One of the many gems found via the transfer portal, Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson made quite an impact after moving up from the mid-major level to a power conference team. After having a phenomenal campaign in his senior season with the Hoosiers, Wilkerson proved he could become a very reliable player at the next level. The question remains, will an NBA team view him the same way on draft night?
Let’s take a closer look at Lamar Wilkerson’s 2026 NBA Draft profile.
Lamar Wilkerson 2026 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Wilkerson’s collegiate career started at the JUCO level, playing for Three Rivers College in Missouri. He had a tremendous freshman campaign, averaging 16.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. After that season, he made the jump to Division 1 college basketball, and his scoring and reliability really started to rise.
He spent the next three seasons at Sam Houston State University. His sophomore year saw plenty of growing pains as he adjusted to the level of competition — not to mention his team was going through its final season in the WAC. He played in 32 games and finished with averages of 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds. Individually, over the next two seasons, Wilkerson showed he could play at a high level, earning back-to-back All-CUSA 1st team nods.
2024-25 was a big year for Wilkerson, as he finished as a 20.5-point scorer, along with four rebounds per game. He also started all 32 games that season and shot a career-high 44.5 percent from deep. His performance was enough for Indiana’s Darian DeVries to bring Wilkerson to Bloomington to play for the Indiana Hoosiers.
It was a very good fit, as Wilkerson quickly gained a prominent role alongside Tucker DeVries. Lamar ended up being the most impactful player for Indiana in 2025-26. That included a record-setting performance on Dec. 9, when he scored 44 points and made a school record 10 3-pointers. He continued to showcase his high-scoring output throughout the season and ended it by putting up 20.9 points per game. His efforts were enough to earn him All-Big Ten honors.
Strengths
Offense
It’s very clear that Wilkerson prides himself on being a scorer. Whether it was getting to the basket or the free-throw line, or making big threes in big moments. Wilkerson has all the tools to be a three-level scorer. Not to mention, he has the potential to become a go-to guy if given the chance. Not only was he a crafty shooter, but he was also a massive locker room guy for Indiana and even back in his days at Sam Houston.
The scoring isn’t just step up and knockdown, either. Wilkerson was a high-volume bucket getter. That’s what he will have to do if he wants a real shot in the NBA. He shot 88.8 percent at the charity stripe for Indiana and was an 84 percent shooter for his career. That’s going to be a big positive in the pros — if that continues — because he has the tools to frequently get to the line.
Defense
Wilkerson knows his role and won’t overstep what he will be asked to do. His leadership is probably his best defensive skill. He has a great wingspan — right around seven-feet — which gives him room to be versatile on defense. He averaged one steal per game throughout his career, so he certainly has something to work with in that regard.
Weaknesses
Offense
Despite his efficient perimeter shooting, Wilkerson must drop the willingness to throw up ugly and unnecessary looks from deep. He also needs to improve as a passer and rebounder. He had his best assist mark as a senior at 2.4 per game. But at 6-foot-5, he’s a perfect size guard and could do wonders by working on his playmaking.
Wilkerson is quite limited with his first step, and he’s not going to wow you with his dunking; however, he can get to the rim. His lack of strength could get him in trouble. Plus, at 24 years old, his age could limit his potential and deter some teams as a result.
Defense
Wilkerson has plenty to work on defensively, including the need to guard much quicker players. He also needs to address his willingness to chase after rebounds. For a guard his size, he should be able to get more than 3.5 rebounds per game.
NBA Comparison
Wilkerson’s shooting can be easily compared to former Chicago Bull, Denzel Valentine. Like Wilkerson, Valentine starred in the Big Ten and was able to use his shooting and craftiness to play in the NBA for a handful of years. Obviously, Valentine had a knack for taking some questionable threes at the wrong time, which was likely why his NBA run didn’t last longer. His size also compares quite well to Valentine’s.
Another good comp would be PJ Hairston. They both like taking high-volume shots from deep, and both showcased strong touch at the free-throw line. Thus, it would make Wilkerson a quality late pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
2026 NBA Draft Projection
Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
