The start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season means that the 2024-25 college basketball season is also right around the corner. It all begins with a loaded slate on November 4th, and there are a bunch of high-profile matchups right off the bat. With that in mind, it might be time to familiarize yourselves with some of the big names you’ll hear about throughout the year.
The 2025 NBA Draft is loaded with top-end talent, with many believing this can be the best class we’ve seen in quite some time. Of course, there will be some international flavor in the lottery mix this year, and we’ll get to those players soon enough. But for now, here’s 10 of the best prospects that will be playing college ball this year:
• Cooper Flagg, 6-foot-9 wing, Duke:
Make no mistake about it, Flagg is the prize of the 2025 NBA Draft. You might hear some other players mentioned as the top pick throughout the year, but that will very likely be smoke — or complete nonsense.
Flagg made headlines for giving Team USA buckets when the team was training in Las Vegas for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was knocking down jumpers off the dribble and throwing down thunderous dunks. And overall, he didn’t just look like he belonged out there, he was apparently one of the real standouts. That’s impressive for a 17-year-old.
Flagg’s offensive game is very advanced for a player his age, and he is very skilled for a player with his combination of size and athleticism. He also has a great feel for the game. If there’s any complaint about his offensive skill set, it’s that he will need to get better as a shooter if he is going to live up to his sky-high potential. But Flagg can still make shots and does it with an extremely high release. So, once he is a bit more lethal with that shot, it’ll also be unguardable because of how high the ball is when he releases it.
The crazy thing about Flagg is that while his offense might be tremendous, it pales in comparison to his defense. He’s going to be one of the better wing defenders in college basketball this year, and he should be a multi-positional terror in the NBA. Not only can Flagg stick his man in isolation, but he’s also an outrageous off-ball player. Flagg plays passing lanes to perfection, and he’s also good for a couple of blocks each night.
Victor Wembanyama has made it impossible to say, ‘This is the best prospect we’ve seen in quite some time.’ But Flagg’s presence gives Duke the highest ceiling they have had in years. And he’s poised to be a franchise-changer at the next level. Flagg is a special, special talent.
• Ace Bailey, 6-foot-10 wing, Rutgers
Bailey is the player that many have already mentioned as Flagg’s competition at No. 1. He’s a jumbo-sized perimeter scorer, capable of doing some flat-out shocking things as a shot-maker. Bailey is a world-class athlete, has a smooth-looking jumper and also possesses a world of confidence. And realistically, players that can score and move the way he can have extremely high floors.
Bailey just has a few more noticeable flaws than Flagg. One of them is that Bailey can fall in love with his jumper, but a player his size should be attacking the basket a little more frequently. He can also be guilty of taking some off-balance shots when he doesn’t need to. On top of that, Bailey can do a much better job of getting his teammates involved. Perhaps he’ll sharpen his skill set at Rutgers. Steve Pikiell is a very good coach.
Pikiell could actually do wonders for Bailey on the other end of the floor. With his length and athleticism, Bailey has the potential to be a solid defender across multiple positions. But he hasn’t quite shown it consistently, and he’s also relatively weak as an off-ball defender. Luckily for him, Pikiell’s Scarlet Knights teams are always tough as nails defensively. He’ll demand a lot out of Bailey, and there’s no reason he won’t get it.
All in all, Bailey is another player that can change a franchise’s fortunes. However, he’s not as situation-proof as Flagg, and he has a lot of work to do in his freshman season to prove he belongs in the same sentence.
• VJ Edgecombe, 6-foot-5 guard, Baylor
If you’re already familiar with Edgecombe’s game, it’s probably because he was a key piece for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifying. Like Flagg, Edgecombe showed that he is capable of producing against NBA-level players right now, and that is why a lot of people believe he has All-Star potential. Edgecombe averaged 16.5 points per game in four games with the Bahamian team, and he even had 12 points and five assists against a solid Spain team in that stretch.
Edgecombe has good size for a shooting guard. He’s also a plus-level athlete and is very strong for a player at his position. Edgecombe also has a high motor and loves to compete, which is why it’s very possible he ends up being a very good two-way player. Edgecombe is also a good shooter, and he’ll only get better with NBA spacing around him. Edgecombe will also have the ball in his hands a lot for Baylor, so he’s going to have a chance to prove he can run some offense.
This is just an exciting prospect that has already accomplished a lot. Guys like that generally pan out in a big way.
• Dylan Harper, 6-foot-6 guard, Rutgers
Harper, whose brother Ron Harper Jr., also played for Rutgers, will be joining Bailey in New Jersey this season. The big guard is a very good pick-and-roll ball handler, can really score at all three levels and just has an impressive way of impacting games offensively. Whether he’s playing on or off the ball, Harper is a nightmare for defenses to deal with.
Harper’s jumper is actually a huge strength right now, as he’s a knockdown shooter. That’s rare for a freshman that can also be creative with the ball in his hands. It’ll just be interesting to see how he looks as a young lead guard playing in a very competitive Big Ten this year. While Harper has all the tools on both ends of the floor, everybody wants to see it all come together. If it does, Harper has the potential to be the second player picked in this draft.
