Rising prospect D'Angelo Russell has told of his surprise at being pushed towards the top of this year's speculated NBA Draft pile.

Russell has long been touted as a potential top-20 recruit having impressed at the Ohio State Buckeyes, but recent performances for the college outfit have seen the 19-year-old become an almost-certain top-three pick.

When asked if he thought he would be in such a strong position so quickly, Russell told USA Today: "No. Not at all. I always wanted to be an NBA player, but I definitely didn't have it in my mind to be a one-and-done."

The youngster notched 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game last season for Ohio.