10 best NBA Draft prospects to watch in NCAA Tournament

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March Madness stars come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the best players in the NCAA Tournament are seasoned veterans who have been making an impact on college basketball for a long time, while other players from small schools aren’t well known until they lead their teams to surprising Cinderella runs. A great run in the Big Dance can result in a player soaring up draft boards. As of now, though, we already have a good feeling about which players in the field of 68 teams will be viewed as the best prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft.

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke – PF

Cooper Flagg has a legitimate chance to become one of the rare freshman to lead his team to March Madness glory. The future number one overall pick is having one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory. He does it all for the Blue Devils, and that is why he is so highly touted as a draft prospect.

However, the Wooden Award candidate sprained his ankle in the ACC Tournament. Reports indicate that Flagg won’t miss any time, but you still have to question whether or not he will be 100% in the tournament. Regardless, Flagg’s status as the future number one overall pick is pretty much set in stone.

The best prospect ever from the state of Maine can truly do it all. He can score at all three levels, but he does all of the dirty work, too. That includes playing lockdown defense, putting in effort on the glass, and hustling during every play of every game. While Flagg might not be as generational of a prospect as someone like Victor Wembanyama, he is still somebody that teams are actively tanking for.

2. V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor – SG

Many scouts consider Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey to be the second and third best prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, but Rutgers didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament. That makes V.J. Edgecombe the best player not named Flagg to watch out for during March Madness.

Edgecombe has NBA level athleticism and shooting, and that is a scary combination. The combo guard has made 34.5% of his deep balls en route to 15 points per game. He can rise up and dunk over the top of anybody, too, and he will have a chance to prove that he deserves to be the first player picked after Flagg in the NBA Draft during the NCAA Tournament.

A better handle and more off-the-dribble pull-up scoring are the two areas that Edgecombe needs to improve upon, but he is viewed as a pretty safe pick.

3. Tre Johnson, Texas – SG

No freshman scored more points than Tre Johnson did for Texas this year. The guard scored 19.8 points per game, and bucket-getting is exactly what will be expected from him at the NBA level. Johnson gets up shots at a high volume, and he can put the ball through the rim regardless of what the defense looks like or where he is shooting from.

Before the season, some thought he may be destined for a sixth-man spark plug role, but Johnson has proven that he is better than that. This is partly due to his passing and playmaking being much better than expected. His Texas team was one of the last programs to make the NCAA Tournament, so they will be playing in the First Four. The Longhorns will never be out of a game as long as Johnson is on the floor.

4. Asa Newell, Georgia – PF

Asa Newell is 6-foot-11, but he can guard both in the paint and on the perimeter. He is switchy defender with the tools to become elite on that end in the NBA. Offensively, Newell plays with a high motor and has solid touch inside. While he is only shooting 29.9% from deep this season, he has shown flashes as a 3-point shooter.

5. Khaman Maluach, Duke – C

Khaman Maluach is raw, but he is a freak of nature with tons of potential. An impressive March Madness run would help his draft stock more than most. Maluach is 7-foot-2 in a class that doesn’t have much center depth. He is an excellent rebounder and he can thrive as a play-finisher.

Scouts would like to see more from Maluach on offense, though. He hasn’t shown much outside of scoring in the paint. Defensively, while he moves well for a big man and has a presence inside, his shot blocking has been a little underwhelming.

6. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois – PG

Seemingly every draft these days has a jumbo facilitator who can stuff the stat sheet and threaten for triple doubles. Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis is that player in 2025. He isn’t a great athlete, but he has high-level feel, good positional size and great timing. While it is fair to question how Jakucionis will get to the rim and collapse the defense at the NBA level without much blow-by speed to his game, he has proven that he can get into the painted area by using change of pace.

Jakucionis is in the mold of a Josh Giddey, and like the 2021 draftee, Jakucionis needs to prove himself more on both defense and as a shooter. Tall point guards are becoming the wave in the NBA, though, so the Illinois product will certainly have a spot in or around the lottery in the 2025 NBA Draft.

7. Derik Queen, Maryland – C

Derik Queen has been boosting his draft stock all season long, and he’ll look to continue doing that during the NCAA Tournament. Queen has an impressive combination of old school play and new school talent. He can get his back to the basket and bang down low like bigs of old, but he also has flashed impressive passing and ball handling abilities.

Queen is most recently coming off of a 31-point performance in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game. The biggest concern with Queen comes on the defensive end of the floor.

8. Kon Knueppel, Duke – SF

Duke finished the season ranked first in the AP Poll for a reason. Three of the 10 best NBA Draft prospects in the Big Dance are Blue Devils, and both Maluach and Kon Knueppel will be asked to step up if Flagg’s ankle issue is more severe than advertised. Flagg is the do-everything star for Duke, and Maluach is the traditional big man.

Knueppel fills the role of shooter for this team. Knueppel’s ceiling might not be the highest, but in the era of the deep ball, Knueppel will quickly find a home in the 2025 NBA Draft. He can get shots up and in from catch-and-shoot, off of movement and with a quick release.

9. Jase Richardson, Michigan State – SG

Jase Richardson has NBA bloodlines. His father, Jason Richardson, was a 13-year NBA veteran and two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner. Jase is not quite the athlete that his dad was, but he is still one of the best NBA Draft prospects playing in March Madness. His Michigan State team has been at their best since Richardson was moved into a starting role.

Richardson is best as a spot-up shooter. He is hitting his 3-pointers at a 41.2% clip this season. There are concerns about his lack of size and playmaking ability, though. Richardson is a bit of a tweener in that he will be smaller than most shooting guards at the NBA level but he doesn’t have the playmaking knack of a point guard.

10. Egor Demin, BYU – PG

Jeremiah Fears, Nique Clifford, JT Toppin, Liam McNeeley, Kam Jones and others are draft prospects to watch out for in the NCAA Tournament, but we are rounding out our list with Egor Demin. The BYU point guard is another tall facilitator. Despite being 6-foot-9, the Russian-born guard dished out 5.4 assists per game.

In addition to being an advanced passer, Demin also has a tight handle. He really thrives getting his teammates open looks, but he still has a ways to go elsewhere in his game.

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