Modern-day drafts have favored the one-and-done prospects. Players who might have barely featured over the season but showed a glimmer of potential for a top program end up being top picks. In the majority of cases, deservedly so.
But for the lower-tier prospects who don’t end up in a power conference, it is much harder to get drafted. Most of these prospects spend multiple years in college, with a lot of them doing the whole four-year charade. And even then, a lot of them miss out.
Last year, five players from Mid-Major schools were drafted in the first round. Julian Strawther, Brandin Podziemski, Taylor Hendricks, Jarace Walker, and Ben Sheppard. There were three in the previous 2022 edition.
With the 2024 already turning out to be unpredictable, it's not easy to guess that number. But here are five of the best prospects from those schools who stand the best chance to have their name called by the commissioner or his deputy in less than a month. Daron Holmes II has what it takes to be a lottery pick.
However, his status as a mid-major prospect might hinder him. Projected to be a late first-round pick in what is an unpredictable draft, Holmes is a stud. The Dayton forward was both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic-10 Conference for the 2023-24 season.
A shot-blocking, floor-spacing center, who is a capable ball handler as well, Holmes is the complete package. The 21-year-old did most of his damage in the paint, scoring through a variety of.
