NBA mock draft 2025: Up to date projection with faculty basketball season now over

March Insanity is over, and the Florida Gators are nationwide champions. The school basketball offseason is already in full swing, and a flood of early entrants into the 2025 NBA Draft is the following step.

The draft order gained’t be set till the lottery on Monday, Could 12, however a consensus board is already beginning to take form with the early picks. Cooper Flagg is the lottery’s massive prize because the no-brainer No. 1 general draft decide. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper seems like a unanimous alternative at No. 2 up to now, with faculty teammate Ace Bailey, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, Texas’ Tre Johnson, and Maryland’s Derik Queen someplace behind him.

It’s doubtless that the growing NIL {dollars} in faculty basketball will adversely have an effect on the depth of this draft class. A participant like Yaxel Lendeborg has his title within the draft, however can switch into Michigan for a multi-million greenback bag. Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams had a breakout NCAA event efficiency by carrying his staff to the Elite Eight, and he faces an identical ‘stay-to-go’ determination as a fridge first-round decide. Neither Lendeborg or Williams seem on this mock draft, however each could be thought-about early second rounders.

We instructed you there have been going to be March Insanity risers on this draft class. Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. is the largest winner of the massive dance. We had Clayton in our pre-tournament mock draft, however took him out of our second weekend projection. Clayton is again and better than ever on this projection, and there’s nonetheless room for him to maintain climbing the board.

Right here’s our newest projection of the 2025 NBA Draft with March Insanity now over. We’ll have extra evaluation of this draft class after the desk.

Let’s dive into some NBA Draft takeaways now that March Insanity is over.

Which NBA Draft prospects helped themselves in March Insanity?

Just a few names instantly come to thoughts for this one:

• Derik Queen, C/F, Maryland: Queen hit the one buzzer-beater of the 2025 NCAA event with a ridiculous runner to stun Colorado State within the spherical of 32. He was much more spectacular in his subsequent recreation towards Florida within the Candy 16 … on offense, at the very least. Queen dropped 27 factors on the Gators, together with going 10-for-10 from the foul line. It’s doable he gave up simply as many factors as he scored on the defensive finish, although. Queen is tremendous sturdy, and has nice quickness in tight areas. He already attracts fouls line a savvy veteran, and his contact across the rim is improbable. He’s just a bit too small to play the 5 at 6’10 with a 7’1 wingspan, and he’s a little bit too gradual to defend NBA fours. Ideally, Queen wants a legit rim protector subsequent to him who may stretch the ground. San Antonio is his apparent finest touchdown spot subsequent to Victor Wembanyama, and it occurs on this mock draft.
• Kon Knueppel, G, Duke: Knueppel showcased his additive skillset in the course of the Blue Devils’ Last 4 run. He’s a completely elite shooter who ended the 12 months at 40.6 % on three-pointers on 207 makes an attempt, whereas making 91.4 % of his free throws. He’s greater than only a shooter, although. Knueppel can run pick-and-roll in a pinch and showcased an awesome reference to teammate Khaman Maluach on lobs. There will likely be two knocks on his recreation: measurement and athleticism. Duke listed Knueppel at 6’7, however that looks like a stretch. He clearly lacks NBA explosiveness for a guard, so will probably be attention-grabbing to see how he adjusts to the professional recreation. Nonetheless, Knueppel is such a wise and expert participant that it’s beginning to really feel like a lock he goes top-10.
• Thomas Haugh, F, Florida: Haugh wasn’t actually on the NBA’s radar for the 2025 draft till he compelled his means into the dialog throughout Florida’s nationwide championship run. He has a straightforward translation to the league as a low-usage ahead who can house the ground on offense, defend forwards, and add some thump on the offensive glass. At 6’9, Haugh made 35-of-101 makes an attempt from three-point vary this season, and likewise posted a stable 3.2 % block price. His defensive analysis will likely be trickier: can he be a wing stopper? Is he a secondary rim protector? Groups all the time need forwards who can impression the sport whereas staying out of the way in which, and Haugh could possibly be that.
• Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida: I went lengthy on Clayton’s draft projection this week. Extra on him later.

Which NBA Draft prospects fell in March Insanity?

