My final day in Portsmouth was just as much fun as the three previous days. Early in the morning, my cohost, Jam Hines, headed home, but we were able to do a podcast recapping the second and third days of the tournament. Soon after we were finished, I had to upload the show and head out, as the games on the last day kicked off at 12:30 pm ET. Once I got into the gym, I was a little surprised by how many people were in attendance. Typically, the final day can be a little thin in the bleachers, but there were a lot of fans, media, and scouts present. I credit that to how awesome the players have been this year.

I was able to link up with a few friends, some scouts, and make some new friendships as well. The games were all so much fun, and the time truly flew by today—which was a nice change-of-pace from how the three previous days went. While I was excited to make a break for the doors once the championship game was over, there was obviously a part of me that will miss hanging out in the gym and seeing quality basketball being played.

Salute to the Draft Sickos who were there, and to those who kept up with the 2026 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament online!

Most Impressive Players

Kowacie Reeves Jr. | Wing | Georgia Tech | 6’7” | 194 | 6’10.5” WS

Stats: 34 PTS, 10 REBS, 1 BLK, 1 STL, 13/18 FG, 3/7 3P, 5/5 FT

I’ll start out by saying that what has impressed me the most about Kowacie is how much he improved from game to game to game. Coming into Day Four, Reeves was averaging just under 18 PPG. His confidence was incredibly palpable. His first noteworthy possession came from a drive and kick to Donovan Atwell—which was one of the few times Atwell missed. Still, ‘Wacie felt confident enough to come down the court and throw down an emphatic dunk. There was a great balance between some at-rim finishing and smooth shooting from deep. Beyond the scoring, Reeves was aggressive on the boards and on defense. His hustle led to him coming down with rebounds in traffic that took some by surprise. On top of the great intel on Kowacie, the steady improvements in the tournament, coupled with the long-standing three-point efficiency, should be enough to earn him an invite to Chicago.

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***Measurements listed are the official BAM testing measurements conducted in Portsmouth***

Stephen: Day Three of PIT did not disappoint. Jam and I had a fun-filled day, meeting with several fun and interesting people. We had an interview with an agent (with fun and incredible content coming from that meeting), met some more brilliant basketball minds, and even had an awesome lunch at The Downtown Eatery and Deli (awesome food, seriously). The games were a lot of fun, of course, adding to the awesome time of making more connections and even meeting some No Ceilings fans! Truly an awesome Friday!

Jam: Shout out to The Downtown Eatery and Deli for the terrific eats to fuel Day Three in paradise! The chicken salad sandwich and customer service were absolutely delightful, setting the stage for a delicious day of hoops!

Most Impressive Players

Quadir Copeland | Perimeter | NC State | 6’6” | 213 | 6’11” WS

Stats: 6 PTS, 10 ASTS, 3 REBS, 1 STL, 2/5 FG, 1/2 3P, 1/2 FT

Stephen: I’ll start by saying this: Quadir Copeland is the best player at Portsmouth. Beyond that, I’ve come to the realization that he is easily an NBA player—I’ll be moving him somewhere in the early-to-mid second round range. What stood out for me about Quadir today was that he didn’t seem interested in scoring. And I mean this as an extreme compliment. His main focus was on setting up his teammates for clean, easy looks. Copeland really acted as a coach on the floor, communicating with his teammates on where to be, where they could be next time, and helping them maintain their focus. Sure, he was able to do a fair amount of scoring, but it felt like his role today (as it really has been all tournament) was more in line with what NBA teams will be asking for: setting up his guys, being versatile on defense, and scoring when he has an opening.

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Stephen: Day Two in Portsmouth was another awesome day! The day started off a little earlier, with the first game kicking off at 3:30 pm ET. Jam and I podded around noon, hit up a restaurant at the casino (the closest I’ve ever been to being inside a casino, by the way). and then made our way inside as the game kicked off. Of course, getting to link up with some scouts, media, and agents made the day more fun than it otherwise would have been…but I’m ready to talk HOOPS!

Jam: It was Day Two in Draft Sickos paradise! After a strong opening slate, we finally got to see every team compete and were treated to more excellent performances. After Day Two, there is a real possibility that we begin to see players enter “shut it down mode” after all but locking up invites to the next stage of pre-draft events (the G-League Elite Camp and the NBA combine.

