Superstar Performances, Frustrating Developments, and More 2026 NBA Draft Developments | Metcalf's 2026 NBA Draft Scouting Files
Tyler Metcalf shares his weekly takeaways on the 2026 NBA Draft highlighted by Keaton Wagler, Nate Ament, Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, AJ Dybantsa, Tyler Tanner, and much more.
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.
