BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A Hoosier that was and a Hoosier-to-be were on the NBA Draft early entry list released by the NBA on Tuesday.
Tayton Conerway, a transfer from Troy, and Mackenzie Mgbako, who transferred from Indiana to Texas A&M, were among the 106 players who filed as early entry candidates for the NBA Draft.
Their inclusion among the early entry candidates does not mean they are bound to the NBA at the expense of their college eligibility.
By current NCAA rules, players on the early entry list must withdraw by May 28 to retain their eligibility – though eligibility rules of all kinds have been challenged in court and should be considered fluid rather than concrete in the current environment.
Conerway averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and made 47.1% of his shots. Most notably, Conerway led the Sun Belt Conference in steals for two seasons in a row. He averaged 2.1 in 2024 and 2.8 in 2025.
Coneway would likely project to be Indiana’s starting point guard if he suits up for the Hoosiers in 2026.
Mgbako averaged 12.2 points in both of his seasons at Indiana. He made 43.7% of his shots in the 2025 season. When Indiana decided to part ways with former coach Mike Woodson, Mgbako signaled his intent to go to another school. He committed to Texas A&M on April 17.
Both Conerway and Mgbako are long shots to earn NBA Draft notice at this time. Neither was included in NBA Draft On SI’s most recent two-round mock draft.
That could change after the NBA conducts its NBA Draft Combine, which runs from May 9-11 in Chicago.
Other Big Ten players on the early entry list include Ace Bailey of Rutgers, Nate Bittle of Oregon, John Blackwell of Wisconsin, Dylan Harper of Rutgers, Dominick Harris of UCLA, Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois, Nick Martinelli of Northwestern, Yanic Konan Niederhauser of Penn State, Derik Queen of Maryland, Jase Richardson of Michigan State, Will Riley of Illinois, Bruce Thornton of Ohio State and Danny Wolf of Michigan.
