The 2025-26 college basketball season is starting to heat up, as conference play recently got underway. We have already seen a ton of key performances, and a lot is changing when it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft. We already ran through some of the best prospects in college, focusing on the top underclassmen. We’ll soon start to roll out our player-specific draft profiles, with in-depth breakdowns on the lottery-level talents. However, now feels like a great time to shine a light on some of the players that are rapidly climbing up boards thanks to strong early-season play. Here’s four of them: 

• Hannes Steinbach - 6-foot-11, Big, Washington 

Steinbach has been a double-double machine in his freshman season with the Huskies, and his skill set is going to be extremely appealing to NBA front offices. Steinbach is big and strong, while also possessing a good set of feet. He should immediately be ready to bang with some traditional NBA bigs, as he has a pro-ready body and plays a fearless brand of basketball. 

Steinbach does most of his work as a play-finisher, possessing a soft touch around the basket. He also has a real nose for the basketball, which is why his offensive rebounding numbers are elite — and he’s a consistent threat to score on putbacks. Steinbach also handles the ball rather well, and he processes the game at a high level. Steinbach isn’t going to wow anybody with the way he finds teammates, but he makes extremely quick decisions. That said, he’s generally either turning and scoring, or he’s moving the ball to the right area of the floor. 

Steinbach also shoots free throws well, and he does occasionally step out and make triples. That means there’s some real potential for him to eventually turn into a floor-spacer. 

Steinbach is also a better defender than he is given credit for. He’s not going to be an elite rim protector, as he’s not an explosive leaper and his length isn’t anything to write home about. However, he’s active and he’s intelligent. That will go a long way at the next level. 

• Tyler Tanner - 6-foot, Guard, Vanderbilt 

If Tanner was three or four inches taller, he’d be getting top-10 buzz in this draft. Unfortunately, you can’t teach height. He’s going to enter the league a little undersized, which always makes for an uphill battle when it comes to cracking an NBA rotation — and contributing in the postseason. However, Tanner is a lightning rod on both ends of the floor, so he should find a way to stick. 

On offense, Tanner’s first step is unbelievably quick, plus he has an impressive layup package. Tanner uses angles really well, whether he’s laying it in or taking floaters. He’s also a dangerous catch-and-shoot guy from deep — but he should probably be taking some more triples. 

Defensively, Tanner competes his tail off. He might be a bit small, but he doesn’t want to be a liability. That’s at least a start when talking about how he might fit in at the next level. He also racks up steals in a big way, playing passing lanes well and also being capable of swiping it right from a ball handler. 

Tanner just seems to do enough things at a high enough level to defy the odds for a player his size. He’s efficient, he’s explosive, and he’s highly skilled. He should keep rising up boards, and he’ll be a fun player to watch in conference play. 

• Malachi Moreno - 7-foot, Big, Kentucky 

Kentucky got off to a slow start to the season, but Moreno has been one of college basketball’s early standout players. Moreno was the No. 26 player in the 2025 ESPN 100, so he was a highly-touted freshman entering this season. However, not many people had him in the lottery picture before the year, and that’s exactly where he stands right now. 

Moreno just looks like he’s going to be an awesome two-way contributor at the center spot rather quickly. He’s athletic, he has great instincts, and he has a nice blend of skill and natural ability. 

Moreno is a good shot-blocker at the back of the defense, making him seem capable of being an anchor for a good defensive team. He’s going to contest a lot of shots, and he’s also very good at pressuring the ball — which is why he has a high steal rate. 

Moreno is also a good lob threat, he has impressive touch, and he’s a good passer. He also shoots free throws well. So, even if he never becomes a threat from three-point range, he won’t be a guy teams can foul late in games. 

There will be other players in this draft with more upside than Moreno, who doesn’t have the offensive skill set required to turn into a star. However, as lottery teams start missing out on some of the bigger swings, Moreno will be enticing as a perfect modern big. 

• Keaton Wagler - 6-foot-6, Wing, Illinois

Wagler entered the year with zero buzz, but he’s now starting — and posting big numbers — for a very good Illinois team. Wagler, who has great size at the guard spot, is one of the best shooters in the class. He has a smooth-looking release that looks absolutely effortless, and he has deep range with the jumper. He’s also extremely comfortable pulling up off the bounce, so he’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy. He can knock down shots any way, anywhere. 

Wagler is also dangerous at attacking the rim. He doesn’t look all that explosive, but he plays at his own pace and keeps defenders off balance. There’s actually a little Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the way he operates on the ball. Wagler lulls defenders to sleep and then finds his openings, allowing him to either finish at the basket or draw fouls. 

Wagler is also a dynamic playmaker. He has done great work operating as a pick-and-roll ball handler this year, and it’s becoming easier and easier to envision him as an offensive engine in the NBA. 

Wagler is also pretty reliable as an on-ball defender, which makes him a player with a high floor. You don’t often find guys with his offensive creativity that aren’t liabilities on the other end. There’s some real All-Star potential here.