while also filling up the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers. NBA teams will need to grapple with the fact that Holland's on/off point differential (-8.8 per game, per the DraftExpress database) is the single-worst mark in G League Ignite history, showing the cost of Holland's outsize role on this team, which was 4-25 with him in the lineup. Holland's mission in the pre-draft process will be to remind teams why he was so universally lauded before the season for his competitiveness, unselfishness and ability to impact winning, all while hopefully showing better ability as a 3-point shooter than we saw this season (24% from 3). -- Givony
13. Dalton Knecht | SG/SF | Tennessee
6-6 | Age: 22.8 | Previously ranked: 18
Continuing on his offensive tear as one of the best scorers in college basketball, highlighted by last week's 39-point showing against Auburn, Knecht has played himself into lottery conversations with his versatile offense, consistency and competitiveness. He is unlikely to ever add a ton of value defensively due to his foot speed, but his legitimate positional size at least gives him a better chance of being effectively hidden on that end, if needed. He'll be 23 years old on draft night, but teams in need of immediate wing help will have to think hard about what Knecht could provide, as he has proved capable of doing much more than simply spacing the floor. -- Woo
14. Isaiah Collier | PG | USC
6-5 | Age: 19.4 | Previously ranked: 14
Barring an unexpected four wins in four days during the Pac-12 tournament, USC's season will be coming to an end next week. Collier is playing his best basketball of the campaign since returning from a hand injury; he is shooting the ball more effectively from the perimeter, cutting down on turnovers and living in the paint and at the foul line due to his strong frame and explosive first step. Collier has much to gain from a competitive finish, as he'll draw significant NBA attention every time he steps on the floor. Collier's perimeter shooting potential is the biggest thing NBA teams will want to get a better handle on in the pre-draft process, as his scoring instincts and shot-creation ability are both coveted and not easy to come by in this draft class in particular. Teams also will want to get a better understanding of why USC's season ended up being such a disappointment and what that means for Collier's projection. -- Givony
15. Zach Edey | C | Purdue
7-4 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 14
One of the more unique storylines to follow going into March and, ultimately, the draft will be whether Edey can anchor a deep Purdue tournament run and which teams will deem his unique set of strengths worth the pick. The other salient question is where in the draft it becomes a positive value proposition to select a throwback big of his ilk. Some things will clearly translate: Edey is dominant within five feet of the basket, offers more mobility than most players his size and is extremely tough and competitive. But the pace of NBA games and emphasis on space and attacking matchups make him an acquired taste for some, due to questions about how well it translates to an expanded role. His unique profile might help transcend the mold. -- Woo
16. Stephon Castle | PG/SG | UConn
6-6 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 15
Castle projects quite well defensively at the next level, with plus positional size and lateral agility that should allow him to switch on the perimeter and corral ball handlers. NBA teams have questions about his offensive game that will ultimately determine how high he gets selected. Castle turned in a good showing over the weekend against Seton Hall, but he has faded into the background at times against better competition while struggling to score consistently from range. The pre-draft process will be crucial for him to allay the concerns about his shooting and inspire confidence in his long-term upside. The appeal as a big two-way guard is there, but Castle might be better suited on the wing for the long term. -- Woo
17. Devin Carter | PG/SG | Providence
6-3 | Age: 21.8 | Previously ranked: 17
Carter is one of the biggest stock risers of the cycle thus far, making significant improvement as a shooter and overall scorer that has helped him turn in an All-American-caliber campaign. Capping that off with an NCAA tournament appearance would be the icing on the cake, something that Carter will have a huge say in with the way Providence -- currently on the bubble -- finishes the season. Regardless, there's a big NBA market for combo guards in his mold who can hit open shots, defend with tenacity on and off the ball and play an intelligent, winning style of basketball like Carter does, positioning him well going into June. -- Givony
18. Tyler Smith | SF/PF | G League Ignite
6-10 | Age: 19.3 | Previously ranked: 19
Smith has made the most of his season with G League Ignite, playing his way into the draft's first round off the strength of his skillset as a stretch forward. His scoring is still largely dependent on the quality of shots teammates create for him, but he has shown that he can succeed in a simplified role -- and there's a place in the NBA for forwards with size who can catch and shoot, rebound and be in the right spot defensively. While not the highest-feel operator, Smith projects pretty cleanly at the next level as a complementary scorer and floor spacer, a role that holds value on most teams. -- Woo
19. Kevin McCullar Jr. | SG/SF | Kansas
