Conference tournaments are officially underway, with the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten and plenty more whittling down to a few elite teams.<\/p>\n
Thursday featured plenty of action, with all of the above facing off one another, showing off plenty of 2026 NBA Draft prospects in the process.<\/p>\n
This is the exact right time to get hot, with NBA decision-makers littering the stands of various conference tournaments.<\/p>\n
Here were some of the top performances from Thursday\u2019s slate of games:<\/p>\n
Brayden Burries, Arizona<\/p>\n
Burries saw a slow-ish start to his collegiate career, and has essentially been dominant since, carrying that over to Arizona\u2019s conference blowout against UCF.<\/p>\n
He scored 21 points on efficient 7-for-13 shooting, notably hitting three of his seven 3-pointers and all his free throws. He stayed true to his do-it-all ways in adding three rebounds, two steals and an assist.<\/p>\n
Arizona freshman Brayden Burries in his Big 12 debut:<\/p>\n
21 PTS | 7-13 FG | 3-7 3PT | 2 STL pic.twitter.com\/dvwhYYUtAz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 B\/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The second-ranked Wildcats are set to make waves in the NCAA Tournament, and a true freshman in Burries leading the charge could turn heads.<\/p>\n Henri Veesaar, North Carolina<\/p>\n UNC received not-so-great news this week in the untimely ending of Caleb Wilson\u2019s North Carolina career, and it was made even worse with a loss to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal.<\/p>\n Center Henri Veesaar did his best to pick up Wilson\u2019s slack, however, going for 28 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks in the one-point loss.<\/p>\n Veesaar shot 10-for-16 overall and an elite 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, showcasing a unique skillset at 7-foot. Scouts and decision-makers will certainly like his offensive versatility, with the potential to take up space on defense.<\/p>\n Nate Ament, Tennessee<\/p>\n Forward Nate Ament has seen a topsy-turvy season for the Volunteers, but is peaking at just the right time to pique interest in top-five stock again.<\/p>\n In a 10-point win over Auburn, Ament poured on 27 points on 7-for-15 shooting, hitting a blistering four of his six attempted triples, all at 6-foot-10. He also added eight rebounds, four assists to one turnover, three blocks and a steal in looking more like the No. 4 pick he was billed as earlier in the season.<\/p>\n Nate Ament in his SEC tournament debut:<\/p>\n 27 PTS | 7-15 FG | 4-6 3PT | 8 REB | 4 AST | 3 BLK | 32 MINS<\/p>\n The freshman led The Volunteers in scoring, rebounds, assists, and blocks as they beat Auburn \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/ughzIQ1Zcy<\/a><\/p>\n