2025 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0
My top 75 players in the 2025 NBA Draft, ranked and tiered, as of February 21, 2025.
We’re well over 20 games into the seasons of most prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft class. Typically, this is the point where lottery prospects start to stray from the pack and potential returners start to show their candidacy for another year.
Of course, the other event coming from this time of year is the winding down of the regular season and the start of tournament play. The stakes have never been higher for collegiate prospects. That said, here are my top 75 prospects heading into the end of the regular season, and thus, March, separated into seven different tiers.
As always, the top 25 prospects will be free to view, all with brief write-ups, while the remaining 50 will be behind a paywall, with 10 extra write-ups mixed in throughout.
Without further ado, here is my fifth-edition big board, as of February 21, 2025.
The Maine Event
Cooper Flagg, Duke (—)
The only change to tier one is that Flagg has separated himself from any other No. 1 pick contenders. That is simultaneously due to the ascension of Flagg himself, playing at a higher level than ever since the last update to the big board, but also do to the shortcomings of the other contenders rearing their heads. However, this is Flagg’s spot to lose, and shoulders above the rest of the pack, it’s hard to see him losing it.
Potential All-Star, Fringe All-NBA
Dylan Harper, Rutgers (—)
I haven’t waxed poetic enough about Harper outside of this series of big boards. While he’s slipped a tier, he’s still the favorite to go No. 2 in my eyes by a solid margin. The shooting has fallen off since dealing with an illness, and the driving hasn’t been at the same, top-of-the-nation caliber trait it used to be, although still elite. However, Harper still has All-NBA potential within him.
V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor (+2)
What a month it has been for Edgecombe. The Baylor guard has been producing at another level since a slow start to his freshman campaign, now utilizing his athletic traits at a higher level as a byproduct of a higher usage and a better clip from beyond the arc. Since the start of Big 12 play, Edgecombe has been putting up 16.8 points per game on 42.4 percent 3-point shooting and 88 percent from the free-throw line.
Khaman Maluach, Duke (+6)
Maluach has strung together several really impressive games amid hilarity online surrounding a clip of him throwing up on the sideline. Besides the stomach issue, Maluach has been putting together a fantastic season as one of the nation’s most efficient offensive bigs and one of its most versatile on the defensive end. He’s imperfect but not raw and chock-full of potential.
Derik Queen, Maryland (-1)
I’ve grown to love Queen’s game just as much as anyone. His ball skills on the perimeter, tippy-toed mid-range creation, and bully ball skillset down low (in combination with his passing) have continuously impressed me. On top of that, he’s in the midst of his best stretch yet, averaging 23.7 points and 13 rebounds, while shooting 88 percent from the free-throw line in his last three games, all double-doubles.
Kasparas Jakučionis, Illinois (-3)
Jakučionis continues to be one of the 2025 class’s most fun watches. He’s a huge, legitimate point guard growing more confident with his shot versatility and passing arsenal by the game. He had two of his worst games against Ohio State and Rutgers in back-to-back outings but followed it up with back-to-back 24-point performances. Consistency has been the prevailing issue, and I don’t think he’s as refined as someone like Harper, but there’s a lot to love.
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina (—)
At this point, I think my Murray-Boyles redemption arc is complete. This is about as high as I see him going, making up the rear of tier two. He’s an incredible, impactful piece with an odd skillset that I’ve grown to see the value in as the cycle has gone, and I really don’t see that changing much. I doubt he finds the shot until much later in his career, but with everything else he provides, if it does come around, it’ll be the perfect cherry on top.
Potential High-End Starters, All-Defense
Noah Penda, Le Mans (+3)
Past tier two of this board, there is a bevy of first-year college prospects with a deal of uncertainty that their contemporaries ahead of them don’t possess. That’s why Noah Penda has continued to climb every board I’ve put out this cycle. He’s an incredible defender with amazing strength, hands and the ability to cover ground like a maniac while being a positive offensive piece with a respectable shot.
Thomas Sorber, Georgetown (+6)
The above paragraph does not apply to Sorber. He’s remained one of the nation’s most productive and impactful freshmen, extending beyond the easy schedule concerns once held against him. In Big East play, his numbers have remained relatively similar. He passes well, has an insane motor on defense and isn’t afraid to throw his weight around with his back to the basket.
Danny Wolf, Michigan (+7)
Wolf is the evaluation I am 100% willing to get burnt on. Does his skill set make sense in terms of projection? No. Does he have the appearance of one of the world’s 200-350 best basketball players? Also no. However, his game is just so fun, unique and effective, at least at the collegiate level, that I refuse to not rank him higher than he deserves to be in all likelihood.
