Aggregate NBA mock draft: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1 spot

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State), Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).

Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

1. Paolo Banchero

Big, Freshman, 6-10 (Duke)

Duke freshman Paolo Banchero debuted at No. 1 overall and has maintained the pole spot, earning the top position on mock drafts from The Athletic as well as Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, For The Win and Basketball News.

2. Chet Holmgren

Big, Freshman, 7-1 (Gonzaga)

While he doesn’t have the No. 1 spot in the aggregate rankings, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren is the first player listed by ESPN as well as Bleacher Report, Yahoo and NBADraft.net.

3. Jabari Smith

Big, Freshman, 6-10 (Auburn)

Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. was a projected lottery pick before the season began but has already played his way into consideration for No. 1 overall, even ranking higher than Holmgren on mocks from Sports Illustrated as well as Basketball News.

4. Jalen Duren

Big, Freshman, 6-10 (Memphis)

The only reason why Memphis big man Jalen Duren wasn’t ranked higher on our original aggregate mock draft is that he reclassified after some of the mocks were published before he had reclassified to join the draft class.

5. Jaden Hardy

Guard, G League, 6-4 (Ignite)

G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy has struggled with efficiency, especially in the pick and roll and in a set offense, but he still has enough upside that he will be an early draft pick in this class.

6. Jaden Ivey

Guard, Sophomore, 6-4 (Purdue)

Purdue’s Jaden Ivey has already moved up a few spots since we published our first aggregate mock draft but it shouldn’t surprise you if he continues to rise, especially considering his team is quickly establishing itself as one of the frontrunners to win the NCAA title.

7. Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Wing, Freshman, 6-10 (Milwaukee)

Patrick Baldwin Jr. had offers to go to bigger schools but chose to play for his father, and even though he is playing at a mid-major, he is still a projected Top 20 pick on each of the mocks that we surveyed.

8. TyTy Washington

Guard, Freshman, 6-3 (Kentucky)

Kentucky freshman TyTy Washington isn’t dominating like other Wildcat first-rounders have in the past but he is a star in a role, hitting his catch-and-shoot jumpers and floaters at a high clip.

9. Bennedict Mathurin

Wing, Sophomore, 6-6 (Arizona)

Sophomore wing Bennedict Mathurin is playing an integral role for Arizona, which is a program that has started its first season under coach Tommy Lloyd with a perfect 8-0 record – and that includes a 29-point performance against Oregon State on Dec. 5.

10. Caleb Houstan

Wing, Freshman, 6-8 (Michigan)

Michigan freshman Caleb Houstan had a slow start to the season but has started heating up of late, notching 17 points behind 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc in a win over San Diego State on Dec. 4.

11. Kennedy Chandler

Guard, Freshman, 6-1 (Tennessee)

It is easy for scouts to fall in love with speedy ball handlers like Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler, who is a wizard in pick-and-roll and a blur in transition, which helped him put up 27 points in a win over Colorado on Dec. 4.

12. Dyson Daniels

Guard, G League, 6-6 (Ignite)

Australian guard Dyson Daniels plays very well on-ball for someone his size and he is a projected first-rounder on each of the mocks we surveyed, earning lottery consideration from The Athletic as well as Sports Illustrated and For The Win.

13. Jean Montero

Guard, Overtime, 6-2 (Elite)

Dominican-born guard Jean Montero is climbing up the rankings as the face of the inaugural Overtime Elite squad, serving as both the primary scorer and playmaker for the team’s offense.

14. Ousmane Dieng

Wing, International, 6-9 (New Zealand Breakers)

New Zealand Breakers wing Ousmane Dieng was relatively quiet in his NBL debut, shooting just 1-for-7 in a loss against Melbourne United, but it’s easy to see why scouts are excited about a 6-foot-9 prospect who has shown great skills as a passer and defender at just 18 years old.

15. Peyton Watson

Wing, Freshman, 6-9 (UCLA)

Freshman wing Peyton Watson doesn’t have much of a role in UCLA’s offense, and he was held without a field goal in five of his first eight games in the NCAA, but his long-term versatility makes him an intriguing prospect.

16. Max Christie

Wing, Freshman, 6-6 (Michigan St.)

Even though he hasn’t had the most consistent campaign thus far, Michigan State freshman Max Christie has had flashes where he looks like one of the better prospects in this class.

17. Trevor Keels

Wing, Freshman, 6-5 (Duke)

Duke’s Trevor Keels is the prospect who has most improved his draft stock since the season began, beginning the season with 25 points and 3 steals in a win over Kentucky then recording 6 steals against Army.

18. AJ Griffin

Wing, Freshman, 6-8 (Duke)

One of the toughest prospects to evaluate in this class is Duke’s AJ Griffin, because even though he is coming off the bench to average just 10 minutes and 4 points per game, he was one of the most tantalizing prospects in the nation when he was in high school.

19. JD Davison

Guard, Freshman, 6-3 (Alabama)

Alabama’s JD Davison looked like a lottery pick in a win over Gonzaga, scoring 20 points while shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc in 27 minutes off the bench on Dec. 4.

20. Nikola Jovic

Wing, International, 6-10 (Mega Basket)

Mega’s Nikola Jovic is a projected first-rounder on each of the mock drafts we surveyed, and while The Athletic is the only publication that currently has him placed in the lottery, he is one of the most notable international prospects in the class.

