2025 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0
My top 75 players in the 2025 NBA Draft, ranked and tiered, as of December 2024.
College basketball season is in full swing, with most teams now about a fourth of the way through their season. With that comes the most interesting part of the cycle, where freshmen establish themselves as household names or “next-year guys” and returners put themselves at the forefront as the top names in college basketball.
Below, I will list my top 75 prospects in the class as of December 2024, with short write-ups on the top 25, as well as 10 more sprinkled throughout the latter 50. Alongside each write-up, I’ll give what I see to be the prospect’s signature performance of the season.
Without further adieu, here is the second edition of my 2025 NBA Draft Big Board.
Tier One: All-NBA Projections
Cooper Flagg, Duke (+0)
While the counting stats don’t suggest the historic freshman season, Cooper Flagg has been undeniably spectacular to start his tenure in Durham. Efficiency has been the biggest point of disappointment, as Flagg has recorded an underwhelming 51.2% true shooting, but his defensive range and versatility, as well as his growing offensive primacy and mismatch potential, is incredible. Additionally, he’s only stepped up against top-25 opponents.
Signature Performance: 22 points & 11 rebounds vs. No. 1 Auburn
Dylan Harper, Rutgers (+3)
Given what we’ve seen so far, any other choice at two would have been incorrect. Dylan Harper tore up the Players Era festival, averaging 30.3 points over three games, including explosions of 36 and 37 on Notre Dame and Alabama. He’s the most polished slasher and finisher by far, and a comfortable playmaker at the point guard position. Early on, he’s shown All-NBA potential for Rutgers.
Signature Performance: 36 points & 6 assists vs. Notre Dame
Tier Two: All-Star Flashes
Airious “Ace” Bailey, Rutgers (+0)
Admittedly, I was ready to throw the book out on Ace Bailey after a rough start, where the vast majority of shots he took were what I would call “benched” shots. The question about Bailey coming in was whether his love of mid-range jump shots was because he wanted or needed to, and the early answer was the latter option. However, he’s rebounded as of late, with back-to-back 20+ point performances against strong defensive teams in Alabama and Notre Dame.
Signature Performance: 24 points & 10 rebounds vs. No. 22 Texas A&M
Egor Demin, Brigham Young (+49)
Demin’s jump is going to be one of the more absurd ones you’ll see from a prospect that was listed on my last big board. Coming out of ANGT, I wasn’t a fan of his. I admired the size and the passing but thought the handle looked way too weak to be considered a point guard, and didn’t think the shooting or athleticism did enough to make up for it. I was wrong, and Demin’s been fantastic in his early season for BYU.
Signature Performance: 18 points & 11 assists vs. Central Arkansas
Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, Arkansas (+30)
Fland has simply been one of the most fun freshmen to watch, and while coming into the season, I thought the size would be an issue for him, it’s been anything but that. He has an elite floater to leverage that disadvantage around the basket, keeps his dribble alive through traffic, and the shot has started to fall at the rate we know he’s capable of. In Arkansas’ athletic defense, he’s been allowed to play aggressively in passing lanes, creating turnovers and havoc.
Signature Performance: 21 points & 7 assists vs. Little Rock
Khaman Maluach, Duke (+12)
Despite just playing 18.3 minutes per game through eight games, Maluach has been doing a ton for Duke just by doing what he needs to. He’s been elite as a play finisher while flashing his soft touch at the free-throw line, shooting 80% or better in both aspects. While incredibly mobile, he’s been a bit underwhelming as a rim protector with just a 6.3% block percentage. However, he still oozes potential on both ends of the court.
Signature Performance: 11 points & 14 rebounds vs. Army
Tier Three: Potential High-End Starters
Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois (+3)
Jakučionis has presented a mixed, but overall positive, bag so far. He’s been extremely productive, averaging 13.6 points per game, alongside 6.0 assists and rebounds per game, but seemingly hasn’t been able to balance his skillset to its fullest potential. He’s an absurdly fun passer with a nifty handle and a diversified scoring arsenal, but he has struggled to stay aggressive as both a scorer and a distributor early on.
