Excitement about the 2025 NBA draft class is rapidly building — and not just because of the star power at the very top. Yes, a handful of freshman studs, led by Cooper Flagg, have dominated the headlines, but this class is deep and elite prospects continue to emerge. As one anonymous NBA scout tells Hoops HQ, “that’s what makes this draft really unique — whether it be in the late lottery or mid-first, you could be staring at a guy that can really change your franchise around.” Here are the most notable names that are already shooting up NBA draft boards:
- Egor Demin, 6-foot-9 freshman guard, BYU
Since the college season tipped off two weeks ago, less-heralded guys have begun to climb the draft rankings. Perhaps the most intriguing of those so far is BYU freshman guard Egor Demin. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Demin played for Real Madrid before coming to the United States. Scouts have been impressed by the jump he has made from last year to the start of his BYU career. At 6-foot-9, Demin has an incredibly versatile skill set. He handles the ball well and excels at setting up his teammates. The 18-year-old floor general is currently averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 assists and 4 rebounds, and shooting 64 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.
With a prospect like Demin, who has great positional size and impacts the game in so many different ways, “the potential for failure is just very, very low,” as one NBA scout puts it. Through four outings, Demin is building a case to be among the first names called in the 2025 draft. “He wasn’t in that area, and now he’s playing his way into a top-five guy,” another NBA scout tells Hoops HQ. “His size, his ability to pass, his understanding of the game, his toughness — he has the total package.” Teams will be monitoring how Demin performs against stiffer competition once conference play begins in late December.
- Mackenzie Mgbako, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, Indiana
Mgbako fits the mold of a prototypical 3-and-D player. His efficiency has been especially encouraging — through three games, Mgbako is averaging 22 points on 71 percent shooting from the field and 64 percent from three, to go along with 7.6 rebounds. The former McDonald’s All-American looks vastly improved from last season, when he shot just 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. “If he makes shots, he’s a first-round pick,” says one NBA scout. “Because he has all the other tools. He does all the other things that you need him to do. He can play multiple positions. He can defend multiple guys on the floor.”
Of Mgbako’s improvement, Indiana player development analyst Isaac Green tells Hoops HQ, “Mackenzie’s jump from year one to year two is a testament to his strong work ethic and love for the game. He’s learning how to play winning basketball on both ends of the floor and has really leaned into all the things our coaching staff has asked him to do to help our team.”
- Labaron Philon, 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Alabama
Before the regular season started, both Alabama head coach Nate Oats and assistant coach Ryan Pannone raved about freshman guard Labaron Philon. “Labaron Philon has been really good,” Oats told Hoops HQ. “He’s pushing these upperclassman guards every day at practice, making them better. He plays both sides of the ball at a high level.”
“Labaron has been one of the most underrated guards in the country,” added Pannone.
Well, he’s not underrated anymore. Philon wasn’t included in early 2025 NBA mock drafts, but he is now firmly on the radar of NBA teams. The 18-year-old out of powerhouse Link Academy has certainly looked like a one-and-done player. Through four games, he is averaging 12 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds, and shooting 55 percent from the field and 36 percent from three. Coming off the bench against No. 13 Purdue in a raucous Mackey Arena, Philon led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
One NBA scout tells Hoops HQ that Philon reminds him a lot of Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, but with a more developed offensive game than Bufkin had in college. “I think he’s a perfect combo guard,” the scout says of Philon. “You can pair him next to any point guard in the league. He’ll guard and he can hit open shots. I could definitely see him going in the lottery.”
Alabama freshman Labaron Philon has grabbed the attention of NBA teams with his impressive start to the season.
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- Ryan Kalkbrenner, 7-foot-1 senior center, Creighton
After testing the 2024 NBA draft, center Ryan Kalkbrenner decided to return to Creighton for his fifth and final season. Thus far, that looks like a wise choice. Kalkbrenner has been the most dominant player in all of college basketball, averaging 25.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the 4-0 Bluejays. He has missed just five of his 46 total field goal attempts. At 7-foot-1, the three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year has displayed tremendous growth on offense. In the offseason, he focused heavily on extending his range to the three-point line. So far, so good, as Kalkbrenner is 3-of-4 from distance to kick off the year.
