NBA mock draft 2025: These prospects can rise in March Madness

Here’s our latest 2025 NBA mock draft ahead of March Madness.

There is a lot of money to be in March, and the biggest bags aren’t coming from the NIL. The NCAA tournament is the greatest star-making event there is for a young basketball player. This year’s March Madness bracket is filled with NBA prospects dreaming of making a name for themselves on the biggest stage in the sport, and letting that positive momentum carry them up NBA draft boards.

The majority of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft are playing in the NCAA tournament, which is a nice change of pace from the last couple years. This mock draft has 19 of the 30 first-round selections competing in March Madness. There are some incredible prospect matchups potentially on the horizon depending on which way the bracket breaks.

No one thought Zach Edey would be a top-10 NBA pick despite decimating every opponent in his way during his last two years at Purdue. But when Edey heroically carried the Boilermakers to the 2024 national championship game, his NBA interest perked up, and eventually he became the No. 9 overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies. Jared McCain also put a show for Duke last year by popping off for 32 points against James Madison in the round of 32, and then 30 points against NC State in the Elite Eight. McCain became the No. 16 pick in the draft, and looked like the best player in the rookie class for the 76ers until he got injured.

It’s inevitable that there are going to be some major changes to the 2025 draft by the time the NCAA tournament is over. Here’s our latest first round projection heading into March Madness, with a closer look at some potential risers after the table. For more March Madness coverage, check out our list of the 50 best players in the men’s NCAA tournament.

The 2025 NBA Draft lottery will be held May 12, with the draft itself coming June 25. Here’s what you need to know about this class heading into March Madness.

Cooper Flagg can dominate March Madness … if he’s healthy

There were reasons to believe Cooper Flagg might struggle to live up to the enormous hype he entered Duke with this fall. Flagg was set to be the youngest player in college basketball after spending only three years in high school, and would be 17 years old for almost half the season. While college basketball were getting older across the board in the final season of bonus Covid year eligibility, Duke was pinning their success on true freshmen — not just Flagg, but also Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, and Isaiah Evans. Flagg’s shooting and ball handling would be under the microscope from the jump, and he would have to prove himself against marquee opponents like Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, and Auburn within the first month of the season.

By now you should be aware that Duke has been the best team in the country entering the NCAA tournament. Flagg hasn’t just been the Blue Devils’ best player, he’s legitimately been the best player in America, poised to become the fourth freshmen to ever win the Wooden Award alongside Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson.

There’s only one problem: Flagg suffered a sprained ankle in Duke’s ACC tournament opener, and hasn’t played since. The Blue Devils rolled to the conference tournament championship anyway, and have to consider if they want to play Flagg against a No. 16 seed in their NCAA opener or against the winner of Baylor-Mississippi State in the round of 32.

If Flagg is healthy, March Madness will be the full introduction to his superstardom for most of the country. He has been wildly productive this season, with a 15.1 BPM (an all-in-one metric that measures a player’s contribution to on-court success) that ranks as by far the highest in the country, with Auburn star Johni Broome as the only other player in D1 above 12 in the stat. It’s the third highest BPM a freshman has ever posted, behind only Williamson and Davis. If fancy stats aren’t your thing, it’s evident upon watching Flagg that he contributes in almost every area of game and can impact winning in a variety of valuable ways.

At 6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan, Flagg is an outstanding run-and-jump athlete who plays with a high motor on every possession. He has a gift for defensive playmaking with an impressive understanding of off-ball rotations, plenty of shot-blocking ability, and the potential to jump the passing lanes for a steal to kickstart transition. Flagg is also a very good defensive rebounder, and should be a grab-and-go threat to ignite early offense.

We knew Flagg’s defense would be good. His offense has exceeded expectations, with him already growing into a legitimate engine on that end. Flagg is a natural contributing off the ball as a cutter, roll man, and play-finisher inside. His on-ball juice is where he’s seen the most development. Flagg is overwhelming driving to the basket, where he can finish with his length and athleticism. He’s an awesome passer who has flashed some high-level reads getting the ball to teammates. And since turning 18 years old on Dec. 21, Flagg is shooting 43.4 percent from three on 74 attempts.

Flagg has the chance to do what Zion Williamson couldn’t, and power Duke to the Final Four as a freshman. He just has to be healthy.

Derik Queen is an upside swing after the top-5

Queen was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Montverde Academy, where he shared the floor with Flagg, Georgia’s Asa Newell, UConn’s Liam McNeeley, and Baylor’s Robert Wright last season. The historic amount of talent on one high school team may have dimmed his early NBA hype a bit, but Queen has quickly proven he’s worthy of lottery consideration by being one of the most productive freshmen in the country.