Most Impressive Players

Jaden Henley | Wing | Grand Canyon | 6’7” | 210

Stats: 19 PTS, 4 REBS, 1 AST, 6 STLS, 6/110 FG, 1/3 3P, 6/6 FT

Stephen: I left off in my Henley write-up yesterday by saying that I wanted to see if Henley could sustain his stellar play from his first game. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Jaden was absolutely the best player today, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to deny it either. While it took him a little bit to get into the flow yesterday, Henley got cooking quickly, converting a mid-range fade on his team’s second possession. He continued to attack the basket and draw fouls, while also maintaining his aggressiveness in going after rebounds. Defensively, he didn’t get the six steals he logged yesterday, but his effort was still good. It would be nice for him to do a smidge more connective playmaking, but his team routinely went to him when they just needed to get points on the board. If I had to pick someone who is most likely in “Shut It Down” status, it may be Henley, but like my guy Jam told me in a conversation, NBA teams may want to see more of him. Whether or not he continues to play, Jaden has made the most of this opportunity in Portsmouth.

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Stephen: Portsmouth is a special time of the draft cycle. Sickos from all over gather into a high school gym in Portsmouth, Virginia, with one common interest: watching upperclassmen fight their way into the NBA. The college basketball season is just a portion of their journey to the league—this is their next stop. Of course, it’s always nice to come to this event. People are excited to watch hoops, but they are also excited to connect. The PIT is really the last true jewel of an event that doesn’t feel like an event. People are mingling literally as soon as you walk in. Children are providing refreshments to the participants. NBA executives, media members—even the participants in the events are all in the stands watching our beautiful game.

This year is especially cool, as I get to room with my friend and co-host, Jam!

Jam: I look forward to the PIT every year; it’s my favorite pre-draft event of the cycle by far. I love the under-the-radar and sleeper prospects on the margins, and the PIT consistently provides fertile ground to evaluate those potential gems. On top of the action on the floor, the PIT is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow evaluators and passionate fans who make the basketball community so special.

Most Impressive Players

Jaden Henley | Wing | Grand Canyon | 6’7” | 210

Stats: 18 PTS, 4 REBS, 3 ASTS, 6 STLS, 5/12 FG, 2/6 3P, 6/6 FT

Stephen: To be completely honest, Henley was the one player I was least familiar with coming into this event. It took him a little bit of time to work his way into the contest, with his first points coming from the free throw line after drawing contact. After that, it felt like there was just a steady dose of him drawing fouls, hitting some jumpers from the midrange and from deep, and even getting after it on the defensive end. His two-way ability really showed true throughout the entire game—the first game of the night. Folks that I talked to during the game were all equally impressed. Jaden did a fantastic job of making a good impression—I’m hoping he keeps it up!

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In back-to-back years, Team USA pulled out a gritty win in overtime against Team World with a final score of 102-100. This wasn’t a pretty game of basketball, but much of that can be attributed to how hard both teams were playing. Five-star Michigan recruit Brandon McCoy Jr. sent the game to overtime with two huge free throws at the end of regulation. In overtime, both teams were neck and neck with huge buckets down the stretch, but an Adam Atamna airball at the end pretty much sealed the win for Team USA.

As exhilarating as the game was, we learned a ton from the practices and scrimmages as well, with guys on both teams making strong statements to the world that the 2027 class is being slept on.

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What was your biggest takeaway from the game?

Albert: As I mentioned in the intro, this class will be perceived quite differently over the next 12 months. As much as people want to compare classes and feel like there’s going to be this huge drop-off year to year, this class is a lot stronger than people think. I’m no idiot; I know there isn’t another Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa in this class. There might, however, be some guys who will be running mates to Boozer and Dybantsa in the near future. Guys like Caleb Holt, Jordan Smith Jr, and Tyran Stokes are going to be really good players.

Caleb Holt was a monster all week long. He’s a ferocious competitor, and his offensive game is something to monitor. He can shoot it at a high level from outside and can be dynamic around the rim. He’d really benefit from adding some in-between scoring, but for now, his ability to shoot from outside and attack the rim with his frame and athletic ability is plenty good.

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The NCAA Tournament has come and gone, and with the end of the college basketball season comes the ramp-up to the 2026 NBA Draft. With many NBA teams approaching the ends of their seasons as well, the hype around this year’s exceptionally talented prospects is reaching a fever pitch.

For all of our No Ceilings followers, we had to put together a Mock Draft for all of you in the immediate aftermath of the nets being cut down, with full write-ups for all 30 first round picks. For our No Ceilings + subscribers, though, we have something even more special—a peek into the madness of our Mock Draft War Room. Without further ado, here is the video from our latest Mock Draft extravaganza.

