Iowa State Forward Flying Under Radar as NBA Draft Option

The 2026 NBA Draft has largely been highlight by the shiny new crop of true freshmen, which are off to blazing statistical starts in their collegiate careers.

The returnee class, though, has been especially good, and some older players are flying well under the radar. One such player is Iowa State forward Joshu Jefferson, who’s fueling one of the best teams in the country in nearly every facet.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Jefferson played two seasons at St. Mary’s before transferring to Iowa State and continuing his upward trend. He’s been a focal point for the fourth-ranked Cyclones this season.

On Sunday, Jefferson continued his hot-streak, going for 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, including 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals versus Long Beach State. He hit one of his two attempted triples in continuing to show improvement from outside.

Prior to Sunday’s bout, Jefferson had already gained a reputation for an all-around game. Through his prior 11 games this season, he’d taken on more of the scoring load for the Cyclones while sticking to his stat-stuffing reputation, averaging 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

NBA scouts and decision-makers will especially be keen to see if his 3-point shooting will hold. Prior to his fourth season, Jefferson was a career 29% hitter from beyond the arc. So far this season, Jefferson’s hitting 43% of his threes on record attempts — albeit still fairly low generally — which has further galvanized his scoring.

Even without blazing perimeter shooting, Jefferson can impact the game in enough ways to project NBA translation.

Advanced stats tell the same story as the face-value ones: Jefferson has been one of the best players in the country. He posted a 14.4 box plus-minus through 14 games, which speaks to his overall impact, and his 28 assist percentage speaks to his prowess as a point-forward.

In addition to a potential three-level scoring game, Jefferson's passing would be the selling point regarding Jefferson. His 5.0 assists per game to just 2.0 turnovers are remarkable for a player his size, putting him in rare air as far as forwards go. In fact, he's seen similar statistical output as potential National Player of the Year candidate Yaxel Lendeborg, who's earned rightful draft acclaim in recent weeks.

Jefferson's current standing, as far as the 2026 NBA Draft goes, is murky. He hasn't been tagged as a potential first-rounder by many pundits, likely pointing to more proving of his 3-point shooting.