Every year, the legitimate draft prospects from mid-major programs continue to diminish. That doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a lot of talent worth recognizing. Whether they ascend to draft status or end up transferring to a bigger program, talent emerges every year.
While I will undoubtedly miss someone who ends up having a monster season, here are some of my favorite mid-major players to keep an eye on for the 2027 NBA Draft and future drafts as we approach the start of the season.
Gonzaga
Zai Harwell: Harwell had a rocky freshman season at Houston, which led to him transferring. Coming out of high school, Harwell had generated an exciting resume of off-ball shooting and second-side creation with some encouraging defensive flashes. Unfortunately, all of the offensive intrigue that Harwell had shown vanished at Houston. His defense and rebounding continued to improve, to the point where it was really all he offered last season. For some reason, though, he couldn’t make a shot from anywhere on the floor. With his size and athleticism, Harwell should provide Gonzaga with a lot of defensive versatility on the wing. If he can regain even a modicum of his high school scoring, he’ll be a big-time contributor. If his offense takes a significant leap, don’t be shocked if he starts climbing back up draft boards.
Braden Huff: Braden Huff was quietly one of the most productive and important players in college basketball last season. There really isn’t a flashy thing about Huff’s game that forces you to pay attention, which is why he could end up being a massive value add for an NBA team. Huff’s superpower is his scoring efficiency and offensive rebounding. He’s great with his positioning, plays tough, and was an advanced stats darling. Per Cerebro Sports, Huff’s C-RAM score (which shows how strong a player’s performance was compared to the competition they faced in the event) of 9.1 ranked 25th in the country and was comparable to players like Zuby Ejiofor, Tarris Reed, Ebuka Okorie, Darius Acuff, Dailyn Swain, and more. On top of that, his pure scoring prowess (PSP) of 91 ranked ninth in the country, just behind AJ Dybantsa at 93. Huff’s game isn’t overtly sexy, but he is efficient, reliable, and doesn’t make mistakes.
Davis Fogle: Fogle was one of my favorite freshman deep cuts last year who largely got slept on because of his slow burn. It took a minute for Fogle to get consistent minutes, but once he did, he was terrific. Fogle’s size and athleticism pop right off the bat. He’s super active without the ball, is a disruptive and versatile defender, attacks the rim, and is a terrific passer at his position. He unfortunately falls into the classic cliché bucket of “if the shot comes around” prospect. Fogle shot 35% from three last year, but it was on a pretty low volume. If he can maintain that and double his per 100 possession volume, it’d be a fantastic season. If there’s any sort of improvement, we’ll be having first round conversations about him.
