As the Washington Wizards cruised through the final three weeks of the NBA regular season, college basketball began March Madness, also known as the NCAA Tournament. Like last year, there are several prospects heading into the tournament that the Wizards could take with their lottery picks in this summer's draft.
In 2025, freshman guard Trey Johnson had a team-high 23 points (6-14 FG, 4-7 3-points), six rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes for Texas in an 86–80 First Four loss to Xavier. That game ended the collegiate career of the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, and Washington drafted him No. 6 overall in June. Now, his 36.7% three-point clip ranks fourth among NBA rookies with at least four attempts per game (minimum 40 games played). He also ranks fifth with an average of 5.3 attempts.
This year, the obvious draft targets for the Wizards are BYU forward AJ DiBuntsa, Kansas guard Darrin Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer. All three will be playing in the tournament, as No. 1 Duke plays No. 16 Siena in the East Region on Thursday, No. 6 BYU takes on No. 11 Texas in the West Region on Thursday, and No. 4 Kansas takes on No. 13 California Baptist in the East Region on Friday. If Duke and Kansas each win their first two games, they will play each other in the Sweet Sixteen.
Any one of those players could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. DiBuntsa leads the nation with 25.3 points per game on 51.3% shooting (34% 3-point) and can score any type of basket, Peterson ruins games for the opponent even in limited minutes (for example, he scored 23 points in 18 minutes in an 81–69 win over Oklahoma State on February 18), and Boozer is a double-double machine (22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds). Season) who also creates shots for his teammates. Most recently, the 6-foot-9, 250-pounder dished out eight assists in the Blue Devils' 74-70 ACC Tournament final win over Virginia on Saturday.
If the Wizards get a top-three pick in May's NBA Draft Lottery, they will likely get one of these three players. If they get the No. 4 pick, they could acquire North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, the only freshman in school history other than Tyler Hansbrough to earn All-American honors. The 6-foot-10, 215-pounder won't play in the tournament as he recovers from thumb surgery (per ESPN), but he averaged a near double-double (19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds) on 57.8% shooting and can switch to any position defensively.
However, there is a possibility that Washington's lottery selection could fall outside the top four again. Entering Thursday night's home matchup with the Detroit Pistons, the team has the NBA's second-worst record (16-52), having finished in the same place last season. The second-worst record guarantees a top-six selection, and the Wizards were unlucky to get the lowest selection they could get last year.
Washington fans should be familiar with the consensus prospects outside the top four if the team selects the No. 5 or No. 6 pick in May. Luckily for the Wizards, several potential stars will likely be available in that range as well.
Here are four of those players:
G Kingston Flemings, Houston
Flemings was named the Cougars' "best freshman" by Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, and with good reason. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder blends efficient shooting with playmaking as a point guard while limiting turnovers. He is averaging 16.4 points per game with 5.3 assists on 47.5% shooting (39.2% 3-point shooting), while committing only 1.9 turnovers in 31.7 minutes. He also leads the team with 1.6 steals.
Additionally, the Flemings move on to bigger games. For example, the San Antonio native scored 21 points (6-14 FG, 3-4 3-point) with four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 32 minutes in Houston's 69-47 win over Peterson and Kansas in Friday's Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
No. 2 Houston will face No. 15 Idaho in the South Region on Thursday night.
G Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Acuff may be the hottest player in college basketball, coming off a 30-point, 11-assist performance in the Razorbacks' 85-76 win over Vanderbilt in Sunday's SEC Tournament final. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder has five 30-plus-point games this season, including a 49-point breakout in a 117-115 double overtime win over Alabama on Feb. 18.
Acuff is also more efficient than Flemings in high shooting volume, as he ranks seventh in the country with 22.9 points on 48.6% shooting (44.5% 3-point) while averaging 16.2 field goal attempts (5.8 3-point). Flemings is averaging 12.8 attempts (three 3-pointers).
Acuff is averaging 6.5 assists against 2.2 turnovers in 35.1 minutes. The 2026 SEC Player and Rookie of the Year could be the long-term version of Washington's Trae Young, just an inch shorter. The latter has a $49 million player option this summer, so there's no guarantee he'll remain there after next season.
No. 4 Arkansas will play No. 13 Hawaii in the West Region on Thursday.
G Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Wagler is another freshman sniper, as he shoots 40.2% from long range on an average of 5.8 attempts. However, the Kansas native also has the size at 6 feet 6 inches and his scoring prowess is similar to what Flemings and Acuff have displayed in their careers. 46 point performance in 88-82 win over Purdue on Jan. 24.
PTS: 46
FG: 13-17
3pt: 9-11Revitalize Every Basket @ilinimbb Star Keaton Wagler @bigten Freshman record 4️⃣6️⃣-point performance 👇 pic.twitter.com/dNcila5QJc
- Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) 24 January 2026
Wagler is the biggest surprise on this list, as he was a three-star recruit before winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors this season. Nonetheless, the combo guard is now unquestionably one of the best players in this class.
No. 3 Illinois will face No. 14 Pennsylvania in the South Region on Thursday.
Fort Ament, Tennessee
Ament is not as efficient as the above players, as he is averaging 17.5 points on 40.5% shooting (33.1% 3-point) in 30.2 minutes. However, the freshman at 6-foot-10, 207 pounds has great defensive tools and potential as a big man in the NBA. Some of his standout performances this season include 29-point performances against Oklahoma, Kentucky and Alabama on February 18, February 7 and January 24, respectively. The Volunteers also won 89–66, lost 74–71 and won 79–73, respectively.
No. 6 Tennessee will face No. 11 Miami (OH) in the Midwest Region on Friday.
