The college basketball season is over, which means the next big event on the calendar — particularly for the best players — is the 2022 NBA Draft.
Tons of players boosted their NFL Draft stock during March Madness. Unsung regular-season heroes became household names, while several star prospects made their case for why they should be the first player to come off the board.
Below, The Game Day NBA Analyst Jordan Schultz ranks and evaluates the top 75 NBA Draft players in this year’s draft class and provides information on how they stand out from the crowd of college, G League, and international prospects.
NBA Draft Prospect Rankings
| Rank | Player | Position | School/Country | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paolo Banchero | PF | Duke | Elite scorer, big-time rebounder, and impressive playmaker who’s ready to contribute right away. |
| 2 | Jabari Smith | PF | Auburn | Versatile skillset offensively, with the capacity to become a real weapon defensively. |
| 3 | Jaden Ivey | SG | Purdue | Shades of Ja Morant with his lightning quickness and attacking mentality — and already a capable shooter. |
| 4 | Chet Holmgren | C | Gonzaga | Positionless seven-footer who can impact the game in every which way, which is why NBA teams believe he can invert the floor and initiate their offense. |
| 5 | Johnny Davis | SG | Wisconsin | Physical, creative combo guard who's bouncier and shiftier than he's given credit for. |
| 6 | Keegan Murray | PF | Iowa | Sniper from long range who scores efficiently at all three levels and has 6-foot-9-inch, 225-pound frame to boot. |
| 7 | Dyson Daniels | SG | G League | The best defender in the draft and a smooth offensive player with enormous upside. |
| 8 | AJ Griffin | SF | Duke | Lights-out shooter with the robust physical frame and mindset to guard 1-4 at the next level. |
| 9 | Shaedon Sharpe | SG | Kentucky | Smooth operator who can handle it, score it, and pretty much do everything else at 6 feet 6 inches and 200 pounds. |
| 10 | Bennedict Mathurin | SG | Arizona | Pac-12 Player of the Year and a gritty off guard who can really score and has the temperament necessary to become a star. |
| 11 | Malaki Branham | SG | Ohio State | Just a pup, but enormously skilled offensively with a silky pull-up game and the length/dexterity to become a lockdown defender. |
| 12 | TyTy Washington | PG | Kentucky | Super steady playmaker who plays at his own pace and makes excellent decisions as a rangy lead guard. |
| 13 | Jalen Duren | C | Memphis | Explosive big with all the physical tools to become a dominant NBA center, including a 6-foot-11-inch, 250-pound frame and 7-foot-5-inch wingspan. |
| 14 | Kennedy Chandler | PG | Tennessee | An enticing point guard with tremendous athleticism and speed, Chandler is one of the potential steals in this class. |
| 15 | Tari Eason | PF | LSU | First-Team All-SEC performer with a multifaceted game that impacts winning on both ends. |
| 16 | Ochai Agbaji | SG | Kansas | A 6-foot-6-inch wing who can really shoot it and has improved every year, capping his career off with a national title. |
| 17 | Mark Williams | C | Duke | Clint Capela-type ability as an elite shot-blocker with the offensive punch and ruggedness every GM wants to see. |
| 18 | Jeremy Sochan | SF/PF | Baylor | Defends, rebounds, and competes, and only 18 years old. |
| 19 | MarJon Beauchamp | SG | G League | With bona fide All-Star potential, the 6-foot-6-inch Beauchamp can get you a bucket whenever you need and has the 7-foot-1-inch wingspan to guard bigger wings as well. |
| 20 | Blake Wesley | SG | Notre Dame | A talented young wing with the 6-foot-5-inch frame to match, Wesley can get downhill and finish with the best of them. |
| 21 | Walker Kessler | C | Auburn | College basketball's human eraser has an incredible ability to block shots and defend the rim without fouling. |
| 22 | Ousmane Dieng | SF | New Zealand | Intriguing prospect who's only 18, the 6-foot-10-inch Dieng has lottery talent and can become a high-level defender and solid pick-and-pop option in the league. |
| 23 | Nikola Jović | SF | Serbia | Very skilled 18-year-old Serbian who can put the ball on the deck and finish, but is equally deft at the mid-post where he has a wide variety of tricks to create separation. |
| 24 | Kendall Brown | SF | Baylor | Good offensive player who sees the floor and passes very well despite being 18. Should be able to guard at least three positions as a pro. |
| 25 | Christian Braun | SG | Kansas | Really helped himself with a great March and was a key reason why Kansas came back to beat UNC. Braun does everything well and impacts winning in a major way. |