• Khaman Maluach, C, Duke: I stay excessive on Maluach and gained’t be dropping him on my private board after a tough displaying within the Last 4 towards Houston. There’s little question it was a disappointing efficiency, although. Maluach had a six-inch measurement benefit on Houston’s entrance court docket and didn’t seize a single rebound in 22 minutes. A story is beginning that Maluach doesn’t play with a excessive motor, and his last faculty recreation will solely play into it. The extra worrisome trait for the Duke middle is his poor palms and low really feel. He ended his freshman 12 months with 20 assists in 39 video games, a surprisingly low quantity. It have to be famous that Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned he’s revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders hours earlier than the Last 4, which may have an effect on Maluach and should have been on his thoughts throughout a tricky evening. I’m nonetheless shopping for the Duke middle for his huge measurement (7’2 with a 9’9 standing attain), superb ending effectivity (73.6 % true taking pictures), and mixture of rim safety and taking pictures potential. I had Maluach top-3 in our pre-tournament mock draft, however that dream might be lifeless for now.
• Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois: Jakucionis’ last numbers look nice: 15 factors, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per recreation on 59 % true taking pictures for a real freshman taking part in on American soil for the primary time. There are some mock drafts that also have Jakucionis within the top-5, however the way in which his season ended ought to give any staff pause about taking him that prime. Jakucionis endured turnover points all 12 months, and it confirmed up once more in Illinois’ season-ending event loss to Kentucky, when he completed with six turnovers. A part of his turnover issues come again as much as the truth that Jakucionis is only a restricted athlete who can’t leap and struggles to beat anybody together with his velocity. His NBA translation feels prefer it’s absolutely going to return all the way down to his step-back jumper, which seemed unbelievable at occasions, and if he can handle to proceed attending to the foul line. I nonetheless like Jakucionis’ mixture of passing imaginative and prescient, power creation, and pull-up taking pictures, however he gained’t have a large margin for error due to his lack of explosiveness.
• Liam McNeely, F, UConn: I used to be excessive on McNeeley coming into the 12 months, placing him at No. 7 on my preseason board. His freshman season was a serious wrestle at occasions regardless of stable numbers of 14.5 factors, six rebounds, and a couple of.3 assists per recreation. For one, McNeeley was a shooter who couldn’t shoot, hitting solely 31.7 % of his three-pointers on 145 makes an attempt. His lack of explosiveness was much more regarding: he struggled badly ending on the rim (48.5 %), his statistical athletic indicators (steal price, block price, offensive rebound price) all got here again worryingly low, and his scoring effectivity (52.9 % true taking pictures) was under common all 12 months. He additionally solely had 60 assists to 51 turnovers on the 12 months. McNeeley ought to shoot it significantly better within the professionals than he did in faculty, and he nonetheless has stable measurement for a wing. He was fairly nice towards Florida in UConn’s shut spherical of 32 loss, ending with 22 factors and three assists, and attending to the foul line eight occasions. Will probably be fascinating to see how NBA scouts consider his season.

Is Walter Clayton Jr. a first-round NBA draft decide?

Sure he’s. Learn my piece on Clayton’s unbelievable backstory, the strengths and weaknesses of his NBA translation, and a professional comp. Salute to the Florida guard on an all-time March Insanity run.

Ought to NBA scouts be discouraged by Cooper Flagg’s Houston efficiency?

Completely not. I got here away from Duke’s horrifying Last 4 chokejob really feeling extra constructive than detrimental about Flagg’s NBA future.

Flagg confronted the No. 1 protection within the nation and completed with 27 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists, three blocks, and two steals on 8-of-19 taking pictures from the sector, 3-of-4 taking pictures from three, and 8-of-8 taking pictures from the road line. He additionally solely had one turnover towards the Cougars’ swarming protection. Not dangerous for a man who solely spent three years in highschool. The weakest a part of Flagg’s recreation thus far has been his ball dealing with, and he seemed improbable choosing aside Houston off the dribble as a passer towards aggressive ball display coverages. He reads the ground so effectively with the ball in his palms, and all the time appears to make the successful play. His measurement, athleticism, motor, and quickly evolving offensive skillset have all the time been obvious, however don’t low cost that he’s additionally a supercomputer in coaching as a decision-maker.

This loss goes to harm Flagg for in all probability the remainder of his life. He made some errors late, botching a swap on Emanuel Sharp’s late three, serving to hand over a tip-dunk to Jo Tugler, being whistled for a controversial foul, after which lacking the go-ahead basket. There’s no query this was a historic collapse by Duke. There’s no motive for Flagg to return again to varsity, and it’s not going to occur, so cease speaking about it. His subsequent activity will likely be uplifting one of many worst groups within the NBA (I’d personally wish to see him on the Washington Wizards). It is a powerful solution to exit, however what an superior freshman season from Flagg, in some way exceeding the substantial hype.

NBA Draft Lottery 2025 date

The 2025 NBA Draft lottery is Monday, Could 12. It’s going to be a giant one.