Queen has emerged as the best player on Maryland’s vaunted “Crab Five,” and he’s playing his best ball late in the season. Queen popped off for an efficient 31 points against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament championship game one day after decimating Illinois (19 points, 10 rebounds, two steals) in the semis.

Queen has a special ability to create with the ball in his hands for a player his size. He’s incredibly nimble for a beefy big man, showing the ability to burst through tight spaces and finish with strength or agility. Queen has soft touch when he gets in close, making 67.4 percent of his looks at the rim. He’s also quicker off the floor than you would think at first glance: he’s dunked 38 times this year, and he’s been a reliable offensive rebounder. Where Queen is really impressive is with his handling when facing up. About 79 percent of his mid-range attempts and 56 percent of his rim attempts have been unassisted. While he’s not Alperen Sengun as a passer (a popular upside comparison), Queen has flashed some playmaking skills. He just needs to get tighter with his decicsion-making after finishing with 62 assists to 77 turnovers.

It’s still fair to wonder how well his game will translate to the NBA. He’s bit undersized for an NBA center at 6’10, 245 pounds, with a reported 7’1 wingspan. He’s only made four threes all year (two of them in the Big Ten tournament title game), shooting 14.3 percent from deep. He’s not an above-the-rim shot blocker and he’s not very quick laterally if he’s defending fours or switching onto guards. With his defense, shooting, and size all limited, it feels like Queen’s game doesn’t have much margin for error.

Queen lacks role player skills that would give him a higher NBA floor. Instead, he’s one of the most fun upside swings in this class, something like a mini Boogie Cousins who can collapse the defense and score inside with ease. If the shooting or passing takes a leap, or if he gets in better shape, the star potential really might be there for Queen. It’s going to be so fun to watch him in March.

Kon Knueppel can be another Duke March Madness hero

When Flagg got hurt in the ACC tournament opener against Georgia Tech, it was Knueppel who powered Duke to a victory with 28 points. The freshman from Milwaukee has been overshadowed by his superstar classmate this year, but he’s a legitimate lottery talent in his own right with a game that has an easy fit in the NBA. If Flagg isn’t 100 percent for the tournament, Knueppel has a massive opportunity to rise up draft boards.

At 6’7, 220 pounds, Knueppel is a well-rounded offensive player who can provide value both on- and off-the-ball. His shooting is his standout skill: he’s drilled 39 percent of his threes this year on nearly 200 attempts. While only nine percent of those have been unassisted, Knueppel has shown the ability to hit threes off movement, and stress the defense with his gravity. The freshman is also skilled with the ball in his hands, showing the ability to operate the pick-and-roll with enough downhill scoring juice and impressive passing vision. Knueppel is particularly good at hitting the roll man, tossing lobs to fellow top-pick Khaman Maluach with precision all season.

The catch with Knueppel is he’s just not a great athlete. He’s only dunked twice all year, and his shooting has been less effective against top-50 competition. Athletic rim protectors can give Knueppel some problems finishing, and it will be interesting to see how his ball handling fairs against NBA caliber point of attack defenders. Ultimately, Knueppel feels like a high-floor prospect because of his shooting, and he could have a high ceiling too if he can take on more guard responsibilities rather than playing on the wing. It feels very possible he can become a top-10 draft pick with a strong tournament run.

