Which NCAA Conferences Will Have the Best 2027 NBA Draft Prospects?

Most of the talent in the upcoming NBA Draft will likely come from a few NCAA conferences.

Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) dunks the ball past Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2026, all four power conferences had a player selected in the top 10 picks of the NBA Draft.

Four of the top 10 picks in the 2026 class played in the Big 12, three in the ACC, three in the Big 12 and one in the SEC.

The Big 12 could lead the way once again in 2027, as many of the nation's top prospects heading into the season are scattered across the conference.

Here's a look at which conferences have the best 2027 NBA Draft prospects heading into the season.

3. ACC

Top prospects: Cameron Williams, Caleb Gaskins, Matt Able, Patrick Ngongba II, Flory Bidunga

Heading into the 2026-27 season, the ACC doesn't appear to have the same level of talent it did in 2025-26, when three of the NBA's top six picks played in the conference.

Still, the league should have a handful of high-end 2027 prospects, including Williams, an incoming five-star freshman at Duke, and Ngongba, another Blue Devils' standout.

Alongside a Duke team that could feature a number of draft picks, North Carolina, Louisville and Miami also have a few players that could be first-round selections next summer.

2. SEC

Top prospects: Jordan Smith Jr., Thomas Haugh, Jason Crowe Jr., Austin Goosby, Amari Allen

Once again, the SEC will be a star-studded league filled with talented returnees and incoming freshmen.

Players like Haugh and Allen, who each had the potential to be first-round picks in 2026, are back in the conference for another season, and will look to improve their draft stock.

Arkansas' roster is loaded with draft talent, including Smith, the No. 2 prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

1. Big 12

Top prospects: Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, Bruce Branch III, Motiejus Krivas, Dylan Mingo

The Big 12 is the nation's premier conference for high-end 2027 NBA Draft talent entering the season.

Stokes, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, is the presumed No. 1 pick heading into his freshman season at Kansas. Holt and Branch, who were both ranked among the top six players in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports, will also compete for spots in the top 10 of the 2027 draft.

Holt will be joined at Arizona by Krivas, a veteran big man who has the potential to be a lottery pick next summer.

Alongside the aforementioned players, Baylor added Mingo, another five-star guard, in the 2026 recruiting class and could once again produce a first-round pick.