While the 2024 NBA Draft was perhaps underrated, it is now in the rearview mirror and we can look ahead to starting over with the 2025 NBA Draft.
As the incoming class of rookies are mostly beginning competition in NBA Summer League, there are plenty of other prospects who can become draft eligible next season who have stood out recently as well. Even though Cooper Flagg (heading to Duke) is the headliner of this class, others are making very strong contenders as well.
One such candidate is VJ Edgecombe, an incoming freshman guard at Baylor. A consensus five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, he recently averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Bahama’s senior national team during an Olympics qualifying tournament.
Meanwhile, a pair of teammates headed to Rutgers as freshmen (Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper) both offer tremendous upside heading into their first college campaigns as well.
A few of the most interesting international prospects include Nolan Traore (France), Hugo Gonzalez (Spain), Noa Essengue (France), and Rocco Zikarsky (Australia).
This mock evaluated freshmen based on their play when data was available from high school, AAU, or FIBA competition. Returners are mostly based on what we have seen from them at the collegiate level, though other factors were also considered.
Our draft order is provided by Tankathon. Let’s get started!
(Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for the McDonalds All American Games)
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 18.5
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Rutgers
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 18.9
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Rutgers
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
fiba.basketball
TEAM: Saint-Quentin (France)
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-3
DRAFT AGE: 19.1
(Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)
TEAM: Baylor
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-5
DRAFT AGE: 19.9
fiba.basketball
TEAM: Real Madrid
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.4
© Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK
TEAM: Texas
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
fiba.basketball
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 7-2
DRAFT AGE: 18.8
© Daniella Heminghaus / USA TODAY NETWORK
TEAM: Miami
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-4
DRAFT AGE: 19.5
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: UConn
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 19.7
fiba.basketball
TEAM: BYU
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: North Carolina
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 20.4
fiba.basketball
TEAM: ratiopharm ulm (Germany)
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 18.5
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: North Carolina
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.8
(Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
TEAM: Brisbane (Australia)
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 7-2
DRAFT AGE: 19
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.6
© Rok Baller/Special to The News-Press / USA TODAY NETWORK
TEAM: Syracuse
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-10
DRAFT AGE: 19.9
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Arkansas
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-2
DRAFT AGE: 19
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: South Carolina
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 20
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Iowa State
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 20.8
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Oregon
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 20.9
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Mexico City Capitanes (G League)
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
fiba.basketball
TEAM: Georgia
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 19.7
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-5
DRAFT AGE: 20.9
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Texas Tech
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 20
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Wake Forest
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-5
DRAFT AGE: 22.3
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: Colorado State
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 23.4
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
TEAM: Santa Clara
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 21.5
© Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
TEAM: Iowa
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 23
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM: UConn
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 22.6
