National media offer projections on Clemson's Viktor Lakhin being taken in 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA Draft is fast approaching, and Clemson Tigers big man Viktor Lakhin is among the players hoping to hear his name called Wednesday night at Barclay's Center in Brooklyn.
Lakhin, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound center from Russia, transferred to Clemson from Cincinnati ahead of the 2024-25 season and started 33 of the Tigers' 34 games. He averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 23.6 minutes a night while helping Clemson to a school-record 27 victories, including an 18-2 ACC record. Lakhin averaged 1.5 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.
The 2025 NBA Draft will consist of two rounds with 59 total selections. Duke guard Cooper Flagg is the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. The draft will be held June 25 beginning at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC and ESPN.
Here's where national media outlets have Lakhin ranked among the top 100 draft-eligible prospects and in mock drafts on the final weekend before the 2025 NBA Draft.
ESPN projects Clemson's Viktor Lakhin as second-round pick by Clippers
ESPN unveiled its final big board rankings of the top 100 prospects on Saturday. NBA analyst Jonathan Givony ranks Lakhin as the 51st best draft-eligible player this year.
The latest mock draft from Givony and ESPN's Jeremy Woo have Lakhin being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 51 overall pick. CBS Sports' draft prospect rankings have Lakhin much lower at No. 75 overall.
Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst sees Lakhin as potential second-round pickup
Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor has Lakhin at No. 59 on his NBA draft big board. O'Connor's latest mock draft has Lakhin going to the Utah Jazz with the 53rd overall pick.
Part of Yahoo's scouting report on Lakhin describes him this way:
"He's a great positional defender at the rim, even though he doesn't block a ton of shots. And he's quite mobile on the perimeter with the ability to step out and recover to his man, or hold his own when defending shooting bigs."
Clemson basketball: recent NBA Draft history
There's a chance Clemson could have a new player in the NBA for the third straight season. Last year, the Denver Nuggets signed forward P.J. Hall to a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent. He made his NBA debut on Nov. 17 and played in 19 regular-season games for the Nuggets.
Hall played in 13 games for the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League this past season and averaged 19.2 points and 12.5 rebounds a night while adding 1.1 blocks and 1.8 assists per game.
Two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Hunter Tyson in the second round with the 37th overall pick as part of an agreed-upon trade with Denver. Tyson played in 51 games for the Nuggets in 2024-25. He had 13 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes during the Nuggets' Western Conference semifinals series against the Thunder.
Prior to Tyson, Clemson hadn't had a player taken in the NBA Draft since forward Jaron Blossomgame was selected in the second round at No. 59 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2017.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
24 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Referees picked by the NBA for Game 7 are James Capers, Josh Tiven, Sean Wright
OKLAHOMA CITY — James Capers, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright joined a very small club on Sunday. Capers, Tiven and Wright were announced by the NBA as the officiating crew for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. It's the first Game 7 of a finals for all three, who are now the 22nd, 23rd and 24th referees in NBA history to land such an assignment.
Associated Press
36 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Referees picked by the NBA for Game 7 are James Capers, Josh Tiven, Sean Wright
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — James Capers, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright joined a very small club on Sunday. Capers, Tiven and Wright were announced by the NBA as the officiating crew for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. It's the first Game 7 of a finals for all three, who are now the 22nd, 23rd and 24th referees in NBA history to land such an assignment. 'Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the top honor as an NBA official,' Byron Spruell, the NBA's president of league operations, said earlier this month when the 12-person list of finals referees was revealed. And Game 7, one would think, is the top of the top honors. Scott Foster, a two-time Game 7 finals referee and generally considered one of the best in the game, was not picked for the crew. Had he been, he would have become the seventh referee picked to work at least three Game 7s in the title series. The referees in NBA history who have worked that many are Mendy Rudolph (six), Earl Strom (five), Sid Borgia (four), Dan Crawford (three), Joe Crawford (three) and Richie Powers (three). Foster — who is frequently criticized online by fans — was defended by Indiana coach Rick Carlisle after Game 4, notable because it was a game that the Pacers lost. 'As far as officiating, I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about the officiating, and Scott Foster in particular,' Carlisle said before Game 5. 'I've known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We've had him a lot of times. The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid.' The NBA had 75 full-time officials this season and 36 of those were selected to work the first round of the playoffs. The officiating roster is further trimmed going into each playoff round, with the league's referee operations management team determining who should advance. Capers is working his 13th finals, Tiven his sixth and Wright is in the finals for only the second time. It's the second game of these finals for all three referees — Capers worked Indiana's win in Game 3, while Wright and Tiven were both on the crew for Oklahoma City's win in Game 4. James Williams, who worked Games 2 and 5 of the series, was picked as the alternate for Game 7. David Guthrie, who officiated Games 1 and 6, was the referee assigned to the replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, for Game 7. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault addressed officiating — and how he and his team respect referees — from a general perspective Saturday, when asked how his team has avoided being called for very many technical fouls this season. 'The outcome of the game and the context of the game is outside of our control,' Daigneault said. 'In between the lines is inside our control. The referees (are) in that category, too. We can't control how they call the game and what they put a whistle on and what they don't. We can control a lot of other things in the game, and that's what we need to focus on.' ___ AP NBA:
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Duke's Khaman Maluach, Maryland's Derik Queen headline list of big men in upcoming NBA draft
Duke's Khaman Maluach anchored the interior for an elite defensive team that reached the Final Four. Maryland's Derik Queen was the offensive focal point for a team that reached the NCAA Tournament's second weekend. Those freshmen are the headliners among big men in the upcoming NBA draft. While there's a deep well of high-end guard prospects, the bigs have a smaller list and could produce Maluach and Queen as the lone lottery picks. Here's a look at the position entering Wednesday's first round: Khaman Maluach, Duke STRENGTHS: He has the length and size of an elite rim-runner who can impact games as a shot blocker and lob threat. The 7-foot-1, 253-pounder from South Sudan — he joined NBA Academy Africa in 2021 — showed ability to defend on the perimeter in Duke's switch-heavy approach and had the combine's biggest wingspan at 7-6 3/4. Maluach runs the floor well for transition potential beyond finishing those pick-and-roll chances, where he ranked in the 99th percentile by shooting 89.4% (42 of 47), according to Synergy's analytics rankings. He shot 76.6% from the foul line and made four 3s, indicators that he can develop his touch. CONCERNS: Maluach, who turns 19 in September, is a relative newcomer to the game and is still developing a raw offensive skillset. His 71.2% shooting largely came on dunks and putbacks, and he got to the line just twice per game. Taking away those in-close opportunities can blunt Maluach's impact (for now, anyway). That was on display in Duke's Final Four loss to Houston; he struggled against older and more physical players while managing six points on 1-for-2 shooting with zero rebounds in 21 minutes. Derik Queen, Maryland STRENGTHS: The 6-9, 248-pound Queen is a skilled big who averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while ranking among Division I leaders with 15 double-doubles with his ability to score in postups or off the offensive glass. He was also a solid passer (1.9 assists) and shot 76.6% on free throws while getting to the line 6.1 times per game, indicating his willingness to attack defenders. The 20-year-old claimed his place in March Madness lore by banking in a buzzer-beating runner to beat Colorado State and reach the NCAA Sweet 16. CONCERNS: Queen isn