BYU basketball has a chance to send a freshman to the top-10 of the NBA Draft for the third consecutive season. For a program that went over 20 years without hearing a Cougar in the top-10, Egor Demin and AJ Dybantsa are incredible feats and incredibly relevant results for a program and head coach, Kevin Young, hoping to transform its identity from a scrappy religious school in the middle of nowhere to the premier location to develop into an NBA player.
BYU is absolutely unrecognizable from even a few seasons ago, and shares its top-10 streak with just one other program -- Duke University.
Bruce Branch III is the Cougars' hope to keep that streak alive in the next class. A McDonald's All-American, Team USA member, and 5-star recruit, he's projected to fall comfortably within the range of 1-10, leaning closer to 1.
Jeremy Woo is already posting mock drafts for the 2027 class, less than a week removed from the final selection of the 2026 class. Undrafted free agents are signing Exhibit 10 deals as we speak, and ESPN is already setting its focus on what's coming next. And here's the worst part: I care deeply.
According to his much-too-early list, BYU's freshman Branch goes fourth overall to the Houston Rockets (via the Brooklyn Nets).
Woo had the following to say about Branch's upside as a pro and gave a word of caution for why he could slide from the fourth spot.
"Branch has all the tools to be an excellent NBA player, with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and an excellent frame with room to add muscle. He's a capable shooter from range but is still developing as an all-around scorer. When fully engaged defensively, his size, length, and lateral agility make him extremely difficult to score on."
"...it would be unfair to place AJ Dybantsa-level expectations on him at BYU, but if coach Kevin Young can get the most out of him, Branch should make a strong top-five case."
Now that that's over. Moving on to the 2027 draft cycle with an early look at next year's class, headlined by Tyran Stokes. We have all been spoiled by the top-end talent of the last two classes. How the year plays out for this group will be fascinating.https://t.co/hEls9XzRz8
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 25, 2026
Woo voiced some concern over Branch's tendency to float through games, avoiding the spotlight whenever possible, and shared that he'll need to display his ability to make an impact against strong competition, of which the Big 12 Conference has plenty.
A great deal can change between now and Draft Day 2027, but Branch will get to stake his claim and plead his case for a high draft selection through his play on the court.
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