Following the recent start of the 2026-27 NBA season , college basketball is right around the corner.
The campaign officially begins on Tuesday, Nov. 3, but plenty of teams across the country have already played multiple exhibition matchups to prepare for the upcoming season.
Multiple players who have the potential to be premier prospects in the 2027 NBA Draft shined in exhibition matchups , giving fans and scouts a glimpse at what could be in store for 2026-27.
Here's a look at two potential first-round picks who starred for their teams in recent exhibition games.
In an 87-85 win against Auburn, the sophomore scored a team-high 23 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and four steals while committing three turnovers and shooting 7-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 7-of-9 from the free throw line.
Allen enters his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide as a likely first-round pick in the 2027 class after a strong freshman season at Alabama. The former four-star recruit averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a steal per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc.
After a solid debut campaign, Allen landed in the first round of NBA mock drafts and tested the 2026 NBA Draft waters. The talented wing player from Green Bay opted for a return to school, but still went to the NBA Combine, where he measured 6-foot-5-and-a-quarter without shoes while recording a 6-foot-8 wingspan and weighing 205 pounds.
With more scoring responsibility as a sophomore, Allen could elevate his draft stock and secure a spot in the first round.
The son of former NBA big man Obinna Ekezie Sr., the Cardinals' standout enters the 2026-27 season with high expectations after being a five-star recruit in the 2026 class.
Listed at 7-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Ekezie was the No. 17 overall prospect and No. 1 center in the cycle, according to 247Sports. In a recent exhibition matchup against Kansas, Ekezie lived up to his ranking with 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist and five blocks while shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 4-of-6 from deep and 2-of-2 from the free throw line in 19 minutes off the bench.
Louisville outscored the Jayhawks by seven points when Ekezie was on the floor in an 89-83 win against Kansas. The Cardinals held potential top pick Tyran Stokes to 3-of-13 shooting from the field.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/draft/onsi as Potential First-Round Picks Shine in Recent College Basketball Exhibitions .