21. Kendall Brown

Wing, Freshman, 6-8 (Baylor)

Even as a freshman, Baylor’s Kendall Brown is one of the most efficient players in college basketball, currently shooting over 80.0 percent at the rim while also ranking as one of the nation’s leaders in dunks.

22. Yannick Nzosa

Big, International, 6-11 (Unicaja – Spain)

Congolese big man Yannick Nzosa has suffered some regression on the offensive side of the floor, but defensively, he is impactful enough that he will still warrant first-round consideration.

23. Bryce McGowens

Wing, Freshman, 6-6 (Nebraska)

Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens made a loud entrance on mock drafts after scoring 25 points in both of his first two collegiate games, and while he has not played efficiently, he will earn fans as a high-volume scorer.

24. Roko Prkacin

Big, International, 6-9 (Cibona – Croatia)

Even though Croatia didn’t fare well in the European World Cup qualifiers, prospect Roko Prkacin looked solid, notching 15 points with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals against Slovenia on Nov. 25.PREVIOUS RANK: 21 (-3)

25. MarJon Beauchamp

Wing, G League, 6-7 (Ignite)

Outside of Scoot Henderson (who is not eligible for the NBA draft until 2023), MarJon Beauchamp has fared the best of all prospects on the G League Ignite and as such, he has skyrocketed up draft boards.PREVIOUS RANK: NR (+82)

26. Keegan Murray

Big, Sophomore, 6-8 (Iowa)

Iowa’s Keegan Murray, who leads the nation in box plus-minus, is an early frontrunner for collegiate player of the year and that has earned him a place in the lottery for mock drafts on Sports Illustrated as well as The Athletic and Basketball News.PREVIOUS RANK: 29 (+3)

27. Daimion Collins

Big, Freshman, 6-9 (Kentucky)

Kentucky’s Daimion Collins isn’t playing a ton of minutes thus far but he projects well enough as a rim protector, especially due to his massive 7-foot-5 wingspan, that he will get looks in the first round.

28. Mark Williams

Big, Sophomore, 7-0 (Duke)

Duke 7-footer Mark Williams has one of the best block percentages among high-major underclassmen and on the offensive side of the floor, the big man has thrived when rolling and cutting to the basket.

29. Ochai Agbaji

Wing, Senior, 6-5 (Kansas)

Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji has done a tremendous job improving his draft stock, showcasing a ton of confidence as the ball handler in pick and roll and in transition.

30. Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Wing, Junior, 6-6 (UCLA)

Even though his jumper isn’t falling, Jaime Jaquez Jr. showed his do-it-all value with 21 points as well as 13 rebounds and 3 assists in a big win against Villanova on Nov. 12.

31. Matthew Cleveland

Wing, Freshman, 6-6 (Florida St.)

32. Jabari Walker

Big, Sophomore, 6-8 (Colorado)

33. Allen Flanigan

Wing, Junior, 6-6 (Auburn)

34. Matthew Mayer

Wing, Senior, 6-9 (Baylor)

35. Marcus Bagley

Wing, Sophomore, 6-7 (Arizona St.)

36. Julian Champagnie

Wing, Junior, 6-7 (St. John’s)

37. Johnny Juzang

Wing, Junior, 6-6 (UCLA)

38. Michael Foster

Big, G League, 6-8 (Ignite)

39. Tristan Vukcevic

Big, International, 6-10 (Real Madrid)

40. Keon Ellis

Wing, Senior, 6-6 (Alabama)

41. Taevion Kinsey

Wing, Senior, 6-5 (Marshall)

42. Azuolas Tubelis

Big, Sophomore, 6-11 (Arizona)

43. Drew Timme

Big, Junior, 6-10 (Gonzaga)

44. Christian Koloko

Big, Junior, 7-1 (Arizona)

45. Hugo Besson

Guard, International, 6-3 (New Zealand Breakers)

46. Terrence Shannon Jr.

Wing, Junior, 6-6 (Texas Tech)

47. Moussa Diabate

Big, Freshman, 6-10 (Michigan)

48. Wendell Moore Jr.

Wing, Junior, 6-5 (Duke)

49. Khalifa Diop

Big, International, 6-11 (Gran Canaria)

50. Caleb Love

Guard, Sophomore, 6-4 (North Carolina)

51. Andre Curbelo

Guard, Sophomore, 6-1 (Illinois)

52. Ismael Kamagate

Big, International, 6-11 (Paris)

53. Jordan Hall

Guard, Sophomore, 6-8 (Saint Joseph’s)

54. Blake Wesley

Wing, Freshman, 6-5 (Notre Dame)

55. Josh Minott

Wing, Freshman, 6-8 (Memphis)

56. Carlos Alocen

Guard, International, 6-4 (Real Madrid)

57. Trayce Jackson-Davis

Big, Junior, 6-9 (Indiana)

58. Justin Lewis

Big, Sophomore, 6-7 (Marquette)

59. E.J. Liddell

Big, Senior, 6-7 (Ohio St.)

60. Zach Edey

Big, Sophomore, 7-4 (Purdue)

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA mock draft: Paolo Banchero in three-way battle for No. 1