• Egor Demin, 6-foot-9 wing, BYU
It might take a while for people to get a glimpse of Demin. BYU really isn’t on the national radar right now, and the Cougars won’t play a ranked opponent until late November. But once Demin gets his moment, he’s going to leave a lasting impression. The big wing has already played professional basketball for a good club, as he was in the Real Madrid system before heading to Provo. So, he’ll be ready for the spotlight.
Demin is way better as a pick-and-roll creator than anybody his size has any business being. He’s also a guy that can knock down outside shots, and he knows how to use his size to get himself to the basket.
The Russian just needs to improve his shooting percentages a bit, and he also has to show people he can defend. He’ll have a chance to do that once we get into the heart of Big 12 season. But don’t be surprised if Demin ends up being considered a top-five prospect. Wings that can handle the ball and show promise as outside shooters don’t last very long on draft night.
• Drake Powell, 6-foot-6 wing, North Carolina
Powell is going to be an exciting player to watch in Chapel Hill this season. He has great size on the wing, and he also has some nice strength and athleticism on top of it. Powell should be an incredible wing defender, capable of guarding twos all the way up to fours. And his defense is something that should be great in the NBA as well. North Carolina will need it. Duke has some young studs this year, and somebody will have to step up and defend those guys.
Offensively, Powell is good in transition, cuts at a high level and can really get himself to the basket. His jumper is the missing piece. However, Powell sports clean mechanics and apparently impressed a lot of people with his shot over the summer. If that is better than expected right out the gates, he’ll flirt with being a top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
• Kon Knueppel, 6-foot-7 wing, Duke
Knueppel has apparently been turning heads since arriving on campus. Knueppel is known as one of the best spot-up shooters in this class, and he knows how to utilize his shooting gravity. However, it sounds like Knueppel has a little more off-the-dribble juice than expected, which could put him firmly in the lottery.
There’s already a huge market for what Knueppel does, as he has good size and is deadly accurate from deep. But if he can really create for himself and others, there’s a chance he ends up being a borderline All-Star at the next level. Knueppel just has to avoid being a complete negative defensively, but he helps himself there by understanding positioning and working extremely hard.
• Liam McNeeley, 6-foot-8 wing, Connecticut
McNeeley flipped from Indiana to UConn, so we’re going to get a glimpse of what he looks like in a very advanced system. You have to process the game at a high level to play big minutes for Dan Hurley. Fortunately, McNeeley does that. And overall, his game is a perfect fit for this Huskies team.
McNeeley has great size for a wing and is lethal from deep. UConn is going to run him around like crazy hunting jumpers — much like the Huskies did with Jordan Hawkins a few years ago. McNeeley is also a guy that makes good decisions on the floor, as he possesses good connective abilities and rarely holds onto the ball for very long.
Offensively, the only thing McNeeley might be lacking is legitimate self-creation skills, but he doesn’t need them to be a great player in college and the pros. And defensively, McNeeley isn’t the best athlete in the world, but he competes and knows how to use his size. The former is required on a Hurley team.
It’ll be interesting to see who ends up going higher between McNeeley and Knueppel when it’s actually time for the draft. It seems like there’s an early lean towards Knueppel, who is a more polished shooter. But McNeeley probably has more upside — and possibly even a higher floor.
• Khaman Maluach, 7-foot-2 center, Duke
Maluach is another player that was on big stage over the summer, as he was part of the South Sudan national team that won over a lot of people during the Paris Olympics. Maluach didn’t play much, but practicing with a good team should have him ready to rock for Duke. And he’s a player that should have an instant impact for the Blue Devils, as he’s a great interior defender that can protect the rim at a high level.
Defense is Maluach’s calling card right now. He has the potential to be a guy that can anchor defenses in the NBA some day. He just has to be a bit better about avoiding fouls.
Maluach also has quite a bit of work to do offensively. As of right now, he’s really not much more than a rim-runner. However, that’s not an issue for him as a prospect. He’ll be highly regarded for what he can do defensively, and the right team will be able to make it work around his shaky offense.
• Tre Johnson, 6-foot-6 guard, Texas
When Johnson is playing on national TV this season, make some time to check him out. He’s just magic as a scorer, as he can really shoot the ball off the dribble. Johnson is going to take a lot of bad shots, but he’s capable of making those. Johnson is also good at attacking the basket, where he isn’t much of an above-the-rim finisher but has good touch and great feel for getting the ball over rim protectors. Johnson is also a dangerous mid-range scorer.
The knock on Johnson is that he can be a bit of a black hole offensively. People want to see him do a better job of getting his teammates involved. However, if he ever flips the switch mentally, he should be a solid playmaker. Johnson occasionally makes the types of one-handed passes off live dribbles that few can make — even in the NBA.
Johnson is also a disappointing defender, but that can easily change. He’s big for a shooting guard and has a wingspan that is bordering on seven-feet.
Johnson has all-world ability. He just needs to be re-wired a little.