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Bennett Stirtz (14) of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles against Jamarques Lawrence (10) of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center in Houston on March 26, 2026. Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images
We’re just a week removed from Jalen Brunson leading the Knicks to the NBA championship and Brunson being awarded NBA Finals MVP. We’re also just days away from the 2026 NBA Draft, and if you remember, Brunson was a second-round pick back in 2018. He’s just the fourth second-round draft pick to win Finals MVP, and team execs, scouts, and coaches are already dreaming of finding the next diamond in the rough of the second round.
While it would be a bit ambitious in projecting anyone selected in this week’s NBA Draft as the next Jalen Brunson, there are a number of under-the-radar players who fit the bill as someone overlooked coming out of college who could still excel in the NBA. Here are the top undervalued NBA Draft prospects who could make discernible impacts in the league.
Bennett Stirtz, Guard, Iowa
The son of a coach, Stirtz first excelled at the DII level with Northwest Missouri State, then with a mid-major at Drake, and finally at a Power Conference program with Iowa. The likes of George Gervin and Ben Wallace started off at DII schools only to end up in the Hall of Fame, and while no one is projecting Stirtz to Springfield, he has discernible skills on both ends of the court.
Ross Kelly is a sports journalist who has been published by ESPN, CBS and USA Today. He has also done statistical research for Stats Inc. and Synergy Sports Technology. A graduate of LSU, Ross resides in Houston.
