2025 NBA Draft


I still believe Khaman will end up top 6. He may have the second highest ceiling of any player in this draft. Sorry Dylan.
I've not paid attention to any mocks so I'm not familiar with these two. Mostly because I don't know anything about unranked Rutgers.
So how do they have the #2 and #3 picks (Harper and Bailey) and have such a lousy record?
Edit..link to the referenced article. It's paywalled.

 
I've not paid attention to any mocks so I'm not familiar with these two. Mostly because I don't know anything about unranked Rutgers.
So how do they have the #2 and #3 picks (Harper and Bailey) and have such a lousy record?
Edit..link to the referenced article. It's paywalled.

They don't have much other talent. The team doesn't play defense. And Ace Bailey has no idea how to pass the ball. Would have helped a lot if they'd opened their wallets to keep Center Cliff Omoruyi who is now at Alabama.
 
I've not paid attention to any mocks so I'm not familiar with these two. Mostly because I don't know anything about unranked Rutgers.
So how do they have the #2 and #3 picks (Harper and Bailey) and have such a lousy record?
Because putting together a good team is more than just collecting the best talent and rolling the ball out onto the floor. Rutgers does have two of the most gifted players in the land, but the team does not play well together and seems barely interested in playing defense. Steve Pikiell has a lousy track record with only 1 20-win season in 8 year at Rutgers and only 3 NCAA tourney appearances in that time.

As I have mentioned a good bit lately in my campaign to promote Jon Scheyer for COY, getting great players in your program is one thing... how you build a team around them and shape them into complete assets at both ends of the floor is something else entirely.
 
Because putting together a good team is more than just collecting the best talent and rolling the ball out onto the floor. Rutgers does have two of the most gifted players in the land, but the team does not play well together and seems barely interested in playing defense. Steve Pikiell has a lousy track record with only 1 20-win season in 8 year at Rutgers and only 3 NCAA tourney appearances in that time.

As I have mentioned a good bit lately in my campaign to promote Jon Scheyer for COY, getting great players in your program is one thing... how you build a team around them and shape them into complete assets at both ends of the floor is something else entirely.
Shades of US Olympic teams of the past...
 
As I have mentioned a good bit lately in my campaign to promote Jon Scheyer for COY, getting great players in your program is one thing... how you build a team around them and shape them into complete assets at both ends of the floor is something else entirely.
Yes. Add my name to any such petition.

Yeah, at this point, I'd have to say Coach Scheyer has done a masterful job, from roster construction, scheduling, game strategy and player development.

Can't imagine the GOAT himself, Coach K could have done any better.
 
Travis Branham of 247 Sports wrote this longform article grading the 2025 NBA Draft potential of some of the players in Saturday's UNC-Duke game. It's also a brutal takedown of the Heels. The whole thing is worth reading; each player gets a paragraph or two of analysis, so I quoted selectively.


Cooper Flagg
Grade: A+
Projection: No. 1 pick

Khaman Maluach
Grade: B+
Projection: Lottery pick

Kon Knueppel
Grade: A+


All things considered, this was Kon Knueppel's best game of the season. When the second half started, it was the Kon show. He took over on the offensive end, attacking UNC's R.J. Davis on every possession with success. His shooting left a big mark on the game but so did his attacking off the dribble, playing off two feet, playing through contact, and making the right passes out of ball screens.

Projection: Late lottery to mid-first round draft pick

Tyrese Proctor
Grade: A
Projection: Second round NBA draft pick

Isaiah Evans
Grade: NA
Projection: Return for sophomore season at Duke



RJ Davis
Grade: F


For a guy who has had so much success in this rivalry and was one of the best guards in the country entering the season, R.J. Davis was infuriating to watch on Saturday. He's the supposed leader of this UNC team but from the jump, there were no leadership qualities to be found. He coasted through the entirety of the first half with what seemed like no care for the absolute beatdown that was being delivered his way.

North Carolina had nothing going offensively and Davis looked like he wanted no part in carrying that burden. He finally started to get aggressive very late into the first and early into the second but it was way too late by that point. He got subbed out and played limited minutes in the second half and the Tar Heels were frankly better with him on the bench -- which is an alarming sign for an All-American caliber player.


Projection: G League

Elliot Cadeau
Grade: D-
Projection: Return for junior season or G League

Ian Jackson
Grade: D
Projection: Mid-late first-round draft pick

Drake Powell
Grade: C+
Projection: Mid-late first-round draft pick
 
If you told me that UNC would play its way out of the NCAA Tournament while RJ Davis plays his way out of contention for any meaningful postseason awards and, simultaneously, that they would drag down the draft stock of their two 5-star players but not enough to keep them both in Chapel Hill for a second season, yeah, I would love to see it.
 
If you told me that UNC would play its way out of the NCAA Tournament while RJ Davis plays his way out of contention for any meaningful postseason awards and, simultaneously, that they would drag down the draft stock of their two 5-star players but not enough to keep them both in Chapel Hill for a second season, yeah, I would love to see it.
Not so fast. Some of the sportswriters so closely aligned with the light blue program will surely vote RJ to 1st team All/ ACC. Doubt her gets many votes for ACC player of the year😏
 
If you told me that UNC would play its way out of the NCAA Tournament while RJ Davis plays his way out of contention for any meaningful postseason awards and, simultaneously, that they would drag down the draft stock of their two 5-star players but not enough to keep them both in Chapel Hill for a second season, yeah, I would love to see it.
I still expect RJ to return next season for his Super-Super-Senior year. He can get NIL money from Just For Men like Walt Frazier.
 
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