Kevin O'Connor with 10 biggest movers of March Madness
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/2025-nba-draft-10-biggest-movers-of-march-madness-150600352.html1 Walter Clayton - Rank change: 55th to 30th
Moves him to a borderline 1st rounder, I am not so sure about that
Clayton’s shotmaking, on-ball wiggle and end-of-game confidence are undeniably Steph-like too. His severe defensive limitations and shaky playmaking had him entering March at 55th on my board, but I placed too much focus on what he doesn’t do and not enough on what he does. He’s a shotmaker, a moment seizer and just a straight-up pure hooper. That’s enough to warrant first-round consideration.
2 Labaron Philon - Rank change: 31st to 23rd
If he declarres\stays in the draft, I think he will be a 1st rounder. He played well and although there are a lot of questions\concerns about him, I think a team will take the risk at the back end of the 1st.
...he made 45.5% of his 3-pointers in four tournament games, which follows a trend this season of his numbers improving from month to month. Defenders often went under his screens and he made them pay, in addition to looking fluid off the catch.
It’s hard to pass on his type of upside in the middle of the first round, which is why he’s moving up my board. But Philon has a tough decision to make whether to stay in college or go pro. With point guard Mark Sears graduating, he’d have the keys to the offense next season and the chance to play himself into the top 10.
3. Milos Uzan, Houston guard - Rank change: 38th to 31st
4. Tyrese Proctor, Duke guard - Rank change: 30th to 24th
Another guy whose play has moved him solidly into 1st round consideration
...he’s grown into a defensive pest. And offensively, he sees the floor, makes the right reads and can drain shots all over the floor. Proctor keeps looking more and more like Celtics guard Derrick White with the way he positively impacts the game as a low-usage, high-trust guy who’s capable of handling a bigger load when needed...March didn’t make Proctor, but it’s solidifying the case that he’s worth a first-round pick.
5. Johni Broome, Auburn big - Rank change: 52nd to 46th
Still have him solidly as a 2nd round pick. Interesting to see if a team reaches late in the 1st for him.
Broome is by no means an elite athlete, and from an NBA perspective he certainly has some shortcomings. But, man, the dude just impacts winning...Broome is the quintessential “got that dawg in him” player, and so even though it’s a subtle change, he moves up my board.
6. Darrion Williams, Texas Tech forward - Rank change: 43rd to 39th
7. JT Toppin, Texas Tech big - Rank change: 36th to 33rd
I think either of these guys could sneak into the back end of the 1st round, but depending on who stays in draft are more likely 2nd round picks..
...It’s amazing to see the way they impacted the game in so many different ways. Toppin scored on rolls to the rim, from the post and from beyond the arc, while also playing super versatile defense. And as he did all season, Williams played everything from point guard to center, depending on what the game needed. Neither guy is a primary option, but both fit snugly into winning basketball. That’s why their stock is rising.
8. Danny Wolf, Michigan big - Rank change: 28th to 26th
Soldily a 1st rounder, I tend to think he is a later 1st round pick, but some mocks have him just outside the lottery. Not a big fan of him either though. Also read some concerns with his passing\decision making
I’m admittedly a skeptic of Wolf. He made 33.6% of his 3s and only 59.4% of his free throws with Michigan, numbers just as subpar as his first two years with Yale...there’s belief his struggles at the free-throw line are mental, which worries me even more since it’s hard to solve whatever’s going on between the ears. Especially after he just made only 25% of his free throws in the tournament...hard to ignore just how fluidly Wolf moves as a 7-footer. And he dropped 20 points scoring in a myriad of ways against Auburn's excellent defense with a step-back 3 and tons of swirly drives to the basket with crossovers, hesitations and back-downs. There’s something there worth a gamble in the late first.
That said, the Israeli-American playmaker is also turnover prone. Wolf loses the ball in avoidable ways and he has to keep improving his handle. There's no doubt that Wolf can play with the ball in his hands in college, but I think the tape suggests that he'll struggle to beat defenders at the next level.
9. Khaman Maluach, Duke center - Rank: 5th to 4th
Maluach AND Queen as Top 10 picks? Looking more likely. I am skeptical on the 3pt shooting, similar things were said about Clingan and I don't believe that 3pt shooting will\should be a part of either players' game
...contested everything around the basket, even sticking his arm up to block dunk attempts. We saw him deter players from trying layups and even switch onto the perimeter on a few occasions, moving his feet laterally with quickness. He keeps getting better defensively, which was on full display against a high-powered, modern-style offense...That’s the state of the game with 7-footers all trying to be shooters. But it’s different with Maluach since he has such great touch from the line (76.4% this season) and near the rim (57.1% on hook shots, per Synergy). He’s made only four of his 16 shots from 3 this season, but there’s something there that could make him much more than just a standard interior center that warrants moving him up one spot.
