NBA Draft 2025: Scouting the good, bad and ugly from 2 weeks at SEC, NCAA tournaments

SEATTLE and NASHVILLE, Tenn.

The whirlwind of March provides a great opportunity to do some late scouting on players who will be playing their biggest (and last) games before potentially entering Junes NBA Draft.

With conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament providing multiple chances to see four games in one day, and the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, its a time-honored cram session for scouts and armchair analysts.

Advertisement To that end, I hit the road recently to take in a total of 16 college games and get some additional impressions on numerous prospects.

The strength of the SEC and the decline of the ACC allowed for even more one-stop shopping than usual (we know Dukes Cooper Flagg is the best player, but the other 17 teams in the once-mighty ACC might not have a top-40 prospect among them).

The SEC, on the other hand, has emerged as a monstrous basketball powerhouse, with 14 of its 16 teams making the NCAA Tournament and seven of them advancing to the Sweet 16.

In addition to that conference tourney in Nashville, I circled through the NCAA Tournament regional in Seattle for first-round action to get a final look at draft talent from Arizona, Maryland, Oregon, Colorado State, Memphis and Grand Canyon.

All told, I saw eight players in the top 25 of Sam Vecenies latest mock draft , plus five who were projected in the second round and several others I think either might move up on boards or warrant closer draft scrutiny a year from now.

Here are some superlatives from my adventures: The 6-foot-3 Fears has some question marks because of his iffy outside shot, a flat wrist flick that spins a quarter turn off-axis and defense that could charitably be described as still evolving.

But his pick-and-roll craft and ability to cook the initial defender and get into the paint are so good that teams might overlook everything else on draft night.

Fears, a freshman shooting guard, especially stood out in a 28-point performance against Kentucky in the second round of the SEC tournament, a game Oklahoma lost despite Fears nearly leading a miraculous comeback by scoring nine points in 80 seconds.

Fears was turnover-prone and shot 28.4 percent from 3 this season, but the analytics people will note his 85.2 percent mark from the line, enormous free-throw rate and a high rate of steals (despite other errors, he can find the ball).

He flies at full speed into one-handed layups with either hand, turning small advantages into high-percentage shots: Fears has all the makings of a sixth man right now due to his shot-creation capacity and projects as a starter if the defense or shooting come around.

That may not sound effusive, but that is the definition of a mid-to-late lottery pick.

Colorado State was dead the moment it let Queen spin back to his left.

His game-winner against the Rams on Sunday in the Round of 32 showed off something that has been apparent all season: The freshman big man is nearly ambidextrous and often operates as a left-handed player in the paint.

DERIK QUEEN FTW OH MY GOODNESS #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/06QRH6eK3R NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025 The 6-10 Queen finished off Colorado State with a brilliant right-handed shot off the glass.

He hasnt been shy all year about attempting finishes with his off hand after making a strong drive in that direction; he even has a tendency to spin back to his left after starting a drive going right.

I wrote about Queen a few weeks ago , and the book hasnt changed: Are the conditioning and defense going to be enough to keep him on the floor for his offensive gifts? Hell get another chance to sell scouts on this idea when Maryland plays mighty Florida on Thursday in the Sweet 16.

Philon, a 6-4 freshman shooting guard, was the highest-ranked college player I hadnt seen in person yet this year when I got to Nashville, but he showed out with a 21-point, three-steal effort in Alabamas surprisingly easy rout over Kentucky in the SEC quarterfinals.

Philon doesnt jump off the page athletically but has a lot of subtle skills in his favor.

Hes tall for a point guard and has a strong left hand.

Hes pretty good at stopping and starting, and he glides into Euro steps and short floaters on the move.

Like this: As with Fears above, Philon has some proving to do as a shooter; he has a slow, low release and has made 29.6 percent from 3 this year on fairly low volume.

He also has some concerns about his slender frame, especially if hes asked to play off the ball and guard shooting guards; that said, his defense at Alabama hasnt been an issue.

Scouts will be curious how he can fare in a more demanding role.

Advertisement That said, Philon can run a team, find the open man and has some finishing craft inside.

The ability to pass and finish at his size and age (he wont turn 20 until November) stamps Philon as a likely first-rounder if he stays in the draft.

Ive been a Bryant fan ever since he showed out in a Nike Hoop Summit practice last April against the players who were mistakenly selected for the team ahead of him.

The 6-8 forward showcased enough of his 3-and-D game in Arizonas win over Akron to show why I think hes still undervalued on most draft boards.

He had 12 points and three blocks and several exclamation-point type plays in just 20 minutes as the Wildcats cruised to a one-sided win.

