NBA Draft 2026: Latest Intel on the Players Returning to College or Turning Pro

With the May 27 withdrawal deadline approaching, the combine offers insight on which college basketball stars are trending toward the NBA and who could return to campus.

Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. seems likely to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

CHICAGO — Sports Illustrated spoke to more than a dozen players during Wednesday’s media availability at the NBA draft combine to get the latest on their decisions to either stay in college or head to the NBA that will shape both sports in 2026. The NCAA withdrawal deadline is May 27, and players are using this week to gather feedback. Here’s the latest key intel on how they will make their choice and what feedback they’re getting. 

Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan

Johnson, sporting a new tattoo on his wrist commemorating Michigan’s 2026 NCAA championship, has helped himself this week. He measured extremely well at 6'9" barefoot with a wingspan north of 7'3". He also shot the ball extremely well in drills, a critical swing skill for him particularly if he wants to play more at power forward at the next level. 

“We have one spot, we’re just waiting and taking a wait-and-see approach with Morez and certainly anticipating him having a difficult decision because of how well he’s played in Chicago,” Michigan coach Dusty May told NCAA.com’s Andy Katz on Tuesday. “But we’ll support him, and then if he does stay in, we’ll be prepared to pivot. We like our team regardless, but obviously, he raises our ceiling like [Yaxel Lendeborg] did last year.”

Johnson seems solidly positioned to get drafted in the first round, perhaps as high as the late teens, which makes him likely to stay in the draft. A return would vault Michigan to preseason No. 1 in most polls and a significant threat to repeat, though. 

Koa Peat, Arizona

Among the most consequential stay-or-go decisions is that of Peat, the former five-star recruit who was outstanding as a freshman at Arizona. Peat has long been expected to be a one-and-done, but speculation about a potential return to school has increased in recent days, driven in part by a very poor shooting performance Monday night during his required drills workout. Peat shot just 6 of 25 from three in the spot-up shooting drill and appeared to have changed his shot mechanics, with a lower release point that looked awkward coming out of his hand. 

“I feel like I’ve been shooting the ball [well] in L.A.,” Peat said, referring to his predraft workouts with his agency Klutch Sports. “I didn’t really shoot it well Monday, but just continuing to get better at that for sure.” 

Asked if the door was closed on a return to college, Peat simply said he was “fully focused on the NBA draft.” 

Amari Allen, Alabama

Allen made his decision-making calculus fairly well-known: He told Sports Illustrated he’d need a first-round promise from an NBA team in order to stay in the draft. 

Allen came in shorter than expected during combine measurements, measuring in at just a hair over 6'5" after being listed at 6'8" in his Alabama roster bio. That said, he has impressive explosiveness as an athlete, posting a monster 42.5-inch vertical that ranked him in a tie for second among all players in attendance. 

Allen, who averaged 3.1 assists per game as a freshman, is expected to be Alabama’s primary on-ball option next season should he return to school. He was deployed more as a secondary playmaker alongside Labaron Philon Jr. last season. 

“That’s a key factor,” Allen says. “It’s hard to turn that down. We’re going to be a top team in the country, so just being able to be the head of the snake, run offense for a top team in the country … it’s definitely something I have to [consider].” 

Alabama forward Amari Allen says he needs a first-round promise in order to stay in the NBA draft. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt

Tanner was one of the best prospects who elected to play in the five-on-five scrimmages Wednesday and had a solid day with 13 points and five assists. 

“Right now I’m just pushing for the NBA. Me, my agent, my family, we’ll have a conversation closer to the deadline about whatever it is, but right now we’re really not worried about college. Obviously, Vanderbilt is a great spot but my dream is to play in the NBA,” he said.

Tanner’s decision looks like one of the true 50-50 stay-or-go choices and one with significant implications throughout the SEC and nationally. With Tanner in tow, the Commodores look like a potential top-15 team. 

Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond, Arkansas

Thomas was as noncommittal as it gets about his future when asked if the door was open for a return to college: “I would just say TBD.” Right now, he’s projected in the late first or early second round. Arkansas did add one of the top scorers in the transfer portal in Jeremiah Wilkinson, but there’s room on the roster for a Thomas return. 

But the safer bet to return is Richmond, a freakish athlete on the wing still polishing parts of his game. He’d likely be in line for a two-way contract, making college the better financial decision.

