2024 NBA mock draft: Kentucky’s prospects sent packing and Zach Edey’s impressive tournament run

The NCAA tournament got off to a wild start on Thursday as No. 3 seed Kentucky was upset by No. 14 seed Oakland 80-76, behind an incredible shooting performance from Jack Gohlke, who made 10 3s while scoring 32 points.

This result put a major damper on NBA scouting this month, as Kentucky had the top two prospects in the NCAA tournament and seven of the top 33 prospects in the competition.

Kentucky has been a poor defensive team all year and continued to show an alarming lack of attention to detail, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to get any shot they wanted all game. The Wildcats didn’t make any in-game adjustments, as they were unable to match Oakland’s scoring prowess while playing oversized lineups with too many nonshooters, shrinking the floor and making it difficult for their guards to find space to operate against Oakland’s zone.

Two prospects advancing to the Sweet 16 are Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Purdue’s Zach Edey. Knecht struggled from deep (1-for-8) against Texas but made four free throws down the stretch to help the Volunteers advance.

Edey and the Boilermakers erased last season’s loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson with impressive wins versus Grambling and Utah State. The 7-foot-4 center averaged 26.5 points and 17.5 rebounds in the two games.

ESPN NBA draft insiders Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo recap the first weekend of the 2024 NCAA tournament and provide an updated mock draft.

2024 NBA mock draft

The draft order is based on ESPN projections and reflects the current state of picks owed and owned:

FIRST ROUND

1. Detroit Pistons

Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg | SF | Age: 18.9

2. Washington Wizards

Alex Sarr

3. San Antonio Spurs

Rob Dillingham | Kentucky | PG | Age: 19.2

4. Charlotte Hornets

Nikola Topic | Mega MIS | PG | Age: 18.6

5. Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Clingan | C | UConn | Age: 20.0 | Cody Williams | SG/SF | Colorado | Age: 19.3 | Tristan da Silva | SF/PF | Colorado | Age: 22.8 | Kevin McCullar Jr.

Furphy did have a positive showing against No. 12 seed Samford in his NCAA tournament debut, knocking down a pair of open 3s, and showing his energy and instincts crashing the offensive glass, rotating to protect the rim, ripping through for an and-1 and cutting off the ball intelligently.

Furphy, who is not a dynamic shooter but more of a catch-and-shoot threat, finished the season converting 36% of his 3s after being guarded much more closely over the past two months compared to his scorching month of January.

Furphy’s defense will be a major question mark for teams as his thin frame and poor wingspan cause him to play like more of a 6-5 player than 6-9. He struggles to get over screens, gives up straight-line blow-bys regularly, and has very little margin for error while getting out to contest jumpers on the perimeter. There was nowhere for him to hide against Gonzaga, as he doesn’t have the quickness to defend guards or the strength to hang with better wings and forwards while getting targeted all game.

There’s a market in today’s NBA for wing shooters in Furphy’s mold, but the poor end to his season puts his draft stock in a somewhat tenuous spot that should put returning for his sophomore season on the table if he doesn’t receive the assurances he needs coming out of May’s NBA draft combine. — Givony

Keshad Johnson at center during a crucial stretch of the second half, which put Holmes in an uncomfortable position and exposed some of those limitations, forcing him to switch and move around the center of the floor. Holmes has decent instincts defensively but is not the fleetest of foot in transition, nor a great lateral mover, creating challenges when he has to regularly cover ground.

Holmes has been a prolific offensive player in college, expanding his comfort level out to the 3-point line this season, getting to the line at a high rate, and having developed the ability to attack off the dribble and exploit matchups. The mobility questions and defensive concerns leave Holmes on uncertain footing going into the pre-draft process though. He will need a strong spring to bolster his stock, but the junior could also opt to return to college to try to answer lingering questions about the translatability of his skill set. — Woo

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Jaxson Robinson | SG/SF | BYU | Age: 21.3 | Top 100: No. 56

Robinson was a bright spot Thursday despite No. 6 BYU’s first-round exit, shooting the ball with confidence and showcasing the perimeter skill set that makes him a person of interest for NBA teams. He’s able to shoot on the move from deep, attack closeouts adequately, and force defenses to account for him wherever he is on the floor when he has it going. The convincing shooting display was a good way for him to go out from an NBA perspective, and it certainly helps that he’s young for a senior.

Defensively, Robinson has enough size and length to hold his own. But he isn’t the most physical player, so there’s work for him to do. It was a bit of an inconsistent season for Robinson, but tall perimeter shot-makers always get extended looks in the pre-draft process, and he should be in line for a combine invite and plenty of workout interest. He has eligibility remaining should he elect to return to college. — Woo

Jaylen Wells | SG/SF | Washington State | Age: 20.5 | Top 100: NR

Wells’ under-the-radar breakout season for the Cougars came to a close with a pair of solid showings in the tournament — 17 points and nine rebounds against Drake and 20 points in a second-round loss to Iowa State. A transfer from Division II Sonoma State, Wells grew from 5-8 to 6-6 over the course of his high school career and is still just 20 years old with room to grow into his frame, an excellent stroke and solid scoring instincts. That skill set gives him an interesting baseline appeal for NBA scouts.

The next order of business for Wells will be continuing to work on his frame and individual defense, both of which are understandably lagging behind his scoring due to his unique trajectory. Adding strength in order to better utilize his size would help him in all facets — he shot just 43.7% on 2-point attempts this season — but his 3-point stroke and comfort level getting to his shot give him something to hang his hat on as a long-term prospect. Another strong season could vault him into the draft conversation next year. — Woo

Jermaine Couisnard | PG/SG | Oregon | Age: 25.3 | Top 100: NR

As a 25-year-old fifth-year senior, Couisnard was among the oldest participants in the NCAA tournament and had an incredible weekend, scoring 72 points in two games. While Couisnard’s efficiency this season left something to be desired (44% from 2, 35% from 3), his size, strength, shot-creation and shot-making prowess is going to warrant deeper looks from NBA teams over the course of the pre-draft process. Going into this past weekend, Couisnard hadn’t yet been invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament camp, but that will surely change after the incredible tournament he had. — Givony

N’Faly Dante | C | Oregon | Age: 22.4 | Top 100: NR

Hobbled by injuries for much of the season, Dante came alive for Oregon in March, averaging 20.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2 blocks per game on 79% shooting inside the arc. A physical outlier with his 7-5 wingspan and chiseled frame, we haven’t seen Dante cover ground and play above the rim with such force as he did against Creighton with 28 points and 20 rebounds while playing 49 minutes in a double-overtime loss. Dante might not be the most modern big man with his lack of shooting range, passing and inconsistent technique defending on the perimeter, but there just aren’t that many bigs with his combination of physical tools, interior skill and productivity. He could still have some untapped upside as he improves his conditioning in a considerably smaller role in the pros. — Givony

Koby Brea | SG/SF | Dayton | Age: 21.3 | Top 100: NR

Brea put his shot-making prowess on full display in the NCAA tournament, going 9-of-18 from 3 over two games, many of which came on deep, contested pull-up jumpers or running off screens. He finished the season shooting 50% for 3 on over six attempts per game, making him the No. 1 shooter in college basketball. Despite not having great physical tools or defensive versatility, there’s certainly a market on the fringes for players who are nearly automatic with their feet set as Brea seemingly is with his perfect shooting stroke at 6-6. The senior has one more year of NCAA eligibility at his disposal — he’s young for his class, not turning 22 until November — and will at worst get plenty of looks during the pre-draft process after finishing his season on a positive note. — Givony

Tyon Grant-Foster | SG/SF | Grand Canyon | Age: 24 | Top 100: NR