Watch this sequence, for instance, where he blocks a shot at one end and throws down a big dunk at the other: Bryant is in a low-usage role, and his limited handle is one reason his draft stock hasnt soared, but hes shown some playmaking skill without needing to pound the rock and has offered glimpses of greater shot-creation ceiling.

Against Akron, he turned a late-clock grenade into a pull-up 3 going left that splashed all net and made another after a reset after needing to leap for a high kickout pass.

Hes up to 37.4 percent from 3 on the year.

Bryant is probably a role player at the next level, but his combination of size, shooting and athletic finishing gives him a solid floor, and there could be a lot more here in time.

I wrote here about Johnsons performance at the SEC tournament, so I wont repeat myself, but suffice to say, Im struggling with him being a top-10 guy on draft boards.

The 6-5 guard shoots the ball well enough that he could make an impact at the next level, but his pathways to success are constrained enough in other areas that he basically has to shoot 40 percent from 3 to be a player.

Advertisement Maybe he pulls it off he shot 39.7 percent at Texas and 89.1 percent from the line but youd like a few more developmental off-ramps.

I havent built up my full draft board yet, but I think its fair to say Im going to be lower on him than the consensus.

Clayton was the hero of Floridas second-round win over Connecticut with two late 3-pointers off the dribble, and that was no accident.

The skill that pops when seeing Clayton in person is just how easily he gets off the floor and helps explain how a player his size has four straight games with at least 22 points.

Clayton has his weaknesses hes more of a combo guard than a pure point, his defense isnt as strong as his offense and, as a 22-year-old senior, hell get more scrutiny across the board.

Nonetheless, few point guards of any age are throwing down an alley-oop this easily: Walter Clayton Jr.

not normally on THIS END of an alley-oop.

Bang.

#Gators pic.twitter.com/Ss60aDw9GN OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) March 14, 2025 Clayton is a likely second-rounder and will have to play more as a passer at the next level, but his ability to rise up into shots off the dribble and the occasional alley-oop should make it a bit easier for him to stick.

Murray-Boyles woeful South Carolina team was quickly excused from the SEC tournament, but not before he made one more display of his rare skill set with 20 points and 12 boards in a season-ending loss to Arkansas.

At 6-7, Murray-Boyles is an odd player because hes played inside as a collegian but will be asked to do different things as a pro, forcing a Grant Williams-type transition from interior college dominator to a more perimeter-focused power forward at the pros.

Advertisement The good news for Murray-Boyles is that he definitely can do it at the defensive end.

He has fast hands and nimble feet that belie his wide frame.

Watch him defend in switches, even against fast guards, and its clear hell be able to hold up on this end.

The numbers back that up, with a high steal rate (2.9 thefts per 100 possessions) that isnt the product of gambling.

Offensively, its trickier.

The lefty made a few jump shots against Arkansas but still finished the year 9-of-34 on 3-pointers and 70.7 percent from the line.

His set-shot stroke isnt obviously broken or anything and likely will improve with more perimeter reps, but its not exactly a strength either.

The bigger issue, perhaps, might be Murray-Boyles extreme left-handedness.

One of his few right-handed forays against Arkansas ended with the ball going off his foot out of bounds.

At the cup, its more pronounced: As an undersized player, Murray-Boyles has more need than most to protect the ball with his body going up for a shot, but he constantly does the opposite by going up left-handed from the right side of the rim.

Murray-Boyles will likely need to change both his body and his game at the next level, but theres still a lot to like.

He has a strong basketball IQ, good hands and should be able to defend from the word go.

For scouts, placing that skill set on a draft board and figuring out the ceiling is the challenge; he is one of this years most difficult evaluations.

Speaking of which...

We didnt learn anything new about Newell in Georgias SEC tournament loss to Oklahoma, nor in the Bulldogs Round of 64 elimination against Gonzaga.

The 6-11 Newell put up great counting stats in both games, including 21 points and 17 boards in the loss to the Sooners, but the eye test didnt match up impact-wise.

The southpaw forward has a good shooting touch around the basket but doesnt have the power or explosiveness to be a low-block scorer against bigs.

His handle is limited mostly to straight lines and one or two dribble drives.

Advertisement Additionally, he doesnt move the needle the same way in other areas, something perhaps most easily seen by his absence from the secondary stat categories.

In Georgias last four games, Newell played 124 minutes and had one assist, one block and zero steals.

Yikes.

I get why Oweh hasnt been a hot name in scouting circles; for one, the junior guard might very well return for another year, and the shooting (36.0 percent on low volume, with some clear form questions) is a leap of faith.

On the other hand, the 6-5 Oweh was awesome in Kentuckys SEC tournament win over Oklahoma (27 points, five assists, three steals, game-winner at the buzzer) and played very well in the Wildcats two NCAA wins since then.

