Ebuka Okorie's Draft Stock is All Over the Board in Early Mock Drafts

Talented Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie has decided to enter the NBA Draft. Given the season he just put up for the Cardinal, it's hard to argue with the choice. He could come back and hope to improve his draft stock a bit in a worse draft class next year, or he could capitalize on his buzz right now and go straight to the NBA. He's going with the latter.

This past season with Stanford he averaged 23.2 points per game, along with 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals. He also shot 46.5% from the field thanks to his ability to drive to the rim, and 35.4% from deep that showcased his range. He's a three-level scorer that's hard to keep down due to the myriad of ways that he can beat you.

Stanford fans have seen what Okorie can do on The Farm and against the ACC, but where do NBA Draft experts see him going in the June's draft? Plus, how these rankings could potentially play a role in the next month.

Where is Okorie projected?

ESPN's most recent piece for the NBA Draft is a big board ranking of the top-100 draft prospects. This is slightly different than a mock draft, given that in the mock, team's needs are under consideration. That said, ESPN's ranking has Okorie at No. 38 overall.

The Ringer's mock draft is also more of a ranking, given that the NBA teams are not listed, even in terms of where they stand right now. That said, they have Okorie ranked No. 30, saying that this spot would make sense if the Mavs are picking 30th.

They also added, "The Okorie chatter has gone from a whisper a few months ago to “This dude is actually good and should be much higher” now, but he could also head back to school if a spot in the first round doesn’t seem like a sure bet. The tempting tide of NIL money has put the entire second round underwater, and it’s now slowly creeping up into the first."

This "return to school" avenue is something we'll touch on in a moment.

Fansided actually has Okorie moved up a little bit, landing in the late first round at No. 28 with the Minnesota Timberwolves (from the Detroit Pistons).

CBS Sports doesn't even list Okorie as a first rounder in their first-round mock draft. There is no mention of whether or not this is because he hadn't declared just yet, as this was published two days ago. Still, not having Okorie as a first rounder also seems like an option for some outlets.

This mock draft in The Athletic didn't even have Okorie in a two-round mock back at the beginning of March. His projections are all over the place, which is why the next month will be very interesting for Stanford fans. The deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft pool and retain NCAA eligibility is May 27 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

A return to The Farm?

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) reacts in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

I was recently speaking with someone that covers the Sacramento Kings about basketball, and asked where they thought Okorie would get drafted. They said that's an interesting case, and that they could see him declaring for the draft (which he has now done) and doing the combine, and if he's not hearing where he wants to go, perhaps he ends up heading back to Stanford for a year so he can be a lottery pick next year.

Of course, this was all speculation, but when you couple it with other people seemingly saying similar things, like The Ringer mock that said he could head back to school if the first round doesn't seem like a sure bet.

Even the guy that broke the news that Okorie was headed to the Draft, Jonathan Givony, said, "Has "two feet in the Draft," but if he returns, it will be to Stanford."

Given the surrounding context, that would seem to indicate that he's going to give the combine his all, and see where things stand. If he's still not a first rounder, perhaps that's when he thinks about a return to Stanford.

In the meantime, Stanford should be hard at work getting enough NIL money cobbled together to make this a difficult decision for the 19-year-old guard. Late first round picks are typically looking at between $2.75 to $3 million. With Okorie, and the talented recruits coming in, the Cardinal would have their best shot at March Madness in years.

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