Invitations: Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Alex Karaban, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer

The back-to-back national champions dominated their way through consecutive NCAA Tournaments for a reason. UConn is a program loaded with NBA talent, and that is apparent in the five combine invitations handed out to the Huskies. Clingan could be the first big man off the board at June’s draft given that he was one of the most efficient offensive players in the nation last season and presents defensive ability at 7-foot-2 that should translate beautifully to the pro level. Castle headlines a star-heavy backcourt and always projected as a lottery pick when he signed with UConn as a five-star recruit.

Invitations: Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards, Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard

Sheppard faced one of the highest-profile stay-or-go decisions in college basketball this offseason, and his choice to test the NBA waters should pay off with an early draft selection. He was an NBA-ready shooter with a 52.1% 3-point clip in his first and only year at Kentucky. Dillingham is another projected lottery pick. The Wildcats’ enormously effective sixth man picked up National Freshman of the Year honors and exceeded expectations in Lexington, averaging 15.2 points and just shy of three rebounds and four assists per game off the bench.

Invitations: Jalen Bridges, Yves Missi, Ja’Kobe Walter

When Walter was at his best, he dazzled, but he also had his share of poor nights against some of the Big 12’s most renowned defenses. Five-star recruit Walter, who is rated as the best shooting guard in his class, scored 28 points against Auburn in his collegiate debut. That performance was indicative of his future success, as he went on to surpass 20 points in eight separate games and win the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award. After four years of growth at Baylor, Bridges might be worth a second-round selection, while Missi is another one-and-done talent who plays like a typical big man.

Invitations: Tristan Da Silva, KJ Simpson, Cody Williams

Each of these three Buffaloes has pro potential, but Williams stands atop his fellow Colorado products as one of the top guards in this draft class. The five-star signee delivered on his billing as an elite recruit, even though he missed extended time due to various injuries. When healthy, he was good for double-digit points and contributions throughout the stat sheet on a team that advanced to the second round of March Madness. Da Silva and Simpson, meanwhile, are veterans who improved on an annual basis and closed their college careers as Colorado’s top statistical leaders.

Invitations: Trey Alexander, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman

Kalkbrenner picked up a combine invitation but pulled out of the NBA Draft when he announced Wednesday that he will return to Creighton for a fifth season, making the Bluejays clear decision-deadline winners. The elite two-way star is back, but Creighton must still replace a pair of tremendous shooters in the backcourt. Alexander and Scheierman combined for five 3-pointers per game last season and manned two of the guard spots to an average of 36 points per contest. They project as second-round picks but are key losses for the Bluejays.

Invitations: Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain

The group of CBS Sports’ anticipated draft picks right outside the lottery is led by two Duke players. Whereas McCain made a big impression as a true freshman and has a ton of potential to play professionally, Filipowski was a steady post presence for the Blue Devils and has a great all-around game that should translate reasonably well to the NBA. In addition to finishing with five rebounds per game as a guard, the latter had a stellar rookie season in college basketball, scoring 30 points in two of Duke’s four NCAA Tournament games.

Invitations: Johnny Furphy, Kevin McCullar Jr.

McCullar battled injuries all season but was Kansas’ best player when healthy. As a prolific scorer and the most important player on one of college basketball’s top teams, he has everything it takes to become a first-round pick. Furphy could also come off the board in the late first round, presuming he stays in the draft pool. The 6-foot-9 freshman guard/forward hired an NCAA-certified agent, allowing him to maintain college eligibility as he progresses through the draft process.

Invitations: Reece Beekman, Ryan Dunn

Beekman and Dunn were two of the only reliable scoring threats on a Virginia team that struggled mightily down the stretch and ranked 345th nationally in scoring offense. The former paced the Cavaliers in points (14.3) and assists (6.2) while the latter topped the team in rebounds (6.9) and field goal percentage (54.8%). Dunn has the better chances of landing in the first round next month as a 6-foot-8 guard, but Beekman is a well-rounded prospect, too.

Invitations: Isaiah Collier, Bronny James

James entered his name in the transfer portal while also submitting his name into the draft, and he picked up a combine invitation as one of the most intriguing prospects in recent history. His future is entirely unclear as his draft value largely hinges on the potential to team up with his father, LeBron James, in the NBA. Collier took a more traditional path as a one-and-done prospect and long projected as one of the first guards taken in the 2024 draft. He averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds during a terrific individual campaign on a struggling USC team.

Invitations: Coleman Hawkins, Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon Jr. almost lost out to Zach Edey of Purdue to take the top spot in college basketball’s national scoring competition. Being one of the most exciting players to watch during March Madness, he ranked third on the scoring list with 23.0 points per game. As a result, the Illinois guard is probably going to be selected in the first round. After an All-Big Ten campaign, Hawkins entered the transfer portal but declared that he intends “100% to stay in the draft”.

Invitations: Keshad Johnson, Pelle Larsson

Only two of Arizona’s best players were invited to the combine despite the fact that five of them declared for the draft.Though none of the three players in that trio are guaranteed to play another year of college basketball, Caleb Love, KJ Lewis, and Jaden Bradley may decide to return to Arizona. Lewis and Love both have the chance to be chosen for the G League Elite Camp and added to the combine pool. In contrast, Larsson and Johnson finished the previous season’s Wildcat rosters in third and fourth place, respectively, in terms of scoring.

Invitations: Oso Ighodaro, Tyler Kolek

Towards the end of his Marquette career, Kolek was arguably the best point guard in college basketball. Despite missing some games, he finished his time with the Golden Eagles with career highs in points (15.3), assists (7.7), and rebounds (4.9) per game. He is an intriguing late first-round option because of his all-around skill. During his fourth and last year at Marquette, Ighodaro was a fearsome frontcourt presence and a nightly double-double threat.