2025 NBA Draft – Syndication Server

Duke basketball phenom Cooper Flagg has been ‘as good as advertised,’ ESPN scout writes

Cooper Flagg entered the 2024-25 Duke basketball season with some ridiculous expectations, but one analyst still thinks he’s delivered.

Few college basketball freshmen have carried the expectations [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] brought with him to Durham this season.

Despite reclassifying to reach the Duke Blue Devils a year early, Flagg won a national title as a high-school senior before scrimmaging against the U.S. Olympic team at training camp this summer. Before he played a minute of college ball, analysts were calling him a generational talent and stamping him as the future No. 1 pick.

And yet, through nine games, Flagg has looked the part. At least, ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony certainly thinks so.

“Flagg has been every bit as good as advertised,” Givony wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday. “His unwavering confidence and aggressiveness have been impressive in big moments, helping him maintain his standing atop our board.”

The first-year superstar leads the Blue Devils in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounding (9.0), assists (3.8), and blocks (1.3), and he’s second on the team in steals (1.7). He’s played five major conference opponents this season, including three teams currently within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll, and scored at least 20 points in four of those games.

Flagg recently won his third ACC Rookie of the Week award thanks to his consecutive 20-point double-doubles against the Auburn Tigers and Louisville Cardinals.

Draft prospect Boogie Fland: ‘When the game’s on the line, I want the ball in my hands – that’s where I thrive’

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky. Standing …

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky.

Standing at about 6-foot-2 and weighing just under 180 pounds, Fland will draw comparisons to a former Calipari-coached guard Rob Dillingham, the 8th overall pick in last year’s draft, or a little-known guard drafted out of Vanderbilt named Darius Garland.

Known for his shooting touch, poise, playmaking and his ability to thrive both on-ball and off-ball, Fland is already showcasing his potential as a future NBA guard.

Following a clutch performance against Miami, Fland spoke with HoopsHype and reflected on the start of his true freshman season, his ability to close games, his playstyle, playing in high-intensity situations early in the year and more.

Duke basketball phenom Cooper Flagg remains atop The Athletic’s NBA draft rankings

Despite some strong contenders emerging in November, Cooper Flagg kept himself atop The Athletic’s NBA draft rankings.

Duke basketball forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] began his freshman season as a presumed shoo-in for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie thinks he’s done nothing to lose that spot as of Tuesday.

Vecenie released an updated ranking of his top prospects in the class, and Flagg maintained his grip atop the list thanks to his 26-point night against the Kentucky Wildcats and 24-point performance against the Arizona Wildcats. He turned the ball over twice in the closing seconds against Kentucky, but he’s averaging 15.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks through seven games.

Rutgers star Dylan Harper, who scored 36 points against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and 37 points against the Alabama Crimson Tide last week, earned the praise of ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, but Vecenie thinks a different first-year star poses the biggest threat to Flagg.

Vecenie listed BYU star Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 ball-handler, as his second overall player in the class. Demin has averaged just 14.3 points per game so far this season, but he’s dished 6.3 assists and made 44.1% of his 3-point looks through seven games.

Fellow Blue Devils Kon Knueppel (No. 9), Khaman Maluach (No. 11), and Tyrese Proctor (No. 33) made Vecenie’s top 50.

ESPN NBA draft analyst says this freshman is challenging Cooper Flagg for top spot

Despite Cooper Flagg’s strong start to the season, an ESPN draft analyst thinks another freshman is challenging his status atop the class.

Entering the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season, it felt like Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] had a runaway head start as the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. However, despite a pair of 20-point performances against top-25 opponents, Flagg might have a challenger for the throne.

ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony praised Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper on Tuesday, saying the first-year Scarlet Knight has put together a compelling case in his own right.

“Dylan Harper has been the best freshman in college basketball one month into the season,” Givony wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Making a strong case to challenge Cooper Flagg as a No. 1 pick candidate.”