Hes a good athlete who can explode at the cup and has a strong frame and solid handle for his size, and hes a pesky, handsy defender.

Most notably, Oweh had some really sharp crossover moves where he left defenders in the dust, Watch this one, for instance, where he leaves the previously mentioned Fears grasping at air while Oweh gathered into a contested finish at the rim: Oweh will get another stern test Friday when Kentucky faces Tennessee; the Vols Jahmai Mashack is one of the best defenders in college basketball, and Tennessee is KenPom.coms third-ranked defense out of 364 Division I teams.

Colorado State was the one mid-major that nearly broke through the power-conference blockade on Sweet 16 spots.

The 12th-seeded Rams led Maryland in the final seconds before Queens buzzer-beater sent the Terps through, but in two games over the weekend, Clifford showed why he has piqued teams interest.

Advertisement The fifth-year senior wing led the Mountain West in both PER and BPM (though somehow he was not voted MWC Player of the Year), and in two tournament games, he filled the stat sheet with 15 rebounds, 12 assists and 18 earned free-throw attempts, including looping this pass out of the post for a go-ahead 3-pointer just before Queens heroics.

What he did not do, alas, was shoot.

Cliffords elbow-out, flicky shooting form has created some consternation among scouts who want him to be an off-ball role player at the next level; how well can he really do that if hes not a catch-and-shoot threat? It didnt help that he missed every jump shot he took this past weekend, although his season numbers (37.7 percent from 3, 77.7 percent from the stripe) are more respectable.

Clifford also is 23 years old already and didnt exactly shred the competition at the NBA Draft Combine in 2024 before deciding to return to school.

Between that and the shooting, its hard to see him breaking into the top 20.

But playing against higher-level competition than he saw in the MWC, he helped himself in the NCAA Tournament.

The eye test is that hes a good secondary handler and creator with a high basketball IQ; despite measuring a bit short (6-5 in socks), he has a strong frame that can guard up, and he punches above his weight on the boards.

If Clifford can just be average as a shooter, he can help a lot of teams.

Broomes draft stock likely wont reflect it because he turns 23 in July and doesnt offer the level of rim protection or switchability NBA teams typically want from their center, but hes been one of the two best players in college basketball this season.

Broome also didnt look quite up to his usual self physically in my viewing of Auburn, a 62-57 taffy pull of a win over Ole Miss in the SEC quarterfinals.

Despite appearances, the 6-10 Broome had 23 points and 13 rebounds and scored the game-sealing bucket late, showcasing his combination of size and touch: Broome isnt a big 3-point threat (26.5 percent this season, and 59.2 percent from the free-throw line), but he has touch thats on a different level once he gets closer.

Between that and his long arms, youre pretty much dead if he turns over his right shoulder.

The other reason to believe in Broome didnt really show itself against Ole Miss, but the dude can pass, with 5.8 dimes per 100 possessions this season and more than two assists for every turnover.

Historically, betting against bigs who can pass is a fools errand.

Advertisement Veesaar made perhaps my favorite plays from the first weekend of the tournament when I saw Arizonas rout of Akron.

The first one went on the scoresheet as a turnover and a foul, but watch the defensive reaction he makes after throwing away the pass.

In one turn, he gets back and seemingly blocks an alley-oop dunk attempt after contesting the pass, which was thrown while he was still above the free-throw line and turning his hips.

(Im not sure he fouled the guy either.): The developing Estonian 7-footer also had flashes of quality as a short roller, hitting cutters for assists after catching the ball on the move.

Veesaar got off to a very slow start this season after missing all of 2023-24 and is coming off the bench for reasons that arent entirely clear, but hes established himself as a draftable big.

However, its likely that another year of physical development hes still pretty easy to push around and a one-year run as the teams go-to guy could significantly improve his draft stock a year from now.

Shelstad is small at 6-0, so the bar is pretty high for him to get to the next level, but scouts have been eyeing him ever since his standout performance against more highly-touted talent at the 2023 Hoop Summit.

The Ducks guard has one superpower in particular the ability to stop on a dime and rise for pull-up jumpers off the dribble, getting enough elevation to offset his lack of size.

Shelstad made four pull-up jumpers off the bounce in a 25-point effort Sunday against Arizona after scoring 17 on 7-of-11 shooting in the Ducks rout of Liberty.

Shelstad didnt take the step forward some had hoped in his sophomore year, finishing with pretty meh stats for a draft prospect (13.7 points per game, 15.8 PER), but his two tournament games were two of his best outings of the year.

Hes likely to be Oregons go-to guy next season and might end up leaning into that pull-up game a lot more heavily as a result.

(Top photo of Johni Broome: Stew Milne / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.