At about the mid-point of the college basketball season the top of the 2024 draft remains completely wide open. There is simply no clear no.1 player in this class and no superstar waiting to come rescue a NBA franchise.
But I do have a new no.1 prospect on my big board and mock draft: Colorado big guard Cody Williams. Cody has been starting to dominate in college basketball as a wiry 6-8 guard who can do a bit of everything on the court and really excels at driving the rock and finishing in the lane. He’s shown elite flashes and high level production and looks to be on a steep upward trajectory. Other players are very much in the mix for the top spot but at the moment I see Cody Williams as the guy to beat.
A bunch of injuries have limited our evaluation of a number of top prospects. Alex Sarr has been out for a few weeks with a minor hip injury. Nikola Topic is missing at least a month or more with a knee injury and Isaiah Collier is out with an injured hand. Sarr should be back soon, while Topic and Collier are likely to be back some time in February. I think Sarr has the best chance to overtake Cody Williams and regain the top spot.
One player just coming back from injury is UConn big Donovan Clingan, who is back in action but on a minutes restriction, coming off a foot injury. He’s fallen a bit on my board but will have a chance to regain momentum over the second half of the season, assuming he can stay healthy.
Meanwhile a few players have continued to skyrocket up the board including Kentucky guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard and French forward Tidjane Salaun, who moves all the way up to no.5. Salaun is a super intriguing 6-10 forward who is active all over the court, can handle and shoot and is oozing with upside. He’ll take some time to develop but is a swing-for-the-fences type of prospect.
Speaking of France, there are three French prospects ranked in the top 10 and five in the top 30. Les basketteurs français sont légitimes.
One interesting new name on the board is Cameroon big man Ulrich Chomche who is draft eligible this year, and could declare for the 2024 draft. Chomche, a well-built, mobile center who is a defensive monster, has first round potential.
Upperclassmen like PJ Hall, Dalton Knecht, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Tyler Kolek continue to perform, and look like first round picks, while Antonio Reeves and KJ Simpson make their debut on this board.
2024 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0
- Cody Williams – SF – Colorado
- Alexandre Sarr (PF/C) – Perth (France)
- Zaccharie Risacher – SF – France
- Nikola Topic – PG – Serbia
- Tidjane Salaun – PF – France
- Stephon Castle PG/SG – UConn
- Ja’Kobe Walter – SG – Baylor
- Ron Holland – SF – Ignite
- Matas Buzelis – SF – Ignite
- Dalton Knecht – SG – Tennessee
- Rob Dillingham – PG – Kentucky
- Ryan Dunn – SF – Virginia
- Reed Sheppard – SG – Kentucky
- Kyle Filipowski – C – Duke
- Yves Missi – C – Baylor (Cameroon)
- Adem Bona – C – UCLA (Turkey/Nigeria)
- Isaiah Collier – PG – USC
- Kevin McCullar Jr. – SG – Kansas
- PJ Hall – PF – Clemson
- Ulrich Chomche – C – Cameroon
- Donovan Clingan – C – UConn
- Kyshawn George – PG/SF – Miami
- Bobi Klintman – PF – Cairns, NBL (Sweden)
- Kwame Evans Jr. – PF – Oregon
- Tristan Da Silva – PF – Colorado (Germany)
- Pacome Dadiet – SF – France
- Tyler Smith – PF – Ignite
- Tyler Kolek – PG – Marquette
- Carlton Carrington – PG – Pittsburgh
- Melvin Ajinca – SF – France
- Zach Edey – C – Purdue (Canada)
- A.J. Johnson – PG – Illawara, NBL
- Aaron Bradshaw – C – Kentucky
- Justin Edwards – SF – Kentucky
- Dillon Jones – SG/SF – Weber State
- Ajay Mitchell – SG – UC Santa Barbara (Belgium)
- Trey Alexander – SG – Creighton
- Wooga Poplar – SG – Miami
- Johnny Furphy – SG – Kansas (Australia)
- Adama Bal – SG – Santa Clara (France)
- Devin Carter – PG/SG – Providence
- Trentyn Flowers – SF – Adelaide, NBL
- Mackenzie Mgbako – SF – Indiana (Nigeria)
- Oso Ighodaro – PF – Marquette
- Bronny James – SG – USC
- Hunter Sallis – SG – Wake Forest
- Jared McCain – PG/SG – Duke
- Kel’el Ware – C – Indiana
- Tyrese Proctor – PG – Duke (Australia)
- Trevon Brazile – PF – Arkansas
- Zvonimir Ivisic – C – Kentucky (Croatia)
- Jalen Bridges – SF – Baylor
- Milon Momcilovic – SF – Iowa State
- Izan Almansa – PF – Ignite (Spain)
- Alex Toohey – SF – Australia
- Kylan Boswell – PG – Arizona
- Juan Nunez – PG – Spain
- Caleb Foster – SG – Duke
- Matthew Cleveland – SF – Miami
- Taran Armstrong – PG – Cairns, NBL
- Kam Jones – SG – Marquette
- Tristen Newton – PG – UConn
- Otega Oweh – SG – Oklahoma
- Antonio Reeves – SG – Kentucky
- Judah Mintz – SG – Syracuse
- Kobe Johnson – SG/SF – USC
- Dillon Mitchell – SF –Texas
- KJ Simpson – PG – Colorado
- D.J. Wagner – SG – Kentucky
- Hunter Dickenson – C – Kansas