Harper has played eight games with Rutgers so far this season, and he’s scored at least 20 points in six of those contests. He put together his two best performances last week, hanging 36 on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before scoring 37 against the Alabama Crimson Tide on back-to-back days. He’s averaging 23.8 points per game, second only to Villanova’s Eric Dixon among power conference teams, and 4.6 assists while making 51.1% of his attempts.

Harper’s teammate Ace Bailey stole more of the headlines during the recruiting cycle, but Harper ended up as the No. 3 overall player in the Class of 2024 rankings from 247Sports.

Dylan Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

Dylan Harper looks like a future STAR.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper may not go as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has the most potential of any player on offense.

Harper is currently playing in the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas. During a win against Notre Dame on November 26, he scored 36 points. That was the most by any freshman so far this season and it was a breakout performance for the future pro.

Long considered the top lead guard in this draft class, Harper was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. He was honored as the MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., the 6-foot-6 freshman is playing very well during his first collegiate campaign.

Harper has struggled to finish in transition but has played with excellent efficiency in a set offense. He looks difficult to stop in pick and roll and isolation and can create his own shot with ease, including this vicious dunk that got his father hyped:

He is averaging 4.2 unassisted field goals per game at the rim, per CBB Analytics. Most impressive: No player in Division I men’s college basketball is recording more unassisted field goals made (6.2) per game.

Next up is Kam Jones, a senior from Marquette projected as a potential first-rounder in our latest NBA mock draft, at 5.5 unassisted field goals per game.

The freshman is unafraid to finish at the rim, which is encouraging from a young guard, and it is working. He is shooting an unprecedented 37-of-47 (78.7 percent) near the rim, and while that is hardly sustainable, it is also a huge part of what makes him so appealing.

He is also doing a fantastic job drawing contact at the basket, via CBB Analytics, drawing 2.7 shooting fouls (the most among freshmen) and converting 0.7 and-one attempts per game. Harper attempted 14 free throws versus Notre Dame, which is excellent.

Harper has displayed fantastic court vision and ball control and he has also maintained a very high assist percentage and a low turnover ratio, which are both encouraging traits as a floor general.

Overall, per Bart Torvik, his points over replacement per game is among the highest on record from a freshman in a high-major conference since 2008.

Even if Duke prospect Cooper Flagg hears his name called first in this class, defense is his primary trait that excites evaluators. But for Harper, any NBA team that is looking to improve their offense will rush to the podium if he is available when they are on the clock.

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ESPN projects Alabama freshman as first round pick in 2025 NBA draft

ESPN projects the Alabama freshman to be a first round pick.

While the 2024-25 college basketball season only just recently began for the Alabama Crimson Tide, it’s never too-early to start taking a look ahead to the 2025 NBA draft, which is set to take place this upcoming summer.

After not having a player selected in the 2024 NBA draft, Alabama is likely expected to have at-least one name come off the board in 2025, with ESPN projecting that to be in the first round in their latest mock draft in freshman forward Derrion Reid.

According to ESPN, their latest mock draft has Reid coming off the board at pick No. 21 overall in the first round to the Utah Jazz. Reid is the lone player from Alabama projected in the first round by ESPN’s mock draft, while Jarin Stevenson, a sophomore forward, is also sitting at No. 45 overall on their latest Big Board.

After coming to Tuscaloosa as a five-star prospect, Reid has started 2-of-3 games for Alabama so far this season as a freshman where he is currently averaging 7.7 PPG and 4 RPG. Reid is also shooting 50% from the field, as well as 50% from three-point range.

Georgia freshman projected as first-round 2025 NBA draft pick

UGA basketball true freshman, former five-star recruit is projected to go early in the 2025 NBA draft

Georgia Bulldogs basketball freshman Asa Newell has been projected to be selected in the first-round of the 2025 NBA draft. Newell, a former five-star recruit, is already having a huge impact for this Georgia team.

The 6-foot-11, 220-pound freshman is a big reason why Georgia basketball is 2-0. Newell is averaging 20 points, 3.5 blocks and 7.5 rebounds per game to begin the 2024-2025 college basketball season.

