The NBA Draft is still some time away, but the college basketball season has crossed the halfway point. Scouts are taking note of some players who may not have had a significant buzz on their draft status heading into the season.

Of course, these players aren't at the top of the class just yet, but they are certainly worth keeping an eye on when the NBA Draft does roll around this summer.

Unsurprisingly, two players from Michigan and Michigan State are garnering attention after leading their respective teams to the top of the Big Ten standings. Both programs were underwhelming in 2023-24 (Michigan much moreso than Michigan State), but both blue-blood programs look closer to form this season. Rostering budding NBA talent can do that.

ESPN took a closer look at which players are turning heads the most and Michigan's Danny Wolf and Michigan State's Jase Richardson were the first to be acknowledged among backcourt prospects.

Richardson came in with a bit more buzz than Wolf as he was ranked No. 33 on ESPN's Top 100 Big Board compared to Wolf's No. 68 rank. Wolf, however, was ranked as the top backcourt player to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the NBA Draft process.

The 7-foot Wolf is a versatile player who can offer NBA teams quite a bit in the backcourt or frontcourt. Still, 7-footers who possess ball skills like Wolf does are a hot commodity in the league which only drives up his value more. Toss in that he's an everything player who handles himself well under the rim and on defense, and scouts have plenty to drool over on tape.

Richardson, on the other hand, is a bit more traditional, if not undersized, two-guard, who stands at 6'3". His precision shooting (70% through 16 games) is a value in itself. Still, his size and small sample size as a freshman hold back his draft profile. It's possible that he could garner first-round consideration, but it's just as likely Richardson's best interest will be in returning to East Lansing for one more season with Tom Izzo to refine his skillset for the next level.

ESPN's Top 100 Big Board was last updated in December, so it'll be interesting to see where the names Wolf and Richardson fall on the board when it's updated again. Either way, Wolverine and Spartan fans are happy to have these guys around.

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