I've Got Five On It: Looking back on top projected draft picks
Today’s I Got Five On It concerns itself with players jockeying for position in the 2024 NBA Draft by taking a look back at the American basketball prospects projected to go in the early first round and what the book on each was as a high school senior.
All draft projections are courtesy of Yahoo Sports’ NBA Draft expert Krysten Peek’s most recent mock draft.
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 65
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Yahoo Sports Mock Draft position: 1
High school ranking: No. 1
As a high school senior: Collier was the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class and was seen as a safe option in a sea of inconsistent prospects. The 2023 class was not seen as a particularly strong group, which allowed Collier, a high-floor option, to seize the top spot. The knock on the box-score stuffing guard was his lack of a reliable jumper, but that concern seems to have been a bit overblown as Collier is shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor and a passable 32 percent from the arc through nine games at USC.
There are plenty of players in this draft with much higher upsides than Collier, but the well-rounded, steady point guard seems to be exactly what we thought he’d be as a college freshman. Collier won’t make anyone that ranked him No. 1 look like a super-genius, but he’s unlikely to make them look completely foolish.
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Yahoo Sports Mock Draft position: 3
High school ranking: No. 13
As a high school senior: Even as a five-star prospect, it feels as though Walter was significantly undervalued. He carried the tag of an explosive and impressive volume-scoring guard that needed to cut down on poor shots in order to reach his potential. Those concerns have been quickly squashed this season, as the Baylor freshman is shooting 42 percent from the floor while averaging a team-best 14.9 points per game.
The rim-attacking style of play for which he became known remains intact but has been refined a bit under Scott Drew, who has the freshman playing like the absolute best version of himself. Walter feels like a surefire lottery pick just a few months after narrowly missing out on the top 10 in the Rivals150. He still needs to work to become a better and more reliable facilitator, but that feels like nitpicking at this juncture.
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Yahoo Sports Mock Draft position: 4
High school ranking: No. 5
As a high school senior: Holland was one of the more exciting and productive prospects in the country and was in the conversation for the top spot before finishing at No. 5 in the 2023 Rivals150. There were few more impressive players when it came to scoring in transition and finding ways to impact games on the glass or the defensive end.
The major knock on Holland as a senior was an inability to consistently score in the halfcourt, where his long-range jumper was inconsistent and his ability to create good shots for himself was spotty. After a rough start to his pro career in the NBA’s G League, Holland has started to show signs of becoming the elite pro prospect most thought he could. His draft stock will be worth monitoring closely going forward as it feels as though large swings in both directions are possible.
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Yahoo Sports Mock Draft position: 5
High school ranking: 4
As a high school senior: Rivals was a little higher than the rest of the industry on Buzelis, whose build and skill set always seemed tailor-made for the modern NBA. He remains in the top 10 in most mock drafts despite missing time with a minor ankle injury. The omnipresent criticism of Buzelis’ high school career concerned his unreliable long-range jumper and a motor that didn’t always run as well as scouts would have liked.
In limited action since returning from injury, Buzelis has looked comfortable creating for himself off the bounce and shooting pull-up jumpers in the mid-range. His lofty draft stock is still based on potential, however, as the 6-foot-10 forward’s evolving skill set remains tantalizing to say the least, even if he still needs to add strength and become more reliable from long-range.
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Yahoo Sports Mock Draft position: 7
High school ranking: 3
As a high school senior: Edwards was seen as a wing with massive upside but a tendency to be wildly inconsistent from game to game, as he sometimes allowed early mistakes to derail his entire game on both ends of the floor. When he was good, however, he was great and had a knack for taking over high-level contests with solid ball-handling, ability to get to the rim on command and a quick pull-up jumper that was difficult to stop when it was going well.
Edwards’ ceiling had him under discussion for the top spot in the Rivals150 for a short time but his inconsistency of production ended that conversation relatively quickly. Edwards’ stock has dropped some in most mock drafts due to a lot of the same consistency issues that plagued him in high school.
The Kentucky freshman now finds himself between 10 and 15 on some reputable websites because of it but has the potential to climb back up the board quickly due to his versatility.