Sam Presti scouting top College game; which 2024 NBA Draft prospect was he there to see?

The basketball season is fully underway, including at the college level. With Feast week behind us, and the heat of conference play still a few weeks away, the college basketball world is still clinging to these final few marquee non-conference matchups.

Tonight, we saw potentially one of the best non-conference games of the season as the Kansas Jayhawks welcomed in the Connecticut Huskies to Allen Field House as last season's champions battled it out with the historic Jayhawks.

2024 NBA Draft prospects littered the gym in this contest, and on hand to watch it all unfold was top OKC Thunder decision maker Sam Presti. He was alongside Thunder executive, and Jayhawks Legend, Nick Collison, for this banner game.

Who were the OKC Thunder checking out in the college basketball clash between the Kansas Jayhawks and UConn Huskies?

This was a game that went down to the wire, as the Jayhawks pulled past the Huskies 96-65. A ton of 2024 NBA Draft prospects stood out in front of Presti.

In this top-five matchup, five players notched double-figures, and the talent on both sides was evident.

For Kansas, the development of Kevin McCullar Jr. was on full display. His ability to knock down key buckets for the Jayhawks while offering high-level defense on the other end proved to be the difference in this one. McCullar finished with 21 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal in this contest.

KJ Adams was fantastic and should continue to fly up NBA Draft boards. His ability to connect the team's offense while turning the tide on the defensive end was evident. Adams is one of the best athletes on the court at all times and has continued to find a soft touch as a scorer.

Adams finished with 18 points, hauling in five rebounds, dishing out two assists, swiping a steal, and swatting away two shots. The Kansas big man also nailed clutch free throws down the stretch for KU.

Hunter Dickinson tossed in a trio of triples while collecting nine boards to help boost the Jayhawks. Despite the loss, the Huskies still had standout performers in this one.

Tristen Newton had a massive game posting 31 points, grabbing six rebounds, and handing out two assists. Newton provided Senior leadership to help the Huskies battle back in this game after a rocky start. The El Paso, Tex. native hopes to be a late riser on the NBA Draft radar.

The best NBA Draft prospect on the floor by the rankings to this point in this season was Huskies' big man Donovan Clingan. Though KU was able to limit him to just eight points, he was still able to make a high impact beyond scoring. Clingan pulled in seven rebounds, swatted three shots, and even tossed out two assists as a seven-footer.

Beyond the homecoming for Nick Collison to get to see his Jayhawks in a big-time home game, this gave the OKC Thunder executives a chance to scout some key 2024 NBA Draft prospects in person.

That in-person scouting has clearly been a point of emphasis for Sam Presti throughout his career, he spent a lot of time last season on the road watching college games, including being in the house for Cason Wallace taking on Keyontae Johnson in an NCAA tournament game.

Presti ended up selecting Wallace and Johnson just a few months later in the 2023 NBA Draft. It will be interesting to follow along with the prospects on the floor in this affair all season long. The OKC Thunder could be owed as many as three NBA Draft picks in June.