NBA Draft: Live reaction to the first round

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is underway and Rivals.com national basketball analyst Rob Cassidy is analyzing every selection pick by pick.

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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2026 Rankings: Rivals150

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COLLEGE: None

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Risacher did not play American high school basketball. He was selected out of France, where he played professionally for the JL Bourg last season.. He played alongside last year’s top pick Victor Wembanyama during the 2021-22 season for France's ASVEL Basketball Club.

COLLEGE: None

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The French-born Sarr became an NBA prospect playing for Australia's Perth Wildcats. He did not play American high school basketball and carries the reputation of an elite rim-protector with a raw offensive skill set

COLLEGE: KENTUCKY
AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Having played his entire high school career at a small high school in Kentucky, Sheppard made his name on the adidas grassroots circuit, where he proved able to stand toe-to-toe with a long list of major national prospects. Rivals ranked Sheppard as the No. 28 prospect in the 2023 class, which was higher than most but still much too low in retrospect. Shepherd was always known as an elite shooter, but his ability to finish through traffic at the basket and create shots for himself allowed him to take a massive step forward as a freshman in Lexington.

COLLEGE: UCONN

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Castle was in the discussion for a top-5 spot late in the cycle and ultimately finished inside the top 10 based on his size, versatility and ability to impact games in a variety of ways, not the least of which is perimeter defense. The box score-stuffing guard was a better shooter in the prep ranks than he showed during his one season at UConn, which could be the product of sample size, seeing as though Castle played just 34 college games. Part of a massively talented class-of-2023 backcourt group from the Atlanta area, Castle was often compared to other local stars Isaiah Collier and Kanaan Carlyle during his high school days. Now it seems as though the UConn product may end up having the most lucrative pro career of the celebrated trio.

COLLEGE: NONE (NBA G League)

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: A one-time Texas signee, Holland decided to forgo college and go the G League route in the wake of former UT head coach Chris Beard’s dismissal amid a domestic violence charge. There was a brief moment during his senior season where Holland found himself in the conversation for the No. 1 spot, but never reached such heights because of concerns over his three-point shooting and ability to score in the half court. That said, a high school-aged Holland was as lethal in transition as any player in the country and his versatility piqued the interest of NBA GMs from a very early juncture. Holland seriously considered both Arkansas and UCLA before briefly committing to the in-state Longhorns.

COLLEGE: None

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The 6-foot-9 Salaun played last season for France’s Cholet Basket. He did not play American High School hoops.

COLLEGE: UCONN

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Clingan was one of the stars of the 2021 NBPA Top100 Camp and built a reputation as a double-double machine with a soft touch and sky-high upside as a rim protector. In high school, the knocks on his game concerned his limited ability as a shooter as perceived pedestrian athleticism, two areas he managed to improve greatly during his time in college. Clingan, who averaged 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks per game as a senior in high school, chose the Huskies over schools such as Michigan, Syracuse, and Ohio State, all of which he visited.

COLLEGE: KENTUCKY

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Originally from North Carolina, Dillingham attended a number of high schools, including a one-season stint at Kanye West’s disastrous and now defunct Donda Academy. Dillingham was on the national radar early in his high school career and carried the reputation as an elite ball-handler with jaw-dropping quickness and a streaky jumper. Dillingham has always been known for making difficult shots look easy but became much more efficient late in his high school career. Dillingham, who committed to North Carolina State in the winter of 2021 just to decommit three months later, ultimately signed with Kentucky over finalists Auburn, Louisville and USC. Concerns about how his slight stature would play at the professional level were common back then and still persist today.

COLLEGE: PURDUE

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: A member of the 2020 class, the Canadian-born Edey was a three-star prospect ranked outside of the Rivals150. Concerns about his fluidity and ability to impact games outside of 8 feet held him back from a rankings standpoint. So did the fact that the big man was exceedingly raw and new to basketball after playing mostly baseball and hockey growing up. Still, Purdue head coach Matt Painter saw what many others simply did not. Edey, who attended Florida’s IMG Academy, committed to the Boilermakers in November of 2019.

