Yahoo Sports got in on the 2025 NBA draft projections earlier this week with a ranking of the 30 best prospects from next year’s class, and four Blue Devils made the cut ahead of their debut seasons.
[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the sensational forward prospect who sat atop every Class of 2024 high school ranking, took the No. 1 spot just like he did for ESPN and 247Sports.
“Flagg has an incredible feel for the game and is an elite passer with his size,” Krysten Peek wrote. “He can space the floor, create off the dribble and finish in a variety of ways.”
However, while Peek fits the consensus on Flagg, she’s lower on 7-footer [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag]. The NBA Academy Africa prospect is routinely considered a top-five pick on most projections, but Peek put him down in 19th.
He wasn’t even the second-highest Blue Devil on Peek’s board. [autotag]Isaiah Evans[/autotag], the two-time North Carolina Mr. Basketball honoree, slotted in at 13th. Peek praised the efficiency leap Evans made as a senior. MaxPreps credited him as a 53% shooter last season with a 43% 3-point shot.
Last but not least, five-star prospect [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag] came in at 24th on Peek’s rankings. Knueppel might be outshined by Flagg and the other top-tier prospects in Duke’s class, but The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie thinks he might be the second-best newcomer in the class.
Returning guards Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, two players routinely included in 2025 mock drafts, both failed to make Peek’s rankings.