The NCAA Tournament rarely tanks a prospect’s draft stock. But, even with there being more access to and coverage of regular season games than ever before, a strong performance in March Madness can still help improve the perception of a player ahead of the draft.
Here are a few of the payers who have had their draft stocks rise and fall after the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and how that could impact the Washington Wizards.
Stock up: Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 21: Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks dribbles the ball while being guarded by Chase Johnston #99 of the High Point Panthers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 21: Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Arkansas Razorbacks dribbles the ball while being guarded by Chase Johnston #99 of the High Point Panthers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Darius Acuff Jr., the 6’3” freshman from Arkansas, is the latest in a long line of elite guards like John Wall, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey and Reed Sheppard to play for John Calipari. Acuff had little left to prove in March Madness after leading the SEC in scoring with 23.3 points per game. But, the way he has put the four-seed Arkansas on his back, especially against a pesky 12-seed High Point team that beat five-seed Wisconsin and is spending on a level similar to many high-major programs, is notable.
In Arkansas’ 94-88 second round win over High Point, Acuff scored 36 points and dished out six assists while shooting 11-22 from the field, 3-6 from three and 11-13 from the free throw line. Acuff also had 27 points and seven assists against 13-seed Hawaii in the first round. Leading into the NCAA Tournament, Acuff averaged 30.3 points and 7.7 assists over three games while leading Arkansas to an SEC Tournament title.
At this point, Acuff is only behind BYU freshman wing AJ Dybantsa in terms of pure scoring ability. If he continues scoring at this rate and leads Arkansas to a Final Four appearance, do not be surprised if he is in the conversation to be picked in the four-six range instead of the seven-nine range like many had him just a few weeks ago. While Acuff’s game may be a bit redundant next to Trae Young and Tre Johnson, he would still be an incredible value if the Wizards pick falls out of the top three. Most years, a player like Acuff would be in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick, especially after his performances in his conference tournament and in March Madness.
Stock down: Tennessee freshman forward Nate Ament
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 22: Nate Ament #10 of the Tennessee Volunteers drives to the basket against Jacari White #6 of the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 22: Nate Ament #10 of the Tennessee Volunteers drives to the basket against Jacari White #6 of the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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This may be cherry picking a bit, but the 6’10” Manassas, VA native Nate Ament, even though he is not fully healthy, has not been overly impressive through Tennessee’s first two NCAA Tournament games. After having a slow start, but some promising performances in SEC play, Ament has taken another step back. Ament is clearly not 100%. He missed two games in February due to right ankle and right knee injuries, but he has not looked like a potential lottery pick when he has been on the floor lately.
In six-seed Tennessee’s first round game against mid-major darling 11-seed Miami (OH), Ament was held scoreless in 18 minutes, behind held out for the final 10 minutes with the Volunteers up big. Ament looked a bit better in Tennessee’s next game against three-seed Virginia, scoring 16 points on 4-11 shooting.
Obviously, NBA evaluators will take it into consideration that Ament is playing through injury to help his team. But while he is doing that, some of his peers, like Acuff, are improving their stocks. Ament looked much better in his second round game against Virginia, and the four days off he will have between Sunday’s win against Virginia and Friday’s Sweet Sixteen game against a shorthanded two-seed Iowa State will certainly help. This has not been a disaster for Ament, but it looks like he will end up sliding closer to the mid-late lottery, which would not make him an option for the Wizards and their top-eight protected pick.
Stock up: St. John’s senior forward Zuby Ejiofor
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 22: Zuby Ejiofor #24 of the St. John’s Red Storm protects the lane from Flory Bidunga #40 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second round game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 22: Zuby Ejiofor #24 of the St. John’s Red Storm protects the lane from Flory Bidunga #40 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second round game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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St. John’s has been one of the most impressive teams this last month, upsetting UConn in the Big East Tournament and advancing past four-seed Kansas and potential No. 1 overall pick Darryn Peterson to the Sweet Sixteen on a buzzer-beating layup. The biggest reason for the five-seed Johnnies’ success (other than legendary head coach Rick Pitino)? Senior forward Zuby Ejiofor.
Ejiofor, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, was not really on many people’s radar as a first round pick, being viewed more as a mid-late second rounder. But, his impact on St John’s defense, one of the top units in the country, and his leadership as someone in his third year with Pitino in Queens, are difficult to ignore. With the 6’9”, 240-pound Ejiofor at the center of almost everything St. John’s does, they have become legitimate national title contenders. Ejiofor had 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the first round against 12-seed Northern Iowa and 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists against Kansas.
Ejiofor will not be a star in the NBA. But this season, he has shown that he has the potential to be a serviceable, defensive-oriented rotation big. Something especially promising for his NBA future is his shooting. His 29.6% three point shooting does not necessarily jump off the page, but it is good enough to keep defenders honest and will go a long way in his ability to stay on the floor at the pro level. He could be a great target for the Wizards if he is available near the beginning of the second round. But if St. John’s is able to upset one-seed Duke in the Sweet Sixteen and Ejiofor outplays likely top-three pick Cameron Boozer, Ejiofor may end up playing himself into the first round and out of reach of the Wizards.
Stock down: UConn freshman guard Braylon Mullins
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 20: Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies shoots over Eddrin Bronson #2 of the Furman Paladins during the first half during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 20: Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies shoots over Eddrin Bronson #2 of the Furman Paladins during the first half during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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The 6’6” Braylon Mullins had very high expectations going into his freshman season with UConn. Mullins was considered a potential mid-lottery pick and had a reputation as an elite, pro-ready shooter. That has not necessarily been the case. Mullins shot 33.0% from three, not bad by any means, but not the type of numbers that would usually come from someone whose calling card is their three point shooting.
Some of Mullins’ shooting inconsistencies were especially noticeable during two-seed UConn’s first round matchup against 15-seed Furman, where he went 0-8 from deep. While Mullins bounced back a bit in the second round against seven-seed UCLA, shooting 2-6 from three and scoring 17 points, there are some real questions about Mullins’ pro-readiness. He is not a positive on the defensive end and has playmaking limitations. If the shots are not falling, Mullins does not bring a lot of value.
All indications still point towards Mullins entering the draft, but it may make more sense for him to actually stay in college and try and go pro next year. It will be a much weaker draft and Mullins will be able to earn a significant amount of NIL money by staying. At this point, some mock drafts have Mullins going as late as the late-20s. If Mullins falls that far, the Wizards could jump on it and swing a trade and take advantage of the slide.