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Battling preseason hopes and expectations can be extremely difficult, especially when a few tremendous early-season performances quickly buoy them. The rose-colored glasses masking our optimism continue to grow stronger and harder to shed. We see flashes of brilliance and chalk them up as signs of development or what could be, when they may be nothing more than flashes. Walking that tight rope between reality and what we wish was real is the trick of this whole process. I’m not sure any player for the 2026 NBA Draft exemplified that as much as Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas.

Coming into the year, Avdalas had almost untenable levels of hype surrounding him after an encouraging year in Greece, which led him to test the waters of the 2025 NBA Draft. Avdalas was a blast in transition, had some encouraging defensive tape, and a jumper that was trending in the right direction. All of that, combined with some playmaking flashes at 6’9”, makes it easy to understand why some were falling head over heels for him.

Unfortunately, Avdalas’s season didn’t go as you would hope for. After a sensational showing against Providence, Avdalas’s season was littered with mediocre performances against a rather ho-hum schedule, especially in non-conference play, which ranked 205th in the country. Avdalas had an incredible opportunity to hit the ground running with some gaudy numbers. Instead, they failed to shed his reputation for inconsistency, averaging just 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.1 stocks with shooting splits of 38.6/31.4/67.3.

But yet, hope springs eternal.

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It’s not often we get such a stacked Sweet Sixteen, specifically when it comes to NBA Draft prospect showdowns. This year’s March Madness is setting up to be a heavenly experience for NBA Draft sickos. There are plenty of big-time matchups this week and on the horizon for the upcoming rounds.

Let’s take a look at ten prospects to watch closely in this round.

Dailyn Swain | F | Texas

• Matchup: #11 Texas vs. #2 Purdue (Thursday, 7:10 PM EST, CBS)

• Profile: 6’8”, 220 (Junior)

• Stats (as of 3/25):

  • 17.4 PTS | 7.5 REB | 3.5 AST | 1.7 STL

  • 54.5 FG% | 35.2 3P% | 82.1 FT%

It’s been an awesome bit of a Cinderella run for the Texas Longhorns. If Texas wants a chance to keep the party rolling, they are going to have to continue to lean on junior wing Dailyn Swain. There’s been a lot of intrigue around NBA circles with Swain since his days at Xavier. Following head coach Sean Miller to Austin this year, Swain has taken his game to another stratosphere and has become a bit of a draft darling to the sickos out there.

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In what is one of my favorite traditions every year, I was once again privileged to scout the Big East Tourney at Madison Square Garden. The Big East Tournament is one of New York basketball’s foremost traditions—littered with NBA prospects, passionate crowds, and providing one with the perfect opportunity for in-depth NBA Draft scouting for both the short and long term.

Below are my thoughts on some of the most intriguing prospects I saw in NYC.

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Chase Ross - Marquette, 6’4” Power Guard

Chase Ross has been one of “my guys” for a few years now.

The 6’4” power guard boasts an intriguing combination of frame, athleticism, and motor—operating as the perfect ancillary weapon playing off of high usage guards like Tyler Kolek and Kam Jones throughout his college career. The question with Chase was always whether or not there could be more than met the eye, and with Kolek and Jones departing for the NBA over the last couple of seasons, Ross would have the opportunity to show what he could offer in a more featured role during his senior campaign.

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The month of Madness is finally upon us, and with it comes one final push from some of the top stateside prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft to make their cases for hearing their names heard during the draft.

While conference tournaments are underway before the Big Dance, we here at No Ceilings never stop. Earlier today, we released V.5 of our Mock Draft, with written breakdowns of all 30 first round selections. For the true Draft Sickos among you, though (and it’s never too late to join the party), we open up the window into our War Room. Without further ado, here is the video for our latest Mock Draft.

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Making the trek from New York to Nashville, battling a blizzard on my return home, all to get eyes on potential lotto pick Nate Ament, draft darling Tyler Tanner, and a plethora of NBA prospects? That’s the kind of chaotic scenario that makes me love scouting trips so much. I was lucky enough to stay with and bring my longtime friend, Robert Ragosta, along for the game—fresh off winning his first Grammy as a songwriter for the last Jelly Roll album, I might add.

