NBA Draft Big Board: Risers and Fallers Early in College Hoops Conference Play

College basketball’s conference play is in full swing, and NBA scouts are crisscrossing the country to get eyes on top prospects in some of the most competitive games of the season. While there’s plenty to be learned from nonconference play, prospects get a host of new challenges in league play against defenses that are more prepared and often more physical than the ones you see in November and December.

Which top NBA draft prospects are moving up or down boards right now? Here’s Sports Illustrated’s updated top 30 prospects, plus notes on five notable names who’ve helped or hurt themselves in recent weeks.

Egor Demin, G, BYU Cougars (Previously No. 6, currently No. 9)

Demin was knocking on the door of the top five of SI’s first big board in December, but has slipped down the pecking order after a rather inconspicuous start to conference play. In six games against high-major competition, Demin is averaging eight points per game and shooting just 27% from the field, including a dismal 3-of-29 from beyond the arc. Demin is a better shooter than that, but this long slump makes his hot shooting start to the season look more and more like a fluke. There have still been bright moments despite the shotmaking woes, including some incredibly sharp passes in BYU’s loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders last time out. Demin’s positional size and elite feel for the game give him a fairly high floor, but more dynamic ball-in-hand players, like Kasparas Jakucionis and Nolan Traore, would be higher priorities in my eyes as things currently stand.

Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma Sooners (Previously No. 30, currently No. 12)

Once considered a likely multiyear college player, Fears has played his way into serious one-and-done consideration and potentially even a spot in the lottery with his dynamic start to his freshman season. The 18-year-old has led Oklahoma to one of the more surprising starts in the country, with a 13–2 record thanks to big performances in high-profile moments from their reclassified freshman. His 30 points against the Michigan Wolverines (including a late four-point play that swung the game) was watched closely by NBA scouts, and he’ll get plenty more opportunities to move the needle while playing a loaded SEC schedule. Front offices will be eager to see how Fears’s slender frame holds up against the physicality of conference play, but as of now Fears is tracking toward a draft position few would have thought possible just six months ago.

Danny Wolf, F, Michigan Wolverines (Previously NR, currently No. 17)

Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) drives past Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (4) during a game. — Wolf has been one of the most versatile 7-footers in the country this season. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There may not be a more remarkable player in college basketball than Wolf, the 7-footer who at times flashes legitimate point guard skills on the floor. Michigan coach Dusty May has regularly used him as a primary ballhandler, allowing him to operate as a pick-and-roll playmaker to catalyze what has been one of the most dynamic offenses in the country. Wolf has dealt with bouts of turnover woes, but the good largely outweighs the bad on the offensive game with a skill set few 7-footers can match. He’s been consistent from beyond the arc, has already collected seven double doubles and has knocked on the door of a triple double multiple times this season. Questions about his foot speed and decision making will likely linger in the minds of some NBA teams, but for the most part, Wolf has answered all the questions about his game translating up a level after putting up big numbers a year ago with the Yale Bulldogs.

Ian Jackson, G, North Carolina Tar Heels (Previously NR, currently No. 23)

Jackson’s scoring explosion in his last 10 games has been difficult to ignore. After playing under 20 minutes in each of his first five games with the Heels, Jackson has averaged nearly 19 points on an efficient 53% from the field. That included a stretch of four straight games with 23-plus points, capped by 27 on the road at the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Jackson has his limitations: He’s not an overwhelming athlete, nor does he do much to create for others. Still, it’s likely plenty of teams will covet Jackson’s elite scoring instincts, and it’s not hard to envision him carving out a useful role as a microwave scorer off the bench fairly early in his NBA career.

Carter Bryant, F, Arizona Wildcats (Previously NR, currently No. 28)

Bryant had something of a breakout showing to start 2025 against the Cincinnati Bearcats, scoring 14 points in 15 minutes and knocking down three triples. Bryant is still playing a fairly low-usage role for Tommy Lloyd’s team, but has seen his minutes climb in recent games with Motiejus Krivas out for the season and has shown flashes of what makes him so interesting as a prospect. With high-end positional size, the ability to defend multiple positions and the more recent shooting flashes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team invest early in him and hope he develops in the G League into a rotation-level player in the NBA.