Generally regarded as a second round pick, Kalkbrenner is doing all he can to work his way into the first round. His timing appears to be perfect, as traditional centers are becoming more and more covetable in today’s NBA. Both Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan, two seven-footers, were picked in the top 10 in the 2024 NBA draft. “He’s a name that everybody’s familiar with, but I think a lot of his value is going to be tied to some of the guys that have come before him, almost like paving the way for the centers,” one NBA scout says about Kalkbrenner.
- Tre Johnson, 6-foot-6 freshman guard, Texas
In addition to Kalkbrenner, Philon, Mgbako and Demin, Hoops HQ’s NBA draft correspondent Jonathan Wasserman singles out two players that have made an early statement: Texas freshman guard Tre Johnson and Colorado State senior guard Nique Clifford.
Johnson, a five-star recruit also out of Link Academy, is a rare offensive talent. His scoring ability has clearly translated to the college level, as he is averaging 23.5 points on 59 percent shooting from the field. Johnson was slotted at No. 9 in Wasserman’s preseason mock draft, and he has exceeded expectations to this point. - Nique Clifford, 6-foot-6 senior guard, Colorado State
Physically and athletically, the 6-foot-6 Clifford fits the bill. He has an outstanding feel for the game as well. “He probably needs to get better shooting it, but he has all the tools and the make-up to sneak into the first round,” an NBA scout says. Clifford is averaging 20.3 points, 10.8 rebounds (first among guards in Division I) and 3 assists for the 3-1 Rams.
- One NBA scout pointed to several other freshmen — outside of the four typically mentioned in the top five (Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe) — who have made strong initial impressions: Illinois forward Will Riley, Georgia forward Asa Newell, Arkansas guard Boogie Fland and two standouts alongside Flagg at Duke, guard Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach. A 7-foot-2 big from South Sudan, Maluach, in particular, has grabbed this scout’s attention. “As this guy gets stronger, at the end of the day, he could be in the top 10,” the scout says. “I’m really high on him.” Maluach is averaging 9.5 points (on 77 percent shooting), 7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 19 minutes for the Blue Devils. A separate scout named a different freshman center, Maryland’s Derik Queen. The 6-foot-10 big man has attracted much attention since his monster opening night, when he put up 22 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Manhattan. A consensus five-star recruit, Queen figures to be a polarizing prospect with a wide range in the draft. He is undeniably talented, but slightly undersized for a center. Questions remain about his ability to defend at the NBA level. Still, Queen’s production has been impossible to ignore. On Friday, he nearly led the Terrapins to an upset victory over No. 15 Marquette, posting 24 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
- One sleeper to keep an eye on, according to another NBA scout, is Illinois sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic, the brother of Arkansas center Zvonimir Ivisic. Tomislav is a highly-skilled big from Croatia who is averaging 17.3 points and 9 rebounds to begin the season. “He’s a unique type of big, where he’s not necessarily the most physical, but he has great length,” the scout says. “He’s a legitimate seven-footer and he can pass. On top of all that, his shot looks pretty reliable. I can definitely see a team taking a chance on him in the first round. Honestly, depending on the season he has, he could go all the way up to the lottery.”
- A few other early risers that were tabbed in Hoops HQ’s conversations with scouts: Arkansas junior forward Adou Thiero, Wake Forest senior guard Hunter Sallis, Florida State senior guard Jamir Watkins, Kansas freshman forward Flory Bidunga and Michigan State senior forward Frankie Fidler.
The season is young, but the 2025 draft class appears even better than advertised so far. There are gems to be found well beyond the superstars that have been widely covered. “One thing that we have a tendency to do on our side is to compare [the class] to the year before because it’s the closest thing,” one scout says. “And it’s not even close.”
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