COLLEGE: COLORADO

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: A bit of a late-bloomer, Williams shot up the rankings quickly during the summer leading into his senior season at Arizona’s Perry High School. The McDonald’s All-American was always a bit of an upside play but began to turn potential into production in the final year of his high school career. He shot up from No. 24 to No. 7 in the final Rivals150 update before heading to Colorado where he averaged 11.9 PPG in his one college season.. Williams remains a bit of an upside bet even today, as his length, fluidity and versatile tools make him much more attractive than his college numbers would suggest. Williams is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams and chose Colorado over his brother’s alma mater of Santa Clara in addition to programs such as LSU and Arizona.

COLLEGE: NONE (NBA G LEAGUE)

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Buzelis never seemed particularly interested in attending college, as his 6-foot-9 frame and developing perimeter skills felt tailor made for the professional game from an early juncture. As a high school senior, his reputation was that of a playmaker that was capable of scoring from nearly anywhere on the court despite needing to add muscle and toughness as well as cut down on low-percentage shots. There were questions about his motor on the defensive end, but his potential as an impact defender remains intriguing thanks to his length and lateral quickness.

COLLEGE: NONE

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The Serbian-born Topić made his name playing for multiple European teams and never played American high school basketball.

COLLEGE: PROVIDENCE

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The son of a basketball coach, Cater moved around some during his prep career and attended multiple high schools. He missed some time during his senior season due to a shoulder injury before reclassifying and playing a prep season at Brewster Academy, where he became a four-star prospect and ranked inside the top 100 based on his prolific scoring ability, length and blossoming playmaking ability. Carter held offers from places such as Cal, Georgia Tech and FAU before signing with South Carolina. He transferred to Providence in April of 2022 following South Carolina’s dismissal of former head coach Frank Martin.

COLLEGE: PITT

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Carrington was not on the national radar until spring of his junior season and used the final year of his high school career to boost his stock and land in the No. 94 spot in the 2023 Rivals150. Carrington played both guard spots at the high school level. And while he indeed added weight, his shooting and playmaking ability were clear by the time he finished his senior season. Still, Carrington was lightly recruited and chose Pitt over offers from programs such as George Mason, Stanford, Loyola Chicago and Iona.

COLLEGE: Indiana

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Ware finished his high school career as a five-star prospect thanks to a trajectory that saw him start to turn potential into production late in his career. He shined during McDonald’s All-American Week showcasing great floor-spacing potential and the ability to knock down open looks from behind the arc. An Arkansas native, Ware originally signed with Oregon over the in-state Razorbacks and others. He played one season in Eugene before transferring to Indiana, where he made tremendous strides from both an effort and scoring standpoint as a sophomore.

COLLEGE: DUKE

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The hyper-charismatic McCain was a bit of a TikTok star before he was a truly national basketball recruit and had a way of filling high school gyms because of it. Watching his skill set catch up with his celebrity was a blast, as the California native slowly climbed the rankings over the years and landed well inside the top 15 in the final rankings update of the cycle. His reputation as a high schooler was that of a high-IQ lead guard and quick-release shooter. McCain committed to Duke early in the process over fellow finalist Gonzaga.

COLLEGE: TENNESSEE

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Knecht was a relative unknown as an undersized prospect at Colorado’s Prairie View High School and landed at Northeastern Junior College around the same time he experienced a massive growth spurt. The once unknown Knect was all of 6-foot-5 by the time he transferred to Northern Colorado and, ultimately, Tennessee prior to the 2023-24 season. He listed zero Division I offers as a high school prospect and was not on Rivals’ radar whatsoever.

COLLEGE: Colorado

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Da Silva signed with Colorado out of Germany and played three seasons for the Buffaloes. He never played American High School or grassroots basketball.

COLLEGE: BAYLOR

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The Texas-born Walter decided to stay in state for college, committing to Baylor early in the process before he attracted Blue Blood interest that would have almost certainly flooded had the five-star prospect decided to extend his recruitment after visiting schools such as Texas, Auburn and Alabama. As a high schooler, Walter was known as a score-first guard capable of creating his own shot from almost anywhere on the floor. But while he was among the most reliable volume scorers and defenders in the 2023 class, there were some questions about his shot selection and efficiency.

College: Cal

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The Texas-born Tyson was the No. 41 prospect in the class of 2021 and briefly committed to Texas Tech before eventually landing at Texas with head coach Chris Beard, who left the red raiders for the Longhorns as well. Tyson would eventually end up transferring to Texas Tech before bolting for Cal prior to last season.