And man, what a trip it turned out to be. Memorial Gym might be the coolest in-game experience for college hoops I’ve had in a while. From the campus, to the atmosphere, to the unique elevated court—it just absolutely rocks. Add in an in-state rivalry game between Vanderbilt and Tennessee that went down to the wire, and you’ve got the perfect setting for the perfect scout.

We handled business at the game and then dove headfirst into Nashville’s food scene. Skipped the touristy Broadway honky-tonks this time and hit Kayne Prime, a phenomenal steakhouse, and Xiao Bao, a quirky Asian fusion spot that absolutely knocked my socks off.1

This was easily one of my favorite scouting trips of the year: elite hoops, incredible food, and soaking in the culture of Nashville’s music scene with a dude who now literally has a Grammy on his mantle (technically, they haven’t sent the actual trophy yet, but it’s coming). Big time thank you again, to I repeat, freaking Grammy Award-winning songwriter Robert Ragosta. Proud of you, bud!

Below are my thoughts on the most intriguing prospects I scouted at Memorial Gym.

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Tyler Tanner — Vanderbilt, Do-It-All Point Guard

Let’s start with the guy I was most eager to see. Tyler Tanner. Small frame, whole lot of game. Tanner has become one of the cycle’s draft darlings, due to his do-it-all statistical profile.

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You can watch all of the film.

You can spend as much time as possible on BartTorvik.

But nothing beats in-person scouting.

Every year at the beginning of a new NBA Draft cycle, I find myself circling dates at possible matchups for scouting trips. A showdown between a potential top pick and the Arizona Wildcats seemed an easy yes at the time.

You know why you’re here. Let’s get after it.

AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU

Now we’ve got a lot to talk about here, so let me go back…to go forward…

My first in-person evaluation of AJ Dybantsa came two years ago at Nike Hoop Summit. During that week, Dybantsa was a part of a juggernaut pair of rosters, featuring the likes of Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), VJ Edgecombe (76ers), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and more. At that time, Dybantsa was playing up, preparing for his senior season in high school, while his teammates were preparing for their freshman years in college.

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With the All-Star break approaching, NBA teams are becoming more secure in terms of where they might end up when the 2026 NBA Draft arrives. We here at No Ceilings, of course, have been preparing for months.

Earlier today, we released V.4 of our 2026 NBA Mock Draft. For our No Ceilings + subscribers, though, we have a special present—as always, we opened up our War Room for the real sickos to listen to us talking through our thoughts with every pick.

Without further ado, here is the War Room Video for our fourth Mock Draft of the 2026 NBA Draft cycle.

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Every week, I’m sharing my 2026 NBA Draft scouting notes on who I watched that week and my biggest takeaways. Let’s dive into why Keaton Wagler looks like one of the best guards in the country, Nate Ament could be turning a corner, there’s a changing of the guard in Michigan, and so much more.

Keaton Wagler – Illinois 6’6” 180-pound Freshman Guard

It’s rare for freshmen to go into Mackey Arena and have a good game, but Keaton Wagler went in and dismantled Purdue. It was one of the most impressive shot-making and on-ball creation games I’ve seen from a freshman guard in a while. Purdue tried switching everything early; it didn’t matter. They tried pre-switching so Wagler couldn’t hunt matchups; it didn’t matter. Then they tried fighting through and defending him straight up; it didn’t matter. Wagler was absolutely on fire. He was making step-back threes, punishing defenders for going under screens, and knocking down shots off the catch. It wasn’t just a scorching hot shooting game, though. Wagler got downhill, drew fouls, created in isolation on the perimeter, and used his scoring gravity to create for teammates. His overall output in this game was absurd, but his process felt replicable and reminiscent of what we’ve seen from him all year.

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Every week, I’m sharing my 2026 NBA Draft scouting notes on who I watched that week and my biggest takeaways. This week’s notes will mostly encapsulate the games from 1/6 – 1/14 with a sprinkling of games from previous dates. Let’s dive into why Brayden Burries is heating up, Bennett Stirtz and Hannes Steinbach are giving me headaches, and so much more.

AJ Dybantsa – BYU 6’9” Freshman Wing

AJ Dybantsa was terrific against Arizona State. This is becoming the norm for him, but I want to make sure we don’t get numb to it, because the constant game-to-game improvement is really important. The game is slowing down for Dybantsa in terms of shot creation and playmaking. He’s continuing to do a much better job of using his scoring gravity to create for others.

