Top Five Non-NBA Teams with Talented Upcoming NBA Prospects
With both Overtime Elite and the G-League Ignite growing as developmental pathways for future NBA prospects, the players who will drive the future of basketball seem to be more spread out than ever before.
However, when we dive a little deeper, we realize the top talent may be more concentrated than we realize.
Here's five college, high school and non-NBA professional teams with the most talented roster to watch for NBA prospects next season:
5. Duke Blue Devils
Duke has seven potential NBA prospects to watch this upcoming season, which includes three returners and four incoming freshmen.
Let's start with potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and one of the three returners, 6-foot-5 guard Tyrese Proctor. Proctor is a crafty passer in the pick-and-roll and off of drives, and he's a capable point-of-attack defender as well.
Another returner and projected lottery pick for Duke is Kyle Filipowski. The 7-foot big provides value in pick-and-pop situations and is an excellent passer. The last returner to watch for at Duke is 6-foot-9 sophomore Mark Mitchell, who's a 6-foot-9 forward and has shown some slashing ability.
Duke also signed four of the top twenty recruits in the 2023 high school class, including Jared McCain, Sean Stewart, Caleb Foster and TJ Power. McCain is a 6-foot-2 combo guard, the No. 13 overall recruit, and was one of the most impressive players at the CP3 elite guard camp. Stewart is a 6-foot-8, 230 pound wing out of Montverde Academy and is the No. 17 overall recruit. He's known for his finishing ability and event creation on the defensive end. Foster, the No. 19 overall recruit, is a 6-foot-5 combo guard and was one of the most productive players in the country last season. Lastly, we have TJ Power, No. 20 overall recruit and is a 6-foot-9 forward with an ability to stretch the floor.
4. Montverde Academy
You might be thinking to yourself, why is a high school team on this list? There are multiple reasons, with the first being Cooper Flagg. The upcoming junior in high school is the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 high school class and is widely considered one of the best prospects of the upcoming basketball generation.
In addition to Flagg, Montverde has an astounding five of the top sixty recruits in the 2024 high school class and the No. 80 overall recruit in Flagg's 2025 class: 6-foot-5 guard Bryce Heard. The five 2024 class recruits are Liam McNeeley (No. 7 overall), Derik Queen (No. 10 overall), Asa Newell (No. 11 overall), Rob Wright (No. 32 overall), and Curtis Givens III (No. 62 overall).
3. Kentucky Wildcats
Coach Calipari and the Wildcats have signed five of the top fifty recruits in the 2023 high school class and one of the most talented international prospects, 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic out of Croatia. Ivisic is an extremely fluid athlete for his size and offers both shooting and shot-blocking potential.
The highest rated recruit of the five high school players is Justin Edwards, the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2023 high school class. Edwards is a dynamic 6-foot-7 wing who has potential as a catch-and-shoot threat, is an excellent playmaker off of drives and has active hands on-ball defensively to generate steals.
The Wildcats' second-highest rated recruit is 7-foot big Aaron Bradshaw. The No. 4 overall recruit will fulfill the role of a Roll & Cut big and has potential to offer shooting in pick-and-pop situations. Defensively, Bradshaw offers versatility in show pick-and-roll coverage and a level of switchability that's become increasingly important in today's NBA.
The No. 6 overall recruit in 2023, DJ Wagner, is also signed to Kentucky. He's a 6-foot-3 guard who will create rim pressure for Kentucky and is laterally quick defensively. The last two prospects are No. 16 overall Rob Dillingham and No. 42 overall Reed Sheppard. Dillingham is a 6-foot-2 guard and has a great feel for the game, consistently making plays for teammates. Sheppard is an all-around 6-foot-3 guard who made plays on both ends of the floor for Kentucky in their Global Jam game against Canada.
2. Connecticut Huskies
The reigning national champions have a projected lottery pick in returning big-man Donovan Clingan. The 7-foot-2 Connecticut-native is an incredible shot-blocker and rebounder, finishing last season with a 14.3 block-percentage, 19.9 offensive-rebounding percentage and 29.3 defensive-rebounding percentage.
Another returner to watch is Alex Karaban, who's 6-foot-8 and converted 40.2 percent of his three-pointers last season (8.5 3-point attempts per 100 possessions) and 81% of his free-throws (47 total attempts). His 6.6 offensive-rebounding percentage and 6.6 Box Plus-Minus also make him statistically intriguing, especially since he'll only be a sophomore this season.
In addition to two must-watch returners, UConn signed four of the Top 100 high school recruits. Two of them are 6-foot-7 wings in Jaylen Stewart (No. 67) and Jayden Ross (No. 81). They also signed No. 46 overall recruit Solomon Ball, who's a 6-foot-3 guard with a reported 6-foot-10 wingspan and 40-inch vertical. He has immense potential on both sides of the ball, is an excellent finisher, and can create offense in transition.
The Huskies' top incoming recruit is No. 10 overall Stephon Castle. The 6-foot-6 guard is a crafty player with positional size and potential as a versatile defender.
Lastly, incoming transfer and 43% three-point shooter Cam Spencer, in addition to the returning productive 6-foot-5 guard Tristen Newton, are also players to watch for UConn this upcoming season.
No. 10 overall recruit and incoming UConn guard Stephon Castle at the 2023 McDonald's All-American Game
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
1. G-League Ignite
The NBA's developmental G-League team plan has gone phenomenally, producing ten NBA draft picks in their three years of existence. This past draft included Scoot Henderson (No. 3 overall pick), Leonard Miller (No. 33 overall pick), Sidy Cissoko (No. 44 overall pick) and Mojave King (No. 47 overall pick).
Their momentum doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon, as they've signed two of the top five high school players in the 2023 class: Ron Holland (No. 2 overall recruit) and Matas Buzelis (No. 5 overall recruit). Without doing either of their games justice, Holland is a 6-foot-8 wing and versatile defender while Buzelis is a 6-foot-9 wing with playmaking potential.
In addition to two projected top-five picks, the G-League Ignite also signed No. 30 overall recruit Dink Pate and two of the top international prospects: Thierry Darlan and Izan Almansa. Both Darlan and Almansa are projected first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Two other players on the roster to watch are London Johnson and Tyler Smith. Johnson is a 6-foot-3 guard, was the No. 46 overall recruit in the 2022 high school class, and averaged 10 points and 3 assists at 18 years old this past season for the Ignite. Smith is only 18 years old, is 6-foot-10, and averaged 15 points per game in the Overtime Elite league this past season while shooting 63% from the field.
Ron Holland at the 2023 McDonald's All-American Game
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
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