2026 NBA draft big board rankings: Top 100 prospects - ESPN

The onset of the 2025-26 men's college basketball season brings with it the debut of arguably the strongest NCAA freshman class in the past half-decade and a wave of excitement around the loaded 2026 draft class.

NBA scouts have crisscrossed the country for early looks at these players, heading into a rich national nonconference college slate in November and December featuring some huge prospect matchups. If the early returns are indicative, there are real implications for how NBA teams might decide to navigate the season. A strong top group of prospects, headlined by Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, is expected to make lottery night particularly consequential for a range of franchises — and a broader tanking race for a chance to select atop the draft is already underway.

This is presently regarded as one of the deeper drafts in recent memory, with a host of talented newcomers joined by a strong group of returners who opted to stay in college, thanks in large part to the way NIL salaries have shaped the financial landscape for players.

With that, here are ESPN's top 100 rankings for the 2026 draft class with breakdowns for the top 25, informed by my own player evaluation process, intel from around the NBA and college ranks, and offering a representation of the available player pool and insight into executives' and scouts' views.

Freshman | Height: 6-6 | Age: 18.8

The debates about which prospect should be the No. 1 pick are already unfolding around the NBA. I've had this conversation with many around the league since last spring, and right now it's Peterson who has the loudest argument. He's continued to back that up with his play coming off a dominant senior year of high school, and there frankly just