Tankathon projects that Newell will be a late lottery pick in the 2025 draft. In fact, Tankathon has Newell landing with the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 14 in their latest mock draft. Yes, it is very early in the process, but so far, so good for Newell.

Additionally, ESPN has Newell going a little bit later in the 2025 draft. ESPN projects (subscription required) that Newell will go No. 20 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which would be an excellent fit for the Georgia forward.

“His mobility, fluidity, explosiveness, body control and touch around the rim allowed him to dominate the interior while also making quite a few plays defensively,” said Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“Newell also has the green light to shoot 3-pointers, which is very interesting at 6-foot-11,” continued Givony. NBA teams are always looking for shooting.

Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell had an impressive performance against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia basketball fans can watch the Bulldogs on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ as Georgia takes on 3-0 North Florida.

The latest 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN has Spurs with Kon Knueppel and Egor Demin

San Antonio would end up with two of the best freshmen in the NCAA.

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most interesting teams in the league due to Victor Wembanyama, and it will only get more fascinating.

San Antonio currently has two projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, which could help them continue to retool around Wembanyama after picking Stephon Castle in the 2024 NBA Draft.

New predictions from ESPN have the Spurs with an absolute dream scenario, picking two of the freshmen who have had the best starts to the NCAA men’s college basketball season thus far: Duke’s Kon Knueppel and BYU’s Egor Demin.

Here is more from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo on the selections, including thoughts on Knueppel:

“Knueppel’s ability to shoot off screens, pull up off the dribble and spot up from deep vantage points with picture-perfect footwork and mechanics should keep him prominent in draft conversations, especially with the way he has contributed in other areas as well with his physicality, feel for the game and better-than-expected shot creation and defense.”

They also added that Knueppel is “arguably the best shooter” in this draft class.

Alabama freshman phenom projected to be first-round selection in 2025 NBA draft

Alabama’s Derrion Reid is yet to play a game of college basketball, yet he is still widely regarded as a first-round NBA draft talent

The start of the 2024 college basketball season is just 13 days away for the Alabama Crimson Tide as UNC Asheville comes to town to tip-off the season. With nine teams ranked in the AP Top 25, the SEC is going to be an absolute gauntlet this year, especially for the No. 2 ranked team Crimson Tide who enters the year with a target on their back.

The Crimson Tide will be led by some familiar faces like Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, but one name that Alabama fans will need to get to know fast is Derrion Reid. The former five-star recruit was the No. 17 ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class and has the talent to be a one-and-done kind of guy.

Over the summer, Reid earned a gold medal with the 2024 USA Men’s U18 National Team at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. During his time with Team USA, he averaged 10.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg in 16.5 mpg.

Even though he hasn’t played a minute of collegiate basketball yet, HoopsHype projects Reid to be the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2025 NBA draft saying of the freshman phenom,

“Reid has a strong offensive skill set, capable of scoring from three levels, creating his own shot, and rebounding well. Has to improve defensive awareness, and consistency, and avoid fouling. Strengths: Excellent offensive player with a diverse skill set, capable of scoring from mid-range and three-point range, effective in isolation, able to create his own shot, and strong rebounder on both ends. Weaknesses: Needs to improve defensive awareness and effort, inconsistent as an on-ball defender, struggles with foul trouble.”

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Aggregate 2025 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: International prospects rise

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY. A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft: * Some …

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY.

A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft:

* Some freshmen are missing because they weren’t listed on all the mocks we compiled, meaning scouts don’t see them as one-and-done prospects yet.

* Additionally, the ages shown for international prospects reflect their draft-day age. These are preliminary scouting reports and are subject to change as we progress through the pre-draft process.

While some see future all-stars in Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe, others have doubts. We tend to agree with scouts who don’t see this group as generational. As the season unfolds, they’ll have a chance to prove themselves, but expectations should remain grounded.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 60 points. If a player was second, he received 59 points, and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking.

The New York Knicks forfeited their 2025 second-round pick due to tampering.