The college basketball season is in swing, and this is looking like a fantastic freshman class. Let’s go!

Draft order and lottery courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.

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It has been a waste of a season for the defending Eastern Conference champs, but if they can land a top three pick, they could be right back in the thick of things next season. Drafting first overall would be a giant blessing for a franchise that has never selected at the top of the draft. It would have been nice to see Darryn Peterson suit up against UConn, but he remains out with an injury. I still have him as my top prospect, though others are gaining on him fast. At his best, he is an NBA level scoring guard, who can get buckets from all three levels. He also demonstrates serious point guard skills. A backcourt of Tyrese Haliburton and Peterson would almost be unfair.

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The Nets have been playing better as of late (4-6 in their last 10 games) but are still a franchise without an elite talent to build around. Cameron Boozer would be a great fit alongside all of their young guards. Boozer has proven almost impossible to stop for college big men. The question mark will be whether his below the game can translate to the NBA level, but I am not overly concerned. He is talented, strong and has the bloodlines to succeed, even if he tops out as a Julius Randle-type.

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Portland has an intriguing young roster, led by Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija, but may be one or two pieces away from making serious noise. Adding a scorer like AJ Dybantsa to go along with the return of Damian Lillard would be an exciting thought for Trail Blazer fans. Dybantsa has had his game analyzed and dissected for years. Some worry he may be a somewhat inefficient scorer who does not provide much on the defensive end. Even if he winds up as another RJ Barrett, his ability to generate offense and run the floor would be a welcome addition to most teams.

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It has been another tough year in Charlotte, but things may finally be looking up. The 2025 draft class looks like a great one, led by Kon Knueppel. If the Hornets can land in the top five, they could draft the future face of the franchise, since it looks like LaMelo Ball will not be that guy. Caleb Wilson is the best North Carolina prospect in decades. Seriously, look it up. He is a great athlete who can shoot, run the floor and play solid defense. He would be a great fit alongside the various Hornets wing scorers.

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Things are going from bad to worse for New Orleans. Not only do they have the worst record in basketball, but Zion Williamson is once again out for weeks with yet another injury. Oh well, the Pelicans pain is the Hawks gain. A couple of poor shooting performances has torpedoed Nate Ament’s efficiency numbers, but it was always going to be a work in progress. He still oozes potential, especially as a shooter and play maker. The Hawks have a deep roster and can develop him at their own pace. There is All Star potential here.

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For the second straight year, the tanking Washington Wizards fall out of the top five of the draft. Fortunately, there is still top talent to be found here. Houston has become a basketball powerhouse, and Kingston Flemings may be the best player on the roster. He is a true point guard with great size, who can also knock down jump shots at a high rate. The Wizards are one of the few teams that do not have a long term option at point guard, and Flemings would be an immediate upgrade.

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After briefly flirting with the playoffs, the Sacramento Kings are back to being the Sacramento Kings. The front office should look to move every veteran not named Keegan Murray, so this roster could be a blank slate draft pick wise. Mikel Brown Jr. is one of many scoring guards who can also play point guard if need be. He has struggled to shoot it with consistency, but shows solid playmaking ability and should be a Jamal Murray-like scorer at the next level.

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The Thunder continue to benefit from the Paul George trade from a half decade ago, with a top ten pick from a freefalling Clippers team. Labaron Philon Jr. is my favorite non-freshman prospect in this class. He has had a fantastic season offensively, especially as a driver and assist man. He needs to further improve his jump shot, but I think he can be a 20 point per game scorer in the NBA. He will be a very over-qualified backup guard for the Thunder.

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Dallas has won three games in a row, as Cooper Flagg is really coming into his own and Anthony Davis has managed to string a few games together. This is still a franchise that needs to trade veterans and build around Flagg long term. Dallas cold really use one of the many combo guards that are off the board in this scenario. Instead, hey turn their attention to Tounde Yessoufou. Yessoufou is a strong, slashing, NBA ready wing defender. He also has the potential to develop into a solid three point shooter. His 3 and D game will be a welcome addition to any team.

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Thanks to Utah’s inability to tank in a year where it would definitely pay off, Oklahoma City has another pick in the top ten. The Thunder do not need two lottery picks, but here they are. Koa Peat is a strong, aggressive scorer with real defensive potential. Think Arizona-era Aaron Gordon. Yet another young talent on a rookie contract to bring off the bench for the best team in the NBA.

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The Grizzlies are not a playoff caliber team, but with so many franchises openly tanking, they will probably reach the play-in by default. Memphis was not scared to draft a senior in the lottery a couple of years ago, when they selected Zach Edey, and go to that well once again with Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz has had an interesting college journey, but has developed into a serious NCAA player of the year candidate as a senior. He is a better athlete than you would expect, and excels at creating his own offense, shooting and distributing the ball. He can also hold his own defensively, and could be that Ja Morant replacement this franchise desperately needs.

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The Bulls refusal to pick a lane, whether it is rebuilding or going for it, will ensure they draft in the 9-13 range until the end of time. Hannes Steinbach has been a real find for the Washington Huskies. The German big man is coming off of a 29 point, 10 rebound performance against UCLA, and has four straight double doubles. His ability to rebound, block shots and knock down three pointers makes him an ideal 2025 NBA big man.

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After years of will they, won’t they, it looks like the Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee is coming to an end. It is probably the right move for both parties to move on, as things have gotten very ugly roster wise. Karim Lopez is the top non-USA college international prospect in the early going. He is a gifted scorer, who can slash to the basket and is showing a nice shooting stroke as well, knocking down almost 45% of his three point attempts, which bodes well for his draft stock.

