Two 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Earn Preseason Conference Player of the Year

College basketball season is just a few weeks away.

After a long wait since Florida's national title victory in April, teams are finally returning to the court, as "secret scrimmages" and televised exhibition matchups have started back up. On Wednesday night, Auburn met Oklahoma State in an exciting contest that went down to the wire.

As the 2025-26 campaign continues to approach, NCAA conferences have begun revealing preseason rankings and awards.

In the ACC and Big 12, a pair of NBA Draft prospects who have a good chance at being selected in the 2026 class, were named Preseason Player of the Year.

North Carolina State's Darrion Williams received the honor in the ACC as the senior enters his first season with the Wolfpack.

Williams played at Nevada in 2022-23, then spent two seasons at Texas Tech. The talented wing averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc on more than 4 attempts per game in 2024-25.

Following two solid seasons at TTU, Williams tested NBA Draft waters in 2025, measuring 6-foot-4 and half an inch without shoes while registering a 6-foot-6 and half an inch wingspan. The former Red Raiders' standout elected to return to school and enter the transfer portal, though, and joined head coach Will Wade and company at NC State.

Williams edged out potential top-10 picks Cameron Boozer and Mikel Brown Jr., among others, for the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year honor.

While Williams likely doesn't have eye-popping size or athleticism, his skill and experience on the court could land him a spot in the second round.

In the Big 12, Texas Tech's JT Toppin, Williams' former teammate, was voted Preseason Player of the Year.

Toppin started his career at New Mexico before playing at Texas Tech last season. The taletned forward had a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, but also elected to return to school.

Unlike Williams, though, Toppin stayed in Lubbock, where the Red Raiders are expected to have another solid team.

As a result, Toppin was named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. In 2024-25, the Dallas-area product averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.4% from the field and 32.7% from 3-point range.

Listed at 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds the junior was picked ahead of potential top pick Darryn Peterson for the award.

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