Labaron Philon, Alabama (-5)
Can Philon shoot? That will be the question the draft space asks continuously when his name is brought up from now until the end of Summer League in July. He’s sub-30 percent from beyond the arc and a modest 74 percent from the free-throw line. That alone would lead some to answer, “Probably not,” if not, “Absolutely not.” However, he ranks in the 98th percentile nationally with his floater, shooting 21-of-32 on the season, and provides so much in terms of slashing and playmaking, that the shot can wait.
Ace Bailey, Rutgers (—)
It’s 100 percent true that Bailey has been the most productive of the two Rutgers freshmen over the last handful of weeks. It’s also true that his skill set is very much flawed despite his obvious tools and talent. He’s begun to smooth out some of these areas while still leaning into his perceived strengths, and it’s been for the better.
Tre Johnson, Texas (+1)
There’s something about shooting guards at No. 13 that just feels right: Kobe Bryant, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Tyler Herro and Jerome Robinson. The inclusion of Robinson is a joke, but there’s a funny history with guys like Johnson at this spot. I’m not fully in on him, but his jump-shot creation is undoubtedly among the top of the class.
Asa Newell, Georgia (+5)
I will probably end up writing about Newell shortly, just to try and get a better grasp on who and what he is at the next level. There’s one thing about Newell that is undoubtedly, however: he’s productive as all hell. The 6-foot-9 super-athlete is a menace on the boards, hunts stocks like a maniac and is not scared to try his luck from beyond the arc, even if it is to little avail.
Andrej Stojakovic, Cal-Berkeley (+1)
It’s resulted in little wins, but I still love the Stojakovic experience in Berkeley. He’s incredibly impactful relative to the setting and producing well. He’s a determined slasher and defender, and while his shot isn’t on his father’s level, he does so much outside of it that makes him one of the guys I’m highest on, relative to consensus, in this class.
Johni Broome, Auburn (+2)
Broome continues to assert his dominance over the nation as the head-and-shoulders best player on the best team in the nation. His impact metrics are incredible, his counting stats are historic, and his on-court performance is a must-watch. The primary deterrent is his age, which I’m not too critical of, which is an abundant positive.
Jase Richardson, Michigan State (+13)
Since becoming a starter for Tom Izzo’s Michigan State, Richardson has averaged 17.7 points per game on 65.1% true shooting. He has only played three games and has just one assist, but his dynamicism as a shot-maker and creator is clear to see. He’s an excellent scorer at all levels, with functionality to his athleticism and a great motor on the defensive end.
Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm (+3)
Essengue just continues to be an infectiously fun watch for me. He has the energy, the emphatic above-the-rim plays on both ends and now the passing and shooting flashes that he’s continued to add each game. He’s less of a big and more of a wing, so the shot will need to come around, but regardless, there’s just a lot to like.
Egor Demin, Brigham Young (-6)
There’s just something that isn’t there with Demin, at least as a lottery pick. He’s far too frail, lacking burst off the dribble, and he’s not the shooter that his sheer volume suggests. There’s a real-deal knack for passing that is actually fun, but it’s hard to value it too heavily without the unlocking traits.
Kon Knueppel, Duke (—)
Knueppel has been putting together a really solid February. In the month, he’s averaging a modest 13.3 points to game, but putting in his shots with a 65 percent true shooting. There’s a good amount of playmaking along with the shooting, especially utilizing the roll man. He’s slowly putting it together, but the athleticism remains a concern.
Rasheer Fleming (+3)
Fleming continues to be one of the most exciting bigs in college basketball. He hits 3’s, runs and dunks, handles occasionally, and plays above-average defense. The shot itself isn’t the most beautiful thing in the world, but his ability to play above the rim is masterful.
Potential Playoff Rotation Pieces
Alex Condon, Florida (+38)
Alex Condon has quickly become one of my “guys” in this year’s class. He’s improved at pretty much everything after an impressive freshman year, where he established himself slowly. He’s nearly quadrupled his box plus-minus, upped his free-throw rate by about 10 percent, and maintained all the skills that made him a rotation-caliber player as a 19-year-old. Now, he’s unmistakably Florida’s best player.
Kam Jones, Marquette (+2)
Jones is one of the coolest stories among this class of upperclassmen. Spent his first three seasons playing and thriving behind some really awesome players as a complementary scorer, and now, he’s a high-volume pick-and-roll ball-handler and first option, undisputedly, on the same program he developed with.
Liam McNeeley, UConn (+7)
McNeeley has unlocked something recently that he didn’t have before. He’s making decisions quicker, playing with more confidence than ever, and impacting the game with effort defensively. His 38-point, 10-rebound performance over Creighton is just the cherry on top of what has turned into a fascinating freshman season.
Carter Bryant, Arizona (NR)
The surge Bryant has produced lately has been incredible. While not establishing himself as a scorer, he’s been the glue for an Arizona team that desperately needs it. He’s impactful on the glass, taking the ball up the court and passing with impressive decisiveness and zip while letting his athleticism shine whenever he can on both ends.
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