| 26 | Jean Montero | PG | Dominican Republic | Great offensive feel and classic pick-and-roll lead guard with an advanced handle and excellent vision. |
| 27 | Wendell Moore Jr. | SF | Duke | Well-rounded, competitive player who guards, rebounds, and scores when needed. Improved his three-point percentage from 21% as a freshman to 41% as a junior. |
| 28 | Hugo Besson | PG/SG | New Zealand | Jumbo-sized guard who can fill it up in a hurry. Will have no issues getting buckets in the NBA after dominating the highly-competitive NBL. |
| 29 | JD Davison | PG | Alabama | Five-star recruit who flashed brilliance in the open floor and showed the chops to become a terrific rebounder for a guard. |
| 30 | Max Christie | SG | Michigan State | A 6-foot-5-inch freshman; can be a plus shooting guard at the next level whose mechanics and ability to elevate as a shooter will pay dividends for the team that drafts him. |
| 31 | Oscar Tshiebwe | C | Kentucky | Wooden Award winner and an absolute load in the paint with nimble feet and big, strong hands. Blessed with a 7-foot-4-inch wingspan and reminds me of Pistons big Isaiah Stewart. |
| 32 | Jake LaRavia | SF | Wake Forest | A 6-foot-8-inch fluid athlete with a tailor-made NBA game. A good series of pre-draft workouts could easily elevate him into the high 20s. |
| 33 | Jaylin Williams | PF | Arkansas | Brings a dose of toughness that NBA GMs covet. Averaged 11 points for the Hogs and collected 16 double-doubles in Arkansas' final 23 games. |
| 34 | Terquavion Smith | SG | NC State | Young, slight, creative offensive player (16 PPG in the ACC as a freshman) with a great first step and feel for how to score around the basket. Good floater game too. Needs reps, but has a chance to be an impact player. |
| 35 | E.J. Liddell | PF | Ohio State | Undersized 4 who can fill it up. Relies on tremendous skill and footwork to carve out space, collect rebounds, and score at all three levels. |
| 36 | Julian Strawther | SG | Gonzaga | Rangy 6-foot-7-inch wing who can really defend the perimeter and improved all three years as a three-point shooter. |
| 37 | Patrick Baldwin Jr. | SF/PF | Milwaukee | Mega-recruit who played for his dad at Milwaukee, often getting lost at a lower level, but also displaying rare tools such as an advanced handle, vision, and a nice midrange game. |
| 38 | Jalen Williams | SF | Santa Clara | A 6-foot-6-inch wing who has skyrocketed up boards thanks to a stellar junior season in which he averaged 18-4-4 on 40% shooting from deep for the Broncos. |
| 39 | Trayce Jackson-Davis | PF | Indiana | Former McDonald's All-American who dominated the rugged Big Ten while converting 59% of his twos and imposing his will in big games. |
| 40 | Jaden Hardy | SG | G League | Gifted, bouncy guard who is still learning how to play but is a worthwhile project that could pay off considerably after spending more time in the G League. |
| 41 | Orlando Robinson | C | Fresno State | A 6-foot-11-inch center with a 7-foot-4-inch wingspan, Robinson could develop into a defensive anchor and legitimate rim-runner. |
| 42 | Armando Bacot | PF | North Carolina | Extremely productive classic big who tied David Robinson's single-season double-double record. |
| 43 | Harrison Ingram | SF | Stanford | Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and former McDonald's All-American who has a ton of upside as an athletic, 6-foot-7-inch, 230-pound wing. |
| 44 | Trevion Williams | PF | Purdue | Highly productive big who can shoot it some, but enjoys banging down low and can score on the block as well. |
| 45 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SG/SF | UCLA | Super skilled wing who can handle and create his own shot, finish with either hand, and step away from the basket. Improved with each year for the Bruins. |
| 46 | Christian Koloko | C | Arizona | Bouncy, 6-foot-10-inch big who showed up in a big way down the stretch for the Wildcats. Rebounding, rim-running, and defensive ability should translate well in the league. |
| 47 | Isaiah Mobley | PF | USC | Older brother of Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley. Terrific player whose intelligence, rebounding, and defense will all translate to the NBA. |
| 48 | Jabari Walker | SF/PF | Colorado | Interesting 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound prospect who can do a bit of everything and made a significant leap between his first and second seasons in Boulder. |
