NBA draft: Best players available for Round 2, including Rasheer Fleming, Maxime Raynaud and Noah Penda

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

Freshmen dominated the first round of the NBA draft. That squeezed out some veteran college big men.
St. Joseph's junior Rasheer Fleming, Stanford senior Maxime Raynaud, and fifth-year seniors in Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and Auburn's Johni Broome are among those waiting to hear their name called entering the second round.
Bigs made up eight of the 30 first-round picks, with 18 freshmen and six international prospects taking up most of the slots.
Here's a look at top prospects available when the two-day format resumes with Minnesota on the clock Thursday night.
The 6-foot-8, 232-pound junior is coming off a productive season that included averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds for career-best outputs. He tied for fourth at the combine with a better than 7-5 wingspan, helping him average 1.5 blocks over the last two seasons.
He also proved he could stretch his range, going from shooting 31.3% on 3-pointers in his first two college seasons to 39% last year. Notably, he performed well in catch-and-shoot situations (in the 79th percentile) and finishing at the rim (89th percentile), according to Synergy's analytics data.
The 7-footer from France is a skilled a skilled 7-footer who averaged 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, putting himself alongside eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg of Duke as the only unanimous first-team picks on The Associated Press' All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team.
He has a rangy skillset. He rated in Synergy's 78th percentile in converting on post-up chances, shooting 50.7% in those scenarios, while the 84th percentile for spot-up shooting. That showed in him making 67 3-pointers in 35 games last year.
Chicago Bulls draft French teen Noa Essengue at No. 12, opting for upside and versatilityThe 6-8, 225-pound forward offers inside-out versatility and defensive potential. The 20-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33 games last year in France's top league, rating as 'very good' by Synergy in halfcourt settings.
Penda also led the team in steals (1.3) and blocks (0.9), and showed playmaking ability with his nifty passing.
The 7-1, 257 pound player has long been a productive post presence, averaging 14.5 points and 2.4 blocks while shooting 65.8% through five college seasons. He shot 58.5% in post-up situations to rank in Synergy's 87th percentile, and made 37 3-pointers in the last two years to show ability to step outside.
The AP third-team All-American started last season with 49 points in a game last year (second-most in Division I), and he had the combine's second-longest wingspan (7-6).
The 6-3, 202-pound senior was an AP second-team All-American last year who averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists in a bigger role. He was particularly good as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, shooting 50.8% in those situations to rank in Synergy's 85th percentile while also performing well in finishing at the rim and in spot-up chances.
The four-year veteran missed two career games and was a finalist last year for the Cousy Award presented to the nation's top point guard.
Broome offers an example of how elite college production doesn't always equate to NBA potential. The 6-9, 249-pound big man was a first-team AP All-American averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for a Final Four team, part of an impressive rise from starting his five-year career at Morehead State.
Yet Broome plays below the rim and lacks elite athleticism, tying for the combine's second-lowest max vertical leap (28.0). Synergy ranked his jumper as 'below average,' raising uncertainty about his ability to stretch defenses (27.8% on 3s last year) and create space.
Adou Thiero: The 6-6, 218-pound forward from Arkansas averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in a leading role as a junior with the Razorbacks under John Calipari, coming after spending two years under Calipari at Kentucky. The versatile athlete has a 7-foot wingspan.
Tyrese Proctor: The 6-4, 183-pound junior from Duke can play on or off the ball while bringing defense and outside shooting. Last year he averaged 12.4 points and 40.5% shooting on 3s, though he struggled in each of the Blue Devils' season-ending losses in the 2024 Elite Eight and 2025 Final Four (2 for 17 shooting in those games).
John Tonje: The 6-5, 212 pound guard is coming off a sixth college season in a career that began with four seasons at Colorado state, one injury-shortened season at Missouri and finally a big year with Wisconsin. Tonje was an AP second-team All-American last year and shot well on 3s (37.8%) and free throws (85.8%) in 167 college games.
Jamir Watkins: The 6-5, 215-pound guard proved to be a reliable scorer in two seasons with Florida State, averaging 17.0 points in 65 games. He spent two seasons and a redshirt year at VCU.
Bogoljub Markovic: The 6-11, 190-pound big played last year for Mega Basket in his home country of Serbia. He'll need bulk on a lean frame but he offers intriguing perimeter skills and 3-point range.