COLLEGE: BAYLOR

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Missi, who moved to America from Cameroon in his teens, busted onto the rankings radar as a slim sophomore running with the PSA Cardinals on the EYBL circuit. His fluidity, rim-protection ability and his quickly developing offensive skill set earned him a lofty ranking based on potential. Potential turned to production as he aged, however, and a beefed-up Missi eventually reclassified from 2024 to 2023 and found himself as a five-star prospect and the No. 19 recruit in the class. He chose the Bears over finalists Texas and Stanford.

COLLEGE: DAYTON

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Dayton won a contested battle with Arizona to land Holmes, who grew up just a few hours from the Wildcats’ Tucson campus. A top-50 prospect, Holmes seemed destined for a high-major league but chose his relationship with Flyers head coach Anthony Grant over the opportunity to play for his in-state Pac 12 program. Holmes was known as a defense-first post prospect with a developing face-up game and slick post moves. Despite growing up in Arizona, Holmes finished his prep career at Florida’s famed Montverde Academy.

College: None (NBL)

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Johnson was a five-star prospect that was incredibly in-demand before committing to Texas. He never arrived on campus in Austin, however, as he decided to take his game to Australia to play in the NBL shortly after the Longhorns dismissed then-head coach Chris Beard. As a high school senior, Johnson was viewed as a high-upside play due to his impressive length, ball-handling ability and shooting prowess. The knocks on him as a prep were about his lack of upper body strength and some questionable shot selection.

COLLEGE: Miami

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The Swiss-born George attended school in France, where he became an NBA prospect. The 6-foot-7 wing never played stateside high school or grassroots hoops.

College: None

As a high schooler: The 18-year old Dadiet did not play american high school or grassroots basketball. Instead, he made his name playing in multiple European countries. He most recently played for Ratiopharm Ulm in the German league.

COLLEGE: Weber State

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: Jones is from South Carolina but played his final two high school seasons at Kansas’ Sunrise Christian Academy. He was lightly recruited as a high school prospect but carried a three-star ranking in the class of 2020. Jones developed a reputation as a crafty and dynamic facilitator as a senior but was still developing as a scorer. Charleston, Dayton and South Carolina were all involved with his recruitment to differing extents before he ultimately chose the Wildcats

COLLEGE: ILLINOIS

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The No. 62 prospect in the class of 2019, the Chicago-born Shannon finished his high school career at Florida’s IMG Academy, where the lefty was seen as a raw but hyper-athletic prospect that needed to refine his offensive skill set, particularly his jumper. Shannon began his high school career as a two-sport star, playing football in addition to basketball but focussed on the hardwood as he got older. He committed to Texas Tech over programs such as Florida State and Georgetown before transferring to Illinois, which was also involved in his original recruitment, following his junior season in Lubbock.

COLLEGE: VIRGINIA

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: As a high schooler, Dunn ran with the NY Jayhawks on the adidas 3SSB Circuit and went from unknown to four-star prospect in his final year as a prep prospect. Dunn, who finished 112th in the 2022 Rivals150, flew under the radar a bit due to Covid19 restrictions early in his high school career and could have ranked much higher on the list had the sample size on his game been larger. The elite defensive prospect ultimately chose Virginia over a flurry of late-arriving offers from schools such as Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Pitt, South Carolina, Maryland.

COLLEGE: USC

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: The No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class, Collier’s high floor made him a safe bet for the top spot in a relatively weak 2023 class that lacked can’t miss prospects. The strong, smart and reliable Collier was the best playmaking guard in the class but questions about his three-point shooting ability swirled. The Georgia-born guard eventually chose USC over closer-to-home SEC options in addition to fellow finalists Michigan and Cincinnati.

COLLEGE: CREIGHTON

AS A HIGH SCHOOLER: One of the oldest players in this draft, Scheierman was unrated and unknown when he committed to South Dakota State out of Nebraska’s Aurora High School in November of 2017. He was a two-sport athlete at the prep level and received some light interest as a football player after throwing for a school record 59 touchdowns as a senior. SDSU was his only Division-I basketball offer at the time he signed his original letter of intent. He transferred to Creighton following three successful seasons as a Jackrabbit.