| 49 | Caleb Love | PG | North Carolina | J.R. Smith/Jordan Clarkson-type of shooter who averaged 19 points per game in the NCAA Tournament while shooting 38% from three as a sophomore. |
| 50 | Trevor Keels | SG | Duke | Physically imposing wing with a football-like build. Embraces contact on both sides of the floor and finishes well through it. |
| 51 | Yannick Nzosa | PF/C | DR Congo | Bouncy, strong, highly-gifted kid with a ton of upside — not unlike fellow countryman Bismack Biyombo. |
| 52 | Drew Timme | PF/C | Gonzaga | Incredibly skilled 6-foot-10-inch big who can flat-out play. Will be a second-round steal because of how well he passes and understands the game. |
| 53 | Jalen Wilson | SF | Kansas | Provided a huge lift for the Jayhawks en route to their title, hitting big shots and guarding several positions every game. |
| 54 | Caleb Houstan | SF | Michigan | Canadian product of the famed Montverde Academy. Just scratching the surface of what he could become, but already a decent scorer and capable defender. |
| 55 | Julian Champagnie | SF | St. John's | Do-everything wing who is athletic and quick enough to defend 1-3 at the next level. His brother, Justin, is a rookie for the Raptors. |
| 56 | Peyton Watson | SG/SF | UCLA | Great kid and super recruit who didn't play a ton for the Bruins, but has all the tools to become a bona fide NBA player in time. |
| 57 | Josh Minott | PF | Memphis | Interesting prospect who flashed the clutch gene for Penny Hardaway's club, often coming up with late-clock buckets and stops. |
| 58 | Bryce McGowens | SG | Nebraska | Really good player who scores from 16 feet and in. |
| 59 | Justin Lewis | SF/PF | Marquette | Classic, hard-nosed Marquette forward who can do essentially whatever it is your club needs. |
| 60 | Keon Ellis | SG | Alabama | Great athlete; best in space and as a rangy defender. |
| 61 | Alondes Williams | SG/PG | Wake Forest | Oklahoma transfer was the ACC Player of the Year after averaging a healthy 18-6-5 for the Deacs. Can help his stock by expanding his range beyond the arc in pre-draft workouts. |
| 62 | Ismael Kamagate | C | France | Bouncy seven-footer with good hands, feet, and overall feel for the game. I like him a lot. |
| 63 | Jordan Hall | PG/SG | St. Joseph's | Sleeper prospect out of the A-10 who can do a bit of everything. Has great size at 6 feet 8 inches, elite vision, and feel. Broke the Hawks' all-time single-season record in assists per game. |
| 64 | Zach Edey | C | Purdue | Massive 7-foot-4-inch, 295-pound big who has a good feel for spacing, help-side defense, and decent feet. Would love to see him find a home. |
| 65 | Michael Foster Jr. | PF | G League | Classic new-age wing with a refined jumper, impressive handle, and fluid offensive game. Only 19 years old, too. |
| 66 | Khalifa Diop | C | Senegal | Athletic 6-foot-11-inch center with good finishing ability, good hands, and a nice feel for the game. |
| 67 | Roko Prkačin | PF | Croatia | Second-youngest player in this draft and someone to watch as a potential draft-and-stash. Tall forward who's creative with his handle, highly deft at getting to his spot, and mechanically sound as a perimeter shooter. |
| 68 | Ron Harper Jr. | SF | Rutgers | Rugged forward who can step away and shoot it, but also put the ball on the deck and bully-ball his way to the rim. |
| 69 | Ryan Rollins | SG | Toledo | 50-40-90 guard who dominated in the MAC. Remember Jason Preston? He and Rollins are almost identical in size. |
| 70 | Johnny Juzang | SG | UCLA | Household name in college hoops who can score, rebound, and shoot. He's played his best ball in some of his biggest games. |
| 71 | Gabe Brown | SF | Michigan State | Athletic 6-foot-6-inch left-handed wing who can shoot it and guard several positions. |
| 72 | JD Notae | SG | Arkansas | Attacking guard who creates separation with a lethal first step. Finishes well at the rim and has a nifty in-between game. |
| 73 | David Roddy | SF | Colorado State | The Mountain West Player of the Year is a hyper-efficient scorer with enough size and strength to find an NBA home. Think Pat Connaughton, but not nearly the athlete. |
| 74 | Matthew Mayer | SF | Baylor | Key part of Baylor's title team two years ago. Mayer's somewhat lackluster stats disguise his impact as a winning player on both sides of the floor. |
| 75 | Terrence Shannon Jr. | SG | Texas Tech | High-rising, 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound lefty who impacts the game with his overall activity, effort, and ancillary scoring. Think Derrick Jones Jr. if all things pan out well. |
