Left Off Boards To Lottery: The Two Biggest In-Season Risers Of The 2023 NBA Draft

Taking a look at the two prospects who increased their draft stock the most this season.

It's rare that NBA draft boards look the same at the beginning and end of the college season. The top one or two prospects may stay consistent, but other than that, in-season performance shakes everything up. This opens the door to drastic improvements and fall-offs. This year, for example, UCF's Taylor Hendricks and Michigan's Kobe Bufkin have gone from barely being on draft radars to entering lottery conversations.

Taylor Hendricks, UCF

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Stats: 15.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 53.5 2P%, 39.4 3P%, 78.2 FT%

Current Draft Digest Board Ranking: 13

Coming out of high school, Hendricks was the 46th-ranked player in the 2022 class according to RSCI. This placed him on a path for a potential NBA future, but few believed it would come to fruition this quickly. The Knights freshman started off his season with a bang with 23 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks, thunderously barging his way into draft discussions.

Since then, the 6-foot-9 forward has maintained his appeal as a modern, versatile, forward. He can add value on both the perimeter and interior on both ends of the ball. He shoots from the outside, plays above the rim, guards on the outside, and protects the rim. Such capabilities make Hendricks a lottery prospect for most.

Kobe Bufkin, Michigan

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Stats: 14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 54.6 2P%, 35.5 3P%, 84.9 FT%

Current Draft Digest Board Ranking: 23

Akin to Hendricks, Bufkin was a top 50 RSCI recruit coming out of high school in 2021. He didn't get much opportunity in his freshman season, coming off the bench in all 28 appearances and averaging just 10.6 minutes in those.

With additional freedom this year, though, the Michigan native began to make some noise as Christmas approached. He notched back-to-back 20-point games in mid-December, and never looked back, notching five more over the remainder of his sophomore campaign.

The 6-foot-4 combo guard is a smooth ball handler with a deep bag of tricks when attacking the rim. He can also step out and knock down jumpers with his lefty stroke, but his outside shooting still needs some more work. The potential of Bufkin becoming the NBA's next valuable hybrid guard places him in lottery conversations for many.

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