The NBA All-Star break comes well past the halfway point in the season, but can serve as something of a line of demarcation for teams falling out of contention status and looking ahead to the 2025–26 season. Fortunately, those teams without much to be excited about the rest of the way have plenty to look forward to this summer, with the dangling carrot of a talented draft class headlined by presumptive No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. For the latest look at all the talent in the ’25 draft class, here’s Sports Illustrated’s updated big board.
- Cooper Flagg, Duke Blue Devils
- Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Ace Bailey, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- VJ Edgecombe, Baylor Bears
- Khaman Maluach, Duke Blue Devils
- Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois Fighting Illini
- Egor Demin, BYU Cougars
- Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies
- Kon Knueppel, Duke Blue Devils
- Nolan Traore, Saint Quentin (France)
- Tre Johnson, Texas Longhorns
- Hugo Gonzalez, Real Madrid (Spain)
- Will Riley, Illinois Fighting Illini
- Derik Queen, Maryland Terrapins
- Ben Saraf, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma Sooners
- Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Danny Wolf, Michigan Wolverines
- Joan Beringer, Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia)
- Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s Hawks
- Adou Thiero, Arkansas Razorbacks
- Asa Newell, Georgia Bulldogs
- Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina Gamecocks
- Thomas Sorber, Georgetown Hoyas
- Carter Bryant, Arizona Wildcats
- Ian Jackson, North Carolina Tar Heels
- Drake Powell, North Carolina Tar Heels
- Alex Condon, Florida Gators
- Jase Richardson, Michigan State Spartans
- Nique Clifford, Colorado State Rams
- Alex Karaban, UConn Huskies
- Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)
- Johni Broome, Auburn Tigers
- Boogie Fland, Arkansas Razorbacks
- Labaron Philon, Alabama Crimson Tide
- Kam Jones, Marquette Golden Eagles
- Miles Byrd, San Diego State Aztecs
- Michael Ruzic, Joventut (Spain)
- Darrion Williams, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Derrion Reid, Alabama Crimson Tide
- JoJo Tugler, Houston Cougars
- Maxime Raynaud, Stanford Cardinal
- Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Bluejays
- Eric Dixon, Villanova Wildcats
- Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Volunteers
- Walter Clayton Jr., Florida Gators
- JT Toppin, Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Kanon Catchings, BYU Cougars
- RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s Red Storm
- Isaiah Evans, Duke Blue Devils
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Harper’s season has been a disjointed one, missing time in early January due to a nasty bout with the flu before being sidelined for two games with a high ankle sprain just as he had seemed to find his footing again. He bounced back from the ankle injury with a dominant showing against Illinois, but has shot the ball poorly since and has seen his team slip to just 12–14 on the season and on the bubble just to qualify for the Big Ten tournament. There have been enough bright moments this season to feel confident in Harper as a top-three pick, and there hasn’t been a sustained push from anyone below him to unseat him or teammate Ace Bailey in the top three. Still, it’s disappointing not to see Harper and Bailey playing meaningful games in late February and March.
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor Bears
If there’s a player whose recent play could have warranted crashing the top three, it’s Edgecombe, who has been phenomenal in Big 12 play for Baylor after a slow shooting start to the season. In conference games, the 6' 5" guard is shooting 44.8% from the field and 35.5% from three, proving to be a high-level scorer in addition to his defensive playmaking instincts. Edgecombe is on the smaller side both in height and frame, but his speed and explosive athleticism makes him a terror in the open court.
Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies
After missing a month with an ankle injury, McNeeley has returned with three straight double-figure scoring games, headlined by 38 points and 10 rebounds in a road win at Creighton. McNeeley has largely been labeled a three-and-D prospect, but showings like the one at Creighton demonstrate the Texas native has more scoring potential than some have given him credit for. Teams in the back half of the lottery will also value his competitiveness, which has been raved about since his high school and AAU days.
Will Riley, Illinois Fighting Illini
Riley’s production has surged at the same time that plenty of freshmen hit a wall, averaging 18 points, five rebounds and four assists in his last six games and showcasing the advanced shotmaking talents that made him an elite high school recruit. Despite his extremely slender frame and limited explosiveness athletically, Riley has found ways to create his own shot thanks to his creativity and elite scoring instincts. He has also looked more comfortable of late in catch-and-shoot situations, an exciting step in his development given he has spent most of his career in a high-usage role on the ball. Riley is still a bit of a project, but his combination of size and shooting gives him a reasonable floor to go with scoring upside.
Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s Hawks
Once an overshadowed role player on a loaded AAU team with five-stars DJ Wagner, Mackenzie Mgbako and Aaron Bradshaw, Fleming is now the best prospect of the bunch after three years of seasoning at St. Joe’s. The chiseled 6' 9" forward has broken through as a junior after showing serious flashes in his first two college seasons, averaging nearly 15 points and nine rebounds per game and showcasing a much-improved motor on both ends of the floor. He’s one of three players nationally with at least 35 threes, 35 steals and 35 blocks this season, possessing the type of shooting and defensive versatility that could make him very attractive to teams in the latter half of the first round.
Alex Condon, Florida Gators
Florida’s emergence as a potential No. 1 seed and national title contender has been driven in part by Condon, whose offensive versatility and toughness have keyed Florida’s two-big lineups. The Australian forward’s 17-point, 10-rebound, four-assist showing against Auburn and Johni Broome certainly turned heads, though Condon was sidelined early in the team’s next game against Mississippi State with an ankle injury. Condon is a late bloomer who also played Australian rules football and water polo as a youngster and could generate intrigue in the back end of the first round, though another year of seasoning in Gainesville, Fla., could propel him further up draft boards.
RJ Luis Jr., St. John’s Red Storm
St. John’s is tracking toward its first Big East title in more than 30 years, and the biggest catalyst is Luis. The Miami native is one of the highest-motor players in the country, dominating games on the back of elite effort as much as anything. Luis’s clearest path to an NBA role is as a defensive specialist, using his high-level size and athleticism on the wing to carve out a dirty-work role. He has, however, shown tangible shooting improvement this season, making a three a game (albeit at just a 27% clip), and he has served as a clutch shotmaker late in game for the Red Storm at times this season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Draft Big Board: VJ Edgecombe Pushing Toward Top Three.