Quick hits on more first-round prospects in the 2025 NCAA tournament

• Khaman Maluach, C, Duke: I’m a huge Maluach fan for his size (9’9 standing reach!), scoring efficiency, shooting potential, and high-floor defensively. He’s an awesome finisher as a roll man and lob threat, he’s fantastic at generating extra possessions on the glass, and I think he’s going to shoot threes long-term. Maluach’s defense is a tad uninspiring given his size, mostly because he requires longer load time as a leaper and his positioning remains a work in progress. Putting him at No. 3 in this mock is an optimistic projection, but he should be a safe top-10 pick with room to rise with a big tournament performance.
• VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor: Edgecombe is an absolutely sick athlete who can attack the rim and force takeaways on defense. He’s just really small for his position as a two-guard at 6’3 or 6’4, and his offensive approach with the ball in his hands needs a lot of refinement. I’m buying Edgecombe as a top-5 pick for his nuclear burst, spot-up shooting, and defensive playmaking, with the hope that a good coaching staff can continue his offensive development. Baylor would play Duke in the round of 32 if he can advance past Mississippi State.
• Tre Johnson, G, Texas: A lights out shooter and scorer with deep range and a quick trigger. Johnson lacks a well-rounded game, but his on-ball defense has been solid and he’s shown at least a little passing juice. He’s going to be heavily reliant on his jump shot in the league, but he’s such a good shooter that it should lead him to a nice career.
• Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State: Richardson has been an absolute stud since Tom Izzo finally inserted him into the starting lineup on Feb. 8. He’s a nuclear shooter who has a sixth sense for finding pockets of space off the ball. As a driver, Richardson is flexible and creative, showing body control and soft finishing touch when he gets in close. The MSU freshmen is just very small (6’3 feels generous), hasn’t had many true point guard playmaking flashes, and has a scary injury history with his knees. There are some concerns, but the production is top-10 worthy.
• Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois: The Lithuanian guard started hot but has tailed off lately for Illinois. He has great passing vision as a lead guard, but can get sloppy with the ball, which is evident in his sky-high turnover rate. Jakucionis’ scoring package is dependent on his step-back jumper and ability to get to the foul line, which have both looked good this year. He’s just not very athletic, and could have problems creating advantages and defending against NBA quality guards.
• Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma: Fears has cooled off a bit since I wrote about him in Dec., but he’s still one of the highest upside guard bets in this class. Fears is the second youngest freshman in the class behind Flagg, and he’s put up the highest usage rate (32.1 percent) of any projected first rounder. Getting thrown into the SEC fire should be beneficial for Fears’ long-term growth. His handle is already advanced and lets him create space easily in the halfcourt. His shooting is still a work in progress, but the free throw stroke and mid-range touch are encouraging. He’s not a natural playmaker and has had some turnover problems. He’s going to need to add a lot of physical development, too. Still, Fears’ shot creation is highly enticing and could make him a lottery pick.
• Asa Newell, F, Georgia: Newell is another Monteverde alum with size who can jump out of the gym. Newell is a powerful rim finisher who has slammed in 55 dunks this year while making 72 percent of his attempts at the rim. The fact that more than 50 percent of those rim attempts were unassisted is part of what makes Newell intriguing: he has confidence in his handle, and his jump shot looks even more projectable despite shaky accuracy (30 percent on 87 attempts). Newell is just a tad small for a center at 6’9 or 6’10 with a 7’1 wingspan, and he doesn’t offer any playmaking once he gets the ball (his 6.2 percent assist rate is one of the lowest in this mock draft). His size, athleticism, and play-finishing gives him a high floor if the shooting development continues, and that’s worth a lottery pick.
• Nique Clifford, F, Colorado State: Clifford is already 23 years old, but he’s emerged as one of the best players in the country, and someone with real NBA utility. Clifford first made his name on defense as a strong 6’6 wing stopper who could clean the glass defensively. He started to make strides as a scorer last year, and after testing the NBA draft waters but returning to school, he’s taken an even bigger offensive leap this year. Clifford is making 40 percent of his threes on 166 attempts, and he’s been a great scorer both at the rim (68 percent) and from mid-range (46.6 percent). His playmaking has also taken a big leap this year, showing good vision and anticipation finding his teammates. Teams shouldn’t discount Clifford just because he’s older.
• Carter Bryant, F, Arizona: Carter has a prototypical wing frame, impressive athleticism, sky-high defensive playmaking numbers, and a solid shooting stroke (36 percent). He plays a narrow role with a tiny 16.4 usage rate, but if his defense is good enough to keep him on the floor, his shooting should allow him to survive on offense.
• Liam McNeeley, F, UConn: McNeeley is a 6’7 wing with a promising shooting projection, but he’s struggled adjusting to the athleticism and physicality of college basketball at times. He’s a better shooter than his 33 percent three-point stroke would indicate. He’s not going to be a plus on defense, and his rim finishing has underwhelmed as well.

March Madness is filled with NBA Draft prospects in 2025

Illinois wing Will Riley, Alabama guard Labaron Philon, BYU guard/forward Egor Demin, Florida guard Walton Clayton Jr., Florida big man Alex Condon, and Auburn forward Johni Broome are the other first-round picks in this mock draft. Marquette’s Kam Jones, Drake’s Bennett Stirtz, Michigan’s Danny Wolf, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, North Carolina’s Ian Jackson, UConn’s Alex Karaban, Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Arkansas’ Adou Thiero, and Oregon’s Nate Bittle could also be drafted this year.

It’s going to be an awesome tournament, and the draft implications will be significant.