As the college basketball season continues, the 2026 NBA Draft class has impressed scouts and media members.
On Tuesday night, another group of prospects performed well as North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas each had big outings to help their teams secure wins.
Wilson and Thomas weren’t the only potential 2026 NBA Draft picks in action on Nov. 18, though, as a number of prospects around the country starred for their squad. Two of those players were unable to come away with a win, despite solid performances in the contest.
San Diego State fell 108-107 to Troy, with Miles Byrd scoring a team-high 24 points in the loss. The fourth-year junior shot 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, adding 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a block.
Byrd is averaging 13.7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 53.8% from the field and 46.7% from 3-point range on 5 attempts per game. The skilled defender tested the NBA Draft waters last year, but elected to return to college basketball.
At the NBA Combine, though, Byrd measured 6-foot-4 and three quarters of an inch without shoes while recording a 6-foot-10 wingspan. With good size and length on the wing, Byrd could continue to be a valuable defensive player at the next level.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, one of Byrd’s main concern’s was his shooting splits after hitting 38.1% of his shots from the field and 30.1% of his shots from deep last year. If the wing prospect continues to have an efficient season, he could end up being a first-round pick.
Alongisde Byrd, Gwath also had a strong showing against Troy. After missing teh Aztecs’ first two games of the year, the redshirt sophomore made his season debut on Tuesday.
The third-year sophomore finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals while shooting 5-of-5 from the field, 2-of-2 from beyond the arc and 8-of-12 from the free throw line. Listed at 7-feet tall and 212 pounds, Gwath’s defensive ability and 3-point potential could draw interest from NBA scouts.
As a sophomore, the former Veritas Prep (CA) standout averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range. If Gwath continues to perform well throughout the 2025-26 campaign, he too could be a first round pick in 2026.
Troy’s Thomas Dowd was the game’s leading scorer, tallying 25 points, 19 rebounds and just 1 turnover while leading the Trojans to a victory.
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