Signature Performance: 23 points & 6 rebounds vs. Arkansas
Kon Knueppel, Duke (+0)
I maintain that Knueppel is one of the most polished shot-makers and scorers in this entire class. He’s a doughy, unathletic white guy on the surface with a baby face, who has struggled with efficiency out the gate, and it seems like many of those factors are contributing to a slide in the public eye, but there’s certainly more to his game than the stats show. He can essentially be a point guard on this versatile Duke offense and has been the second-best passer on the roster while we wait for the shot to start falling.
Signature Performance: 22 points & 4 rebounds vs. Maine
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor (-5)
Another potential top-three pick entering the season who’s currently struggling with efficiency is VJ Edgecombe, however, there’s been a lot to like with what Edgecombe has shown aside from scoring. He’s averaging 3.7 stocks (steals and blocks) per game, and is good for a highlight reel block or dunk every single time he steps on the floor. The primary scoring development we saw at Long Island Lutheran has yet to show its head, but Edgecombe is still a top-10 prospect despite it.
Signature Performance: 13 points, 10 rebounds & 7 assists vs. Sam Houston
Asa Newell, Georgia (+0)
There’s been a lot of positives and not a lot of negatives in the early season for Newell. One negative would be the three-point shot, as he’s shot 15.8% from three thus far, but the rest is great. He posts up well, finishes play, and of course, covers a lot of ground defensively. There’s still some polish on both ends that needs to be applied, but it’s hard to doubt the potential he’s shown as an athlete and a player.
Signature Performance: 26 points & 11 rebounds vs. Tennessee Tech
Nolan Traore, Saint Quentin (-4)
Following two impressive summer season performances in ANGT and FIBA where Traore established himself as potentially the top guard in the class, Traore’s struggled to follow it up since joining Saint Quentin. He’s posted just a 45.4% true shooting and 2.8 turnovers per game through 14 games, only scoring in double figures once since October 20th. There’s still surreal talent in the cracks, though, with an explosive first step and confidence to let it fly, but a lot will have to improve for Traore to see a spot in the top five come draft night.
Signature Performance: 20 points & 10 assists vs. SLUC Nancy
Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm (-2)
In the last two big board updates, Essengue’s slipped a total of three spots, and I really can’t say it’s because of anything he’s done wrong on the court. If it had to be one thing in specific, it would probably be the shooting as regression to the mean has hit him, now under 30% from three. However, he’s been a Swiss army knife weapon for Ulm as a cutter and roll man who can catch lobs and get to the free throw line effectively, a transition weapon, and a versatile defender.
Signature Performance: 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting vs. Buducnost
Noah Penda, Le Mans (+15)
Penda’s been constantly asserting himself as a lottery pick in this class since FIBA, where he played alongside Zacharie Perrin for France. At just 19 years old, he kind of feels like a five-year college guy with a playoff-ready skillset, but then you realize just how young he is and how much room he has to grow. He can blow up plays on defense, averaging 2.9 stocks per game, and is hitting his threes at a 40% rate.
Signature Performance: 19 points & 3 stocks vs. Strasbourg
Liam McNeeley, UConn (-3)
With the season UConn has had, it is hard to justify McNeeley not falling. It hasn’t fully been on him, but there have been issues. There have been some struggles defensively and offensively, the latter coming mainly from a struggle to create space. UConn lacks gravity as a whole, and it’s affected McNeeley arguably the most, who came in as the class’s best shooter but has shot just 34.0% from three.
Signature Performance: 20 points & 3 threes vs. Colorado
Tier Four: Playoff Rotation Guys
Nique Clifford, Colorado State (+22)
There’s one word to describe Nique Clifford in his fifth season: “versatile.” He’s one of the most active defenders in the nation, covering the court in the blink of an eye, and while he hasn’t drawn eye-popping stocks, it’s just hard to poke holes in his skill set. Offensively, he’s also having a career year, averaging 18.9 points and 3.4 assists, shooting the best he ever has from three. He truly plays bigger than he is at 6-foot-5.
Signature Performance: 31 points & 13 rebounds vs. Tennessee State
John “Juni” Mobley, Ohio State (+6)
I’m on the record calling Mobley the best shooter in this class, and that’s rung true this season. He’s shot a blistering 55.8% from three on 14.3 attempts per 100 possessions, with a number of absurdly deep shots, movement threes and even the occasional step-back. He’s small, certainly, but can take over a game in a moment on the virtue of his shot-making.