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Yes, you see that right. The Thunder currently have three, yes, three, of the top fourteen picks in this draft. There is no way they can fit this many rookies on the roster, but this is another “best player available” situation for the best franchise in the NBA. Braylon Mullins finally made his UConn debut. After a rough first game, he responded with 17 points in a win against Kansas. He should be one of the better three point shooters in this class, and teams are always looking for guys with size who can knock down jump shots. If he can show some play making ability, he could rise up the rankings, but he has yet to generate an assist in 33 minutes played.

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Neoklis Avdalas is one of a handful of Europeans enjoying success in the NCAA. He is a point forward type, who can score and distribute. While he may never be much of a defender, his archetype is always exciting, and is sure to draw looks in the late lottery. The Warriors are going to eventually have to rebuild, and Avdalas would be a nice piece to have on the wing.

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There have been rumblings that Jayden Quaintance will sit out his sophomore year and prepare for the draft, but Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has denied those rumors. Quaintance is NBA ready as a rebounder and defender, but may top out as a Kevon Looney type offensively. Quaintance is the type of player who could coexist with wing oriented Victor Wembanyama, if both players have to share the court together.

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Darius Acuff Jr. is a similar prospect as Rob Dillingham, who has struggled to find his footing at the NBA level. Acuff Jr. is a talented scorer and can run an offense, but he may lack the defensive ability and strength to hold his own for 30 minutes per game, but you could do a lot worse at backup point guard. He could learn from Trae Young, who has a similar type of build, as his backup in Atlanta.

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Even without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are deep and well coached enough to push for a playoff spot. This is a roster that needs some serious beef up front, however. Chris Cenac Jr. has not set the world on fire from a statistical point of view, but often times it takes big men longer to develop. He is still playing 25 minutes per game on perhaps the best team in college basketball, showing that the coaching staff has confidence in him. He could develop into a solid stretch big who can rebound and block some shots. Maybe a better offensive version of Nic Claxton.

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This is the first of many first round picks that are coming the Grizzlies way, via the Desmond Bane to Orlando trade. Memphis goes the senior route once again with Yaxel Lendeborg. The UAB transfer has been as good as advertised for Michigan, showing the ability to knock down jump shots, rebound and chip in on defense. He should be an ideal first big off the bench behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey.

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The Hornets most likely thought they had another lottery pick here, but so far the Phoenix Suns have defied expectations. Like his older brother Dyson, Dash Daniels is a solid ball handler and defender, but is behind the curve offensively. Charlotte has plenty of offense-first guards, and Daniels could be a valuable contributor on the other end of the court.

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Minnesota has one of the better top 7 or 8 guys in the league roster wise, but bench depth is severely lacking. Thomas Haugh is a nice offensive minded combo forward. He has gone from a player who averaged 3.9 points per game as a freshman to a legitimate first round pick. He can play either forward position, rebound, handle the ball and score out to the three point line.

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Meleek Thomas is your typical John Calipari guard. He is a talented scorer who can play some point guard, but has struggled with consistency, which is common when a guard has to share the ball with so many other scorers. He may never be a starter, but can be a nice combo guard to come off of the bench.

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Knicks starters are still playing too many regular season minutes, but perhaps new head coach Mike Brown will be more amenable to playing rookies than his stubborn predecessor. Sergio De Larrea is off to a nice start for his international team, shooting over 57% from deep and showing the ability to play point guard in spurts. He is not much of a defender, but that scoring ability would be use to any playoff team.

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The Raptors have been the surprise of the NBA. Thanks to a solid, veteran laden starting lineup, they have won 8 or their last 10 games and sit at second place in the entire Eastern Conference. After a very slow start, Brayden Burries is rounding into form. He is another talented combo guard who can score in bunches, and even lead an offense on occasion.

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Jonas Valanciunas has been great at Nikola Jokic’ backup, but he may move on after the season. Denver could be on the lookout for a defensive minded backup. Patrick Ngongba II has had a very good second season for Duke. He is adept at scoring off of put backs and rebounds, and has even knocked down the occasional three pointer. He is also a solid shot blocker, something the Nuggets need more of.

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Like Patrick Ngongba II, Flory Bidunga has stepped up as a sophomore, tripling his points per game and maintaining strong rebounding and shot blocking rates. He is not a shooter whatsoever, but is athletic enough to perhaps carve out a role as a mid-tier starter. For the Cavaliers, he would backup one of the better set of big men starters in the NBA.

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This is Oklahoma City’s fourth pick of the first round and will likely be sold off to the highest bidder. Few teams in the NBA have the roster space for four rookies, let alone the deepest roster in the NBA. I may be overvaluing these big men, but Henri Veesaar is the third straight center to come off the board here. He has had a great first season at North Carolina, showing stretch ability on offense and the ability to block some shots defensively. He would be an ideal backup big for any team.

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The Lakers are perhaps the worst three point shooting team in the NBA. This roster could use a bucket getter off of the bench when Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves have to sit. Cameron Carr has gone from a little used backup at Tennessee to a 20 point per game scorer at Baylor. His ability to get buckets from anywhere on the court has been second to none. He is shooting 50% from deep, and if he can continue this scoring surge, should find himself in the first round.

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What a turnaround for the Pistons. It seemed like only yesterday this team lost 28 games in a row, and now they are on pace to win more than 60 games. I expected Isaiah Evans to take a larger leap as a sophomore, but he is still off to a decent enough start on a team with a lot of mouths to feed. He has a couple of duds offensively, but also showed his strengths with a 23 point performance against Texas. Even when his shot is not falling, he is still aggressive on defense, which scouts will appreciate.

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The Washington Wizards round out the first round, and could continue to draft young players with upside. David Mirkovic is yet another European prospect who came to the states. He is not much of a defender, but is a load down low offensively, but also has the ability to step out and knock down jump shots.

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