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I made the trip to Charlottesville to catch a matchup between Stanford and Virginia. Stanford star freshman and potential one-and-done Ebuka Okorie was the headliner. Okorie can largely be found on most mainstream Top 60 big boards and was selected at #52 in our Mock Draft Version 2.0.

It turned out to be Virginia’s talented freshman trio in Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, and Chance Mallory that stole the spotlight as Virginia prevailed 70-55. Let’s open Jam’s Journal for my recap of the standouts and prospect thoughts.

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The pathway to the 2026 NBA Draft continues to come into focus, as conference play gets into full force at the NCAA level and the NBA season reaches the halfway mark. Earlier today, we released our first official Mock Draft of the year as the calendar turned over to 2026. Our No Ceilings + subscribers, though, get the full experience. Without further ado, here is the inside scoop on our War Room for our latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft.

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Back in October, I had the opportunity to attend Michigan Pro Day to witness a newly constructed Dusty May Michigan squad that had three key transfer pickups in Elliot Cadeau, Aday Mara, and of course Yaxel Lendeborg. However, Lendeborg ended up not playing due to being sick, so all eyes were on the two-man game of Mara and Cadeau—which I was highly impressed with. I was especially impressed with how May was using Mara, as I didn’t think UCLA and Mick Cronin used Mara to the best of his skillset. I also want to shout out Roddy Gayle and New Zealand native Oscar Goodman, who controlled the scoring and interior throughout the Maize/Blue runs. I left Michigan Pro Day pretty optimistic about what this team could accomplish in the 2025-2026 season. Little did I know they would put up seven 100+-point team performances (three consecutive) and six wins by 40+ points by late December, which broke numerous Big Ten and program records.

Knowing what I know now, I had to jump at the opportunity to see this Michigan Wolverines team in person again. There’s only so much the film and the stats can tell you, but your eyes can tell you a completely different analysis. Throughout the game, I wrote in my ‘scouting notebook’ AKA my notes, which I will share with every prospect listed breakdown—so you all can get a better look inside my brain and my process when evaluating NBA Draft Prospects in person.

So, I traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this past weekend to get another in-person look at the #3-ranked Michigan Wolverines. However, I ended up witnessing their first loss this season, with Michigan losing 91-88 to Wisconsin. Maybe my being a Michigan State grad had something to do with it? (Kidding, I think?). A second-half three-point shooting surge led by Aleksas Bieliauskas (five made threes) and John Blackwell (four made threes) propelled them to a thrilling victory in Ann Arbor. Going into the game, Wisconsin was not a great matchup for Michigan — particularly for Aday Mara, as he struggled on the perimeter defending the pick-and-pop ability of Bieliauskas and Nolan Winter. Michigan struggled as a whole offensively as well, with Yaxel Lendeborg struggling to get a shot attempt off the whole game and Elliot Cadeau having to step up as an offensive engine. Even with Michigan not playing their best basketball, there was one prospect that specifically impressed me—Morez Johnson Jr., who was a key component for the Wolverines on both sides of the ball in this game.

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As Corey Tulaba would say: time to break out those calculators!

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who read my previous article (if you haven’t read it yet, this article below won’t make much sense to you). I was overwhelmed by getting a positive response to something posted on the Internet in 2026. Many people who know me can personally attest to how bad I am at processing compliments (Stephen Gillaspie in particular seems to enjoy forcing me to struggle through that); however, I really did (and still do) appreciate the kind words.

Now, as Tyler Rucker would say:

There were quite a few takeaways from the first round of the model that I discussed at length near the end of that article.

For the true Draft Sickos who pay for No Ceilings +, though, I felt that it might be fun to talk here about some of the takeaways from Model v0.0 that I had to cut for time, as well as give some early thoughts about my plans for v0.1, which will be ready at some indeterminate point in time in the future. I promise (both to you, the reader, and to you, Austin, who will be editing this article) that this piece is MUCH shorter than the last one.

Let’s dive deep!

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A new calendar year is here, and we keep monitoring the best sleeper prospects for each week!

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Christian Hammond | Santa Clara | Sophomore (RS) | 6’4” | 195

Santa Clara is a school that routinely produces a ton of talent. Whether it be Jalen Williams or Brandin Podziemski in the NBA, it has almost become an expectation for the Broncos to have a player who can potentially make it to the NBA. Many believe that Elijah Mahi stands the best chance to make the pro leap—and he very well may be—but there are some other players making a push. Christian Hammond is the player who is stirring the drink for Santa Clara this season.

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