6-7 | Age: 22.9 | Previously ranked: 16
McCullar's outstanding season has been derailed by a knee injury, causing him to miss four of his team's past six games. He is still leading the Big 12 in scoring, he remains in the top 10 in rebounds and assists, and he continues to be one of the best defenders in the college game, giving him outstanding versatility at 6-7. After a red-hot start to the season, McCullar is shooting just 17-for-61 (28%) from 3 over his past 12 games, something that could very well be exacerbated by the bone bruise he has been dealing with. It surely would help McCullar, who will turn 23 next week, to finish the season on as strong of a note as possible. Kansas has dropped four of its past seven games and hasn't been the same since he got hurt. -- Givony
20. Jared McCain | PG | Duke
6-3 | Age: 20.0 | Previously ranked: 26
McCain has turned in a few huge performances and some quiet ones of late, with his best game of the season coming in a 35-point outburst at Florida State. While not gifted physically by NBA standards, McCain's feel for the game and ability to shoot from 3 give him a chance to succeed in the long term, most likely as a combo guard who can pinch hit in different lineups and make winning plays. He has emerged as Duke's best guard at this point, and while another year of college might go a long way, he has the chops to ultimately carve out a useful NBA role. -- Woo
21. Yves Missi | C | Baylor
6-11 | Age: 19.8 | Previously ranked: 21
Missi has had no shortage of explosive moments in Big 12 play, highlighting his ability to finish above the rim emphatically while also demonstrating flashes creating his own shot one-on-one. He has been effective as conference play has proceeded, minus a handful of games, giving him momentum going into the most important games of Baylor's season. Already looking better than advertised offensively, Missi's ability to find another gear with his physicality and awareness defensively and as a rebounder will play a key role both in his team's success and how he is viewed going into the pre-draft cycle. He has been inconsistent in those areas, which are crucial for his ability to be a contributor early in his NBA career considering his likely role to start. -- Givony
22. Bobi Klintman | SF/PF | Cairns
6-10 | Age: 20.9 | Previously ranked: 22
A solid if not spectacular season in Australia (9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game) sends Klintman into the pre-draft process still needing to answer some questions about his long-term NBA fit. Physically, he has always fit the bill. But teams have questions surrounding his consistency, toughness and overall quality given his very limited history of actual production between last season at Wake Forest and now. Klintman is a viable development option in a draft where teams might gamble, and he has the tools to fill a role at forward if he puts everything together. He'll likely need to leave a real impression in workouts to maximize his stock. -- Woo
23. Johnny Furphy | SG/SF | Kansas
6-9 | Age: 19.2 | Previously ranked: 29
Stepping into a critical role for Kansas and doing it capably, Furphy has become a surprise one-and-done candidate, giving the Jayhawks much-needed stability. With a good sense of his role as an off-ball energy forward and a solid base as a shooter, there's a lot to like in projecting Furphy, who just turned 19, as a long-term rotation player. He will need to shore things up on defense, where Furphy will have to play up with his slender frame, but he has done an excellent job limiting mistakes and making winning contributions since moving to a starting role in January. Furphy has put himself in a position to test the waters and rise from there. -- Woo
24. Ryan Dunn | SF/PF | Virginia
6-8 | Age: 21.1 | Previously ranked: 20
Dunn's case will be an interesting litmus test for where executives stand amid the NBA's offensive explosion, which has seen scoring records shattered annually. He is unequivocally the best defender in college basketball, but Dunn has not taken the step forward many hoped he would on the other end of the floor, as he currently ranks among the bottom of the class in usage and scoring rate while hitting just 7 of 32 attempts from 3 and only 53% of his free throws. Dunn's offensive struggles have been magnified by Virginia's futility on that end of the floor, as the Cavaliers failed to crack 50 points in four of their past five games. Dunn will need to show more offensive potential during the pre-draft process once outside the confines of Virginia's conservative schemes to assuage worries about his ability on that end of the floor. -- Givony
25. Juan Nunez | PG | Ratiopharm Ulm
6-4 | Age: 19.7 | Previously ranked: 28
Nunez hasn't shown any signs of slowing down as the season has moved on, and he continues to stake his claim as the best passer in this draft based on the way he can manipulate defenses with high-level pick-and-roll reads. Not many NBA players show the type of vision and creativity he does with the ball, which he has paired nicely by making real strides with his finishing ability, defense and all-around scoring on a competitive team that has won quite a few games in the EuroCup and German BBL. Nunez's lack of explosiveness and streaky jumper (31% from 3, 64% at the foul line) make him a situational fit for most NBA teams, but he comes with the added flexibility of possibly being stashed on a EuroLeague squad next year, which could be intriguing for the many teams that have multiple picks. -- Givony