Matt Able, North Carolina 

Able had a strong afternoon in the scrimmages, scoring 15 points and drilling three triples. He’s one of the more intriguing talents available in the pick Nos. 20-to-40 range of this draft with real size and shooting ability, but the production wasn’t consistent in his lone year at NC State. He profiles as a centerpiece of Michael Malone’s first roster in Chapel Hill, though there’s a world he could consider staying in the draft.

“It’s definitely a tough decision,” Able said. “I love UNC, I’m excited to get over there at some point … I’m still back and forth on it. I gotta think about it some more, get with my camp and figure it out.”

Able said a first-round promise would be ideal, but conceded that those aren’t always realistic given trade activity.

“A promise would be nice, but that’s not just it, because things definitely change,” Able said. “Not just one team, but several teams … having that reassurance [would be] big time.” 

Of note: North Carolina just signed Able’s high school teammate, Kevin Thomas, for its 2026–27 roster. 

Matt Able would be the centerpiece of Michael Malone’s first North Carolina team if he returns to college. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Malachi Moreno, Kentucky

Moreno has long expected to be Kentucky’s starting center in 2026–27. But with several other prospects in his range (particularly big men) returning to college, the door has opened up for him to potentially capitalize and go higher in this year’s draft than expected. Moreno was noncommittal and indicated he’d use as much of the two weeks remaining before the May 27 deadline to make a decision.  

Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State/transfer portal

Momcilovic told reporters in Chicago he hasn’t been involved in the conversations with interested college programs, with the possibility of pivoting should his stock now be strong enough to stay in the draft. 

“If I can get [drafted in] the first round, late first round, I’m going to stay [in the draft],” Momcilovic says. “A second-round team that can guarantee me a good contract, I’d probably stay [in the draft].”

If Momcilovic returns to college, there’s a strong chance he’d be among the five to 10 highest-paid players in college basketball, sources with knowledge of his market tell SI. Among the schools expected to be in play should he head back to school: Kentucky, Louisville, St. John’s and UCLA, though other suitors could emerge. 

“If I need to pivot, I’ll pivot in a week and a half or two,” Momcilovic says of the college process. That process will move pretty quick. I feel like I’ve been in college for three years and I know what to ask and what to look for. I don’t need to go on a visit or anything. I can probably choose pretty quickly. Also, there’s not a lot of schools that still have a lot of money … so it’s not like I’m choosing between 15 schools, it’s going to be three or four.” 

Allen Graves, Santa Clara/transfer portal

At this stage, it seems more likely than not that Graves stays in the draft, completing a remarkable rise from a redshirt year at Santa Clara a year ago to becoming a first-round pick. Graves didn’t close the door on a return to college though depending on his draft feedback, but seems intent on being in this year’s draft. 

“Obviously with NIL, there’s still some decisions to make, but definitely at this point, I want to be in the NBA this year,” he said.

The “top two” schools Graves said he has been communicating with to date are LSU and Duke. Graves, a Louisiana native, would represent a major splash for new Tigers coach Will Wade. Graves said Kentucky reached out to his agent, but emphasized Duke and LSU as the main two options at this stage as his NBA fallback plan. 

Allen Graves seems more likely than not to stay in the NBA draft. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor/transfer portal

Yessoufou was an 11th-hour portal entrant, keeping his options open in case his feedback isn’t as strong as expected. Yessoufou’s draft range seems to be on the wider side. Teams value his elite scoring pedigree and impressive frame, but his game lacks polish and largely relies on brute force and physicality. 

Yessoufou declined to answer any questions about college. He said he told his agent he doesn’t want to hear about any college interest. His agent Demetrius Porter told Aaron Heisen of the Orange County Register in late April that Yessoufou planned to remain in the draft. 

A change of heart can’t be completely ruled out, but at this stage it seems very unlikely we’ll see Yessoufou in college basketball next year. 

Door closed on college return 

• Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
• Dailyn Swain, Texas
• Isaiah Evans, Duke
• Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

Still in draft, but more likely to return to college 

• Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
• Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
• Andrej Stojaković, Illinois
• Jacob Cofie, USC
• Flory Bidunga, Louisville commit
• John Blackwell, Duke commit

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