4 March Madness players for Wizards fans to watch besides the Big 3

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4 March Madness players for Wizards fans to watch besides the Big 3

Joshua Valdez, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Mar 19, 2026 ·

6 min read

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As the Washington Wizards finish tanking over the final three weeks of the NBA regular season, college basketball has begun March Madness , also known as the NCAA Tournament. Similar to last year, there are several prospects in the tournament who the Wizards could take with their lottery pick in this summer's draft.

In 2025, freshman guard Tre Johnson tallied a team-high 23 points (6-14 FG, 4-7 3-point), six rebounds, and two assists over 38 minutes for Texas in its 86-80 First Four loss to Xavier. That game ended the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year's collegiate career, and Washington drafted him No. 6 overall in June. Now, his 36.7% three-point clip ranks fourth among NBA rookies with at least four attempts per game (min. 40 games played). He also ranks fifth with 5.3 average attempts.

This year, the obvious draft targets for the Wizards are BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer . All three will play in the tournament, as No. 1 Duke will play No. 16 Siena in the East Region on Thursday, No. 6 BYU will face No. 11 Texas in the West Region on Thursday, and No. 4 Kansas will face No. 13 California Baptist in the East Region on Friday. If Duke and Kansas each win their first two games, they'll play each other in the Sweet Sixteen.

Update: Duke beat Siena 75-61 and will play No. 9 TCU on Saturday. BYU lost to Texas 79-71.

Any of those players could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dybantsa leads the country with 25.3 points per game on 51.3% shooting (34% 3-point) and can score any type of basket, Peterson wrecks games for the opponent even in limited minutes (he scored 23 points over 18 minutes in an 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, for example), and Boozer is a double-double machine (22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds on the season) that also creates shots for his teammates. Most recently, the 6-foot-9, 250-pounder logged eight assists in the Blue Devils' 74-70 ACC Tournament Final win over Virginia on Saturday.

If the Wizards land a top-three pick in May's NBA Draft Lottery, they'll likely get one of these three players. If they get No. 4, they could acquire North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, who is the only freshman in school history other than Tyler Hansbrough to earn All-American honors. The 6-foot-10, 215-pounder won't play in the tournament as he recovers from thumb surgery (per ESPN), but he nearly averaged a double-double (19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds) on 57.8% shooting and can switch onto any position defensively.

However, there's a chance that Washington's lottery pick could fall outside the top four again. Entering Thursday night's home matchup with the Detroit Pistons , the team has the NBA's second-worst record (16-52), which was the same position it finished in last season. The second-worst record guarantees a top-six pick, and the Wizards were unlucky to receive the lowest selection they could've gotten last year.

Washington fans should familiarize themselves with prospects outside of the consensus top four in case the team lands the No. 5 or No. 6 selections in May. Luckily for the Wizards, several potential stars will likely be available in that range as well.

Here are four of those players:

G Kingston Flemings, Houston

© BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Flemings was named the Cougars' "best freshman ever" by the Houston Chronicle's Joseph Duarte, and for good reason. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder blends efficient shooting with playmaking as a point guard, all while limiting turnovers. He averages 16.4 points per game on 47.5% shooting (39.2% 3-point) with 5.3 assists against just 1.9 turnovers over 31.7 minutes. He also leads the team with 1.6 steals.

Additionally, Flemings steps up in big games. For example, the San Antonio native notched 21 points (6-14 FG, 3-4 3-point) with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals across 32 minutes in Houston's 69-47 victory over Peterson and Kansas on Friday's Big 12 Tournament Semifinal.

No. 2 Houston will face No. 15 Idaho in the South Region on Thursday night.

Update: Houston won 78-47 and will face No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday.

G Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas

Acuff might be the hottest player in college basketball, as he's coming off a 30-point, 11-assist performance in the Razorbacks' 85-76 win over Vanderbilt in Sunday's SEC Tournament Final. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder has five 30-plus-point games this season, including a 49-point breakout in a 117-115 double overtime victory over Alabama on Feb. 18.

Acuff is even more efficient than Flemings on a higher shooting volume, as he's seventh in the country with 22.9 points on 48.6% shooting (44.5% 3-point), averaging 16.2 field goal attempts (5.8 3-point). Flemings averages 12.8 attempts (three 3-point).

Acuff also averages 6.5 assists against 2.2 turnovers over 35.1 minutes. The 2026 SEC Player and Rookie of the Year could be Washington's long-term version of Trae Young , who is one inch shorter. The latter player has a $49 million player option this summer, so there's no guarantee that he'll stick around after next season.

No. 4 Arkansas plays No. 13 Hawai'i in the West Region on Thursday.

Update: Arkansas won 97-78 and will play No. 12 High Point on Saturday.

G Keaton Wagler , Illinois

Wagler is another freshman sniper, as he shoots 40.2% on 5.8 average attempts from long range. However, the Kansas native also has positional size at 6-foot-6 with just as much scoring skill as Flemings and Acuff, which he displayed in his 46-point performance in an 88-82 win over Purdue on Jan. 24.

Wagler is the biggest surprise on this list, as he was a three-star recruit before winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors this season. Regardless, the combo guard is now undeniably one of the best players in this class.

No. 3 Illinois will face No. 14 Pennsylvania in the South Region on Thursday.

Update: Illinois won 105-70 and will play No. 11 VCU on Saturday.

F Nate Ament , Tennessee

Ament hasn't been as efficient as the aforementioned players, as he's averaging 17.5 points on 40.5% shooting (33.1% 3-point) over 30.2 minutes. However, the freshman has defensive tools at 6-foot-10, 207 pounds and has potential as a stretch big man in the NBA. Some of his standout performances this season include 29-point performances against Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Alabama on Feb. 18, Feb. 7, and Jan. 24, respectively. The Volunteers also won 89-66, lost 74-71, and won 79-73, respectively.

No. 6 Tennessee will face No. 11 Miami (OH) in the Midwest Region on Friday.

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