The Rise of Former Lower Division Players into NBA Draft Prospects

NIL and the transfer portal have undoubtly created a seismic shift in college basketball.

Talented players no longer stay at the lower levels of college basketball, as they have the freedom to find a new school and the ability to earn large payouts at high-major schools.

Players from mid-major programs and even schools below the Division I level have frequently found homes at big-time programs, with a few even becoming impactful players at the highest level.

A number of these former lower level players have even developed into daft prospects, with multiple former Division II and Division III players playing significant roles in the NBA.

Max Strus and Duncan Robinson, two players who have earned minutes in the 2026 Eastern Conference Semifinals, started at the Division II and Division III level before transferring to Division I programs.

Cedric Coward, a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, played Division III basketball before his transition to the DI level.

Chaney Johnson, who started his college career with a Division II program, went undrafted in 2025, but earned a spot with the Brooklyn Nets, where he played 17 games and made one start as a rookie.

Mitch Mascari had a similar story, playing at the Division II level before transferring to a DI program and going undrafed in 2025. Mascari helped league Sacramento's G League team, the Stockton Kings, to the NBA G League Finals as a rookie.

The 2026 NBA Draft class will also feature a few players who started below the Division I level.

Bennett Stirtz has the potential to be a first-round pick this summer after starting his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State then transferring to Drake and finishing his career at Iowa.

Stirtz averaged 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range, helping lead the Hawkeyes to an Elite Eight appearance.

Recently, Tennessee State's Aaron Nkrumah has made a case to be a second-round selection in this year's class, starring at the NBA G League Draft Combine and earning an invite to the NBA Combine.

The former Division III standout earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in 2026 after averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 35.1% from 3-point range.

Nkrumah measured 6-foot-5 without shoes at the NBA Combine and recorded a 6-foot-10 and a quarter of an inch wingspan.

Former NAIA standout Kashie Natt earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year recognition in his only year at the Division I level with Sam Houston State, and could also be selected in the second round.

UMBC's DJ Armstrong Jr. and Long Island's Jamal Fuller eached played at the Division II level before transferring to Division I programs and earning invitations to the 2026 G League Combine.

Elyjah Freeman won't be in this year's class, but started his career in Division II before spending one season at Aubrun then transferring to Texas during the 2026 offseason. Freeman could be an intriguing prospect in the 2027 NBA Draft.

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