Signature Performance: 23 points & 5 threes vs. Campbell
Thomas Sorber, Georgetown (NR)
Sorber’s been the story of the season for this freshman class as a dominant big for Ed Cooley’s Georgetown team. He’s huge for an 18-year-old at 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds and as physical as anybody can ask him to be, scoring on post- and face-ups efficiently and getting to the line. He’s also extremely active on defense, racking up stocks and hounding the glass for offensive rebounds.
Signature Performance: 23 points, 8 rebounds & 5 stocks vs. UMBC
Derik Queen, Maryland (-3)
Queen has been one of the most intriguing offensive bigs in the country with his sleek footwork, soft touch and mind for passing. He’s a smooth operator from 18 feet and in, with a bevy of pivots and shot fakes he can throw at his defender to get a shot or create space for a teammate to score. Defensively, he’s struggled as a primary rim protector, but that was enough of a known weakness coming in that it shouldn’t affect his stock too much.
Signature Performance: 22 points & 20 rebounds vs. Manhattan
Alex Karaban, UConn (+11)
For everything I said about McNeeley’s struggles, it’s hard to say the same about Karaban, who looks like an absolute pro. The two-time NCAA Champion looks like the perfect complementary piece to any lineup as a great passer and shooter who’s seen an unprecedented defensive breakout, racking up blocks without the presence of a dominant rim protector on this UConn team.
Signature Performance: 20 points, 7 rebounds & 7 blocks vs. Sacred Heart
Ben Henshall, Perth (-1)
I just can’t take myself off the Ben Henshall agenda, no matter how inconsistent his role has been for Perth or how badly I wish colleges saw how good he is two years ago. In the short absence of Bryce Cotton, Henshall saw point guard reps and his best stretch of the season. He’s a great handler with an excellent feel for creation and a diverse, scalable shot profile that should be turning more heads than it is.
Signature Performance: 26 points & 6 assists vs. Illawarra
Tre Johnson, Texas (+7)
Despite the absurd production early, Tre Johnson as a top-10 pick has been a tough sell for me early on. He’s an excellent shooter with some flashes of secondary or tertiary creation, but not without some glaring issues. He rarely gets to the rim, part of his up-right handling style, and thus struggles to create scalable looks on the ball. However, there’s an undeniable upside with Johnson, and it’s clear why people are buying his production.
Signature Performance: 29 points & 5 threes vs. Ohio State
Drake Powell, North Carolina (-6)
While Powell hasn’t been the shot creator that many expected him to be, the defense and shot-making, especially from three, has been far beyond what I personally expected. In a guard-ran offense that (rightfully) prioritizes Elliot Cadeau and RJ Davis, Powell’s struggled to find his space on offense, but has shot well over 40% from three in the meantime and been the Tarheels’ most impactful defender.
Signature Performance: 18 points & 4 threes vs. Michigan State
Dink Pate, Mexico City Capitanes (-11)
Pate certainly has his hive of fans throughout the NBA Draft sphere, and while I struggle to say I’m not part of it, it’s hard to reflect my love for his game and his physical traits without the statistical jump to back it up. He’s well under a point per possession while posting a 0.5 assist-to-turnover ratio with Mexico City this season, and while he’s on a streak of three consecutive double-digit scoring performances, there isn’t enough yet beyond flashes to rationalize a lottery pick.
Signature Performance: 23 points & 7 rebounds vs. Rio Grande Valley
Adou Thiero, Arkansas (+41)
The season Thiero (pronounced THEE-row apparently) has had has metaphorically knocked me off my feet, as I detailed in the hyperlinked article. He’s one of the most impressive game-wreckers in the passing lanes, and as dominant in transition as he can be to back it up. His improved handle has allowed him to be explosive around the rim, and if the shot ever comes around, he’ll be in the lottery for me.
Signature Performance: 23 points, 6 rebounds & 4 steals vs. Pacific
Danny Wolf, Michigan (NR)
At the time of my last update, Danny Wolf just missed the cut at 76th on my board. Admittedly, I just knew too little about what he could provide, and coach Dusty May has brought out the most creative version of him anyone could have asked for. He’s shooting a bunch of threes, creating events defensively and, probably most impressively, handling the ball a lot in the pick-and-roll at 7 feet tall. Additionally, he’s relatively young for a junior, and just fun to watch.
Signature Performance: 20 points, 5 assists & 8 stocks vs. Wisconsin
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