In an era when college basketball teams are increasingly reliant on the transfer portal to recruit more experienced players -- and less interested in stockpiling one-and-done recruits, with the expectation of Duke -- having raw talent with pro upside on a roster still matters.
Last season's national title team at Florida featured first-round 2025 NBA Draft pick Walter Clayton Jr., two second-rounders (Alijah Martin and Will Richard) and two more projected 2026 first-rounders (Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh). UConn's back-to-back champs produced six total NBA draft picks, with one more in the pipeline (Alex Karaban).