Main perspectives in 2025 NCAA Tournament: Analysis, players to see Madness in March, including Cooper Flagg

For many NBA fans, the NCAA tournament is when the NBA draft begins to be seriously looking for.

It is quite the opposite for the NBA teams, who have already done most of their work (they care more about interviews in the NBA and individual NBA draft than what happens in March). NBA teams have their draft boards relatively far.

If you are a NBA boy with an university ring eye this week, what players should you see? Here are 12 names to monitor, starting with three Duke players who are expected to be in the top 10.

Top-10 Trio de Duke

Duke’s Plays at 2:50 pm et, Friday, March 21, vs. The winner of St. Mary’s vs. American University First Four (CBS)

Duke is more than just Cooper Flagg. Do not be mistaken, Flagg is the number 1 selection in this draft in this draft whether or not he steps on the court for a second in the NCAA tournament due to a crooked ankle (he is expected to play, perhaps limited minutes in the first game, but for Sunday he expects a lot of flagg). As an explorer told me, he could have “really ruined his knee”, and he would not have changed the order of the draft. That said, Duke is more than a single man show; Three boys are expected to be in the top 10.

Cooper Flagg

Flagg entered this season as the probable selection No. 1, particularly after an outstanding performance with the US team. SELECT during the summer, but with questions. He has answered them. Everyone knew that he was a competitive and tall defender with tire protection. The question was that he could create his own shot: he has shown improved handles, creation of shots and averaged 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Duke’s game would be Sunday, especially if Baylor progresses and Flagg faces another first four player in this VJ Edgecombe Draft.

Khaman Maluach

There is a market and a role in the NBA for old school centers that can protect the edge and are a vertical threat in the Pick-And-Rolls (Jarrett Allen, Rudy Gobert, Zach Eddy) and Maluach can be one of those guys. It has 7’2 “with a wingspan of 7’6”, moves the feet to the defensive, and is seen as a solid and high floor selection for any team that takes it. He is averaging 8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting 68.8%.

Kon Knueppel

He arrived at the university with the reputation of a pure shooter and has been up to 39.2% of 3 this season, averaging 14.4 points per game. His work as a creator of shooting for the Blue Devils has impressed the explorers, a role in which he prospered during the ACC Tournament with Flagg Out. The questions are about how it will remain defensively at the next level: it has been a solid defender for Duke this season, but the guards at the next level are much faster than in the ACC.

Others to look

VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Baylor faces the state of Mississippi at 12:15 pm et on Friday, March 21 (CBS)

Despite some difficult stretching during the season, the explosive guard of 6’3 “, probably the best pure athlete in this kind of Draft, has solidified as a selection of first four. It is a high -level defender who averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists of a game, shooting 34.5% of 3 this season of the conference) As the season game improved, which improved the game of the season, which improved, which improved the game, since it was the game of the season.

Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Illinois plays at 9:45 pm et on Friday, March 21, against the winner of the four -year game of Xavier vs. Texas (TNT)

Large ball handling guards are fashionable in the NBA and Jakuccionis qualifies: at 6’5 “he is the general of the floor for the Illini, but he can work in or out of the ball. He is a talented pin, but not the type of athlete who has just hit the men. While the NCAA tournament can only move the player of a player, Jakuction is an exception: Can he shoot the rock? By game (plus 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists), fired only 32.9% of 3 and 44.8% in general, averaging 3.6 ball losses per game.

Liam McNeeley, Uconn

Uconn faces Oklahoma at 9:25 pm et on Friday, March 21 (TNT)

You cannot be wrong to write shots and McNeeley is one of the best draft shooters, a plug-and-play type on the next level. Of course, it only reached 33% beyond the arch this season for the Huskies, but that is partly due to a high ankle at the beginning of the season, partly due to the construction of the list, which has forced McNeeley to be a primary shooting creator for Dan Hurley. That is not his fort, he is a type of capture and shot out of the ball (which can put the ball on the floor if there is a tight closure). McNeeley is another case in which a great performance in the tournament can help his draft cause, solidifying the support of the late lottery behind him.

Derik Queen, Maryland

Maryland faces the Grand Canyon at 4:35 pm et on Friday, March 21 (TBS)

A 6’10 “, Queen brings size and is also one of the most skilled players in the draft, and has been in a tear that enters the postseason. It could illuminate Grand Canyon (a good test for him). The teams have to bring double to make it slow of the quality floor (however, the arc floor).

Tre Johnson, Texas

Texas faces Xavier at 9:10 pm et on Wednesday, March 19, in a first game (Trutv); win and face Illinois on Friday

Tre Johnson is a bucket. He is averaging 19.8 points per game to lead a Texas team that is not really built to take advantage of his skills set, and is shooting 39.2% of 3. It is totally capable of leaving 40 in Xavier on Wednesday night. However, he is a player who is in all Draft boards, from 5 to 10-12, because not long for the longchorns Beyond Score, at least not constantly. Showing skills beyond getting a bucket in the tournament would help your draft stock.

Danny Wolf, Michigan

Michigan faces UC San Diego at 10 pm et on Thursday, March 20 (TBS)

Look at Danny Wolf to see where you fall on one of the boys who are everywhere in the NBA draft boards; Some teams could take it between 20 and 30 in the first round, while others see it as someone taken in the 40s in the second round. Wolf is a 7 -foot foot that prefers to play on the perimeter, has good handles and averaged 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. That said, it was not consistent and fired 33.7% from beyond the arch and had too many ball losses. Is a five big three? The teams differ in their NBA adjustment. A large pair of tournament games could help their draft stock, at least in some minds.

Jase Richardson, Michigan state

Michigan State faces Bryant at 10 pm et on Friday, March 21 (TBS)

He is the son of the 13 -year -old veteran of the NBA Jason Richardson, but does not confuse both of Jase’s style is very different from that of his father. Jase is a smaller shipowner (6’2 “… maybe) who plays rhythm, has an excellent feeling for the game and can enter the lane and break down the defenses: it is more jalen Brunson/College Reed Sheppard in style than his father. Richardson is fun to see. The boys who leave Tom Izz Richardson is in that mold, is in the mold in the mold, is in the mold.

Will Riley, Illinois

Illinois plays at 9:45 pm et on Friday, March 21, against the winner of the four -year game of Xavier vs. Texas (TNT)

A 6’8 “wing” with potential as a shooter will always capture the eyes of the explorers, and it is that potential that the explorers and the people of the main office will adjust to see while the Illini continues to play. For the season, Riley averaged 12.5 points per game, shooting only 32.1% from beyond the 3 -point line, but it has seemed better. Active showing the teams that he is more advanced than he is more advance They thought.

Nique Clifford, Colorado state

The state of Colorado faces Memphis at 2 PM et on Friday, March 21 (TBS)

He has flown under the national radar, but he has been raising the explorers’ boards throughout the season: a 6’5 wing that can shoot at the rock, pass and defend will attract a lot A game, this game, to the teams of the players who go to the players.