ESPN reveals 2026 NBA Draft Big Board, includes 2 SEC stars in top 10
By Ethan Stone
Published:
The first round of the NBA Draft will tip off on Tuesday, June 23, and several former SEC stars are set to hear their names called. A few of those stars could make their way into the top 10.
On Friday, ESPN released its 2026 NBA Draft Big Board, ranking the best pure prospects in the draft without taking best fit into account. At the top you have the usual mix of Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cam Boozer, but a pair of former SEC stars cracked ESPN’s top 10, too.
Writer Jeremy Woo included Arkansas‘ Darius Acuff at No. 6 and Tennessee‘s Nate Ament at No. 9. You can find the full list in the link below:
Acuff is a genuinely intriguing prospect. He’s an excellent shot creator and proved to be clutch while leading the Razorbacks to an SEC title as a freshman, boasting an impressive 44% from 3 and 48.4% from the field with 6.4 assists per game — top 15 in college basketball. The former 5-star’s offensive upside is as high as any prospect in the draft.
The reason for his slippage on draft boards has to do almost solely with his defense, which Woo describes as “lackluster.” Notably, a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Conner said the Sacramento is Acuff’s preferred destination.
Ament is next on the list, and while he had an up and down year at Tennessee, he’s a high upside prospect whose best basketball is surely still in front of him. The 6-foot-10 forward flashed for the Volunteers on their Elite 8 run, averaging 16.7 points per game while proving to be a capable defender thanks to his impressive length (though Woo disagrees in this regard).
The question for Ament is whether or not he’ll be able to improve as a scorer, especially through contact. If he can be more efficient, and that’s a pretty big ‘if,’ there’s no telling how high his ceiling extends.
Because he’s not quite a finished product, however, he’s a risky pick in the early lottery and a potential steal in the late.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
