The Wizards’ rebuild can’t go on forever. The franchise is bottoming out this season, looking to lock in a top pick in the draft lottery before inching back toward relevance next season.

For long-suffering Wizards fans, this year’s NCAA Tournament should offer a glimmer of hope. At least one of the college ranks’ rising stars will likely join the franchise in the coming months.

Washington enters Thursday’s game against the Detroit Pistons on a 13-game losing streak. Coach Brian Keefe’s group holds a 16-52 record on the season, only trailing the Indiana Pacers in a race to the bottom of the standings.

If the current form holds, the Wizards would be guaranteed a top-six pick through the NBA’s draft lottery. 

This year’s draft class is one of the deepest in recent memory. Stars like Duke’s Cameron Boozer, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff each possess the tools to have immediate impact on a struggling franchise.

“If you don’t get a top-3 pick, there’s going to be a lot of consolation prizes for the tankers right down to probably 8 or 9 or 10,” ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said. “That’s a good thing.”

The Wizards have spent years building toward this moment. General manager Will Dawkins arrived in 2023 and immediately preached patience to a success-starved fanbase. He repeatedly told local media that he needed to strip the old roster for parts before laying a new foundation.

The foundation is in place, with center Alex Sarr, wing Bilal Coulibaly and guard Tre Johnson all living up to their first-round draft status. The Wizards took an aggressive approach ahead of this year’s trade deadline, adding All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

The message was clear. After this season, the Wizards’ front office doesn’t plan to draft this high again.

With that path in mind, here are the prospects Wizards fans can scout during the NCAA Tournament, which begins in earnest with the Round of 64 on Thursday and Friday.

Cameron Boozer: Boozer is the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. The NBA pedigree has been obvious as Boozer led Duke to an ACC title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-9-inch forward was a unanimous All-American after leading Duke with 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a freshman. Boozer, 18, carves opposing defenses with a killer post game and the ability to hit the occasional three-pointer — a necessity for any modern big man.

His defense hasn’t been game-changing. But Washington already has a pair of elite rim protectors in Davis and Sarr.

“He’s all about his teammates,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said of Boozer. “He’s not about numbers. He’s about winning. And I think when your best player’s that way, it becomes contagious, and it has a big effect on the rest of the group.”

The Blue Devils open the NCAA Tournament as favorites. They face Siena, a No. 16 seed, on Thursday afternoon.

In an average draft, Boozer could be a sure-fire top two pick. This year, he could drop to third thanks to a couple of other dynamic freshmen.

A.J. Dybantsa: BYU’s Dybantsa has long been projected as the top prospect in the draft. He led the nation with 25.3 points per game as his Cougars earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“You know, some of them just have the bucket gene. I don’t think you can teach that. For us, we have to recruit it,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “For the NBA, they have to draft it. … But Dybantsa has got the gene.”

Dybantsa isn’t as efficient a shooter as Boozer, but the physical traits are undeniable. Dybantsa has also shown growth in his decision-making and passing with room to grow as a defender.

“When I left the NBA to come to college, one thing I noticed is just a lot of guys, their processing speed was way slower,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “A.J.’s is extremely high. So I can tell him something in the game, or in a film session, and he’s going to carry it over.”

Dybantsa’s BYU squad opens tournament play on Thursday against No. 11 seed Texas.

Darryn Peterson: Peterson found himself squarely in the Top 3 conversation alongside Boozer and Dybantsa after a promising freshman year of his own. At his best, the combo guard is an offensive juggernaut. He averaged 19.9 points per game despite being limited to 20 games with a series of injuries.

Cramping issues complicated Peterson’s freshman season as he battled the physical ailment and the accompanying minutes restrictions in future games. He often pulled himself out of games as he dealt with discomfort on the court. The strange situation has caused him to drop from the top spot on many draft boards.

He isn’t expected to fall far, though. The 19-year-old will have a chance to prove his love of the game when Kansas takes on California Baptist on Friday.

Other prospects to watch: Due to the nature of the NBA’s draft lottery, the Wizards won’t be guaranteed a Top 3 selection. There’s at least a 60% chance Washington selects fourth or later.

Luckily for Dawkins, the draft class is stacked with promising young prospects. North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson flashed an intense, two-way approach in the paint before thumb surgery prematurely ended his season. 

Houston’s Kingston Flemings isn’t a lights-out shooter, but the first-team All-Big 12 guard has the athleticism and passing to run an NBA offense. Illinois guard Keaton Wagler combines impressive size at 6 feet, 6 inches with a smooth three-point shooting stroke.

“I know most of those guys. They’re all having great years,” said Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, another likely Top 10 pick after winning SEC Player of the Year honors as a freshman. “They’re playing special. It’s great to see all the young guys playing great.”

— This article is based in part on wire service reports.