The top of the 2024 NBA Draft will probably belong to international prospects and one-and-done college players. But by the time the first round concludes, several multiyear NCAA stars will have heard their names called.
Players such as Dalton Knecht and Donovan Clingan are poised to serve as success stories for what returning to college for an additional year of development can do for your stock. Both could have become pros after the 2022-23 season. Instead, they opted for another year of seasoning and are now established as potential lottery picks after elevating their games.
A total 11 players who spent at least two seasons in college basketball are represented in the first round of this mock draft. In what’s regarded as a relatively weak class, many of them could go down as steals.
Staying in college basketball has never been more appealing for fringe prospects, as rules now allow players to profit off their talents and to transfer freely. Potential first-round picks such as Knecht, Devin Carter, Jaylon Tyson and Kel’el Ware each transferred to places where they could shine, and as a result, they have positioned themselves to be selected during the 2024 NBA Draft, which will be June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Looking for more NBA coverage? CBS Sports’ Beyond the Arc podcast takes a look at the league’s biggest storylines from the 2024 playoffs to the upcoming draft to free agency.
Our latest NBA mock draft is below.
