Overview

• Several projected first-round picks, including Alabama’s Labaron Philon and Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, withdrew by Wednesday’s deadline to return to college with significant NIL compensation.
• Early entrant numbers fell to 106, the fewest since 2015, as expanding NIL earnings outpaced the security of late-first and second-round NBA rookie contracts.
• The draft’s lottery remains deep with Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Texas’ Tre Johnson still projected in the top 15.
• SEC programs kept key contributors — Alabama, Auburn and Florida each retained high-impact players — positioning the conference as the nation’s frontrunner next season.
• Decisions by Houston’s Milos Uzan and San Diego State’s Miles Byrd highlight how NIL deals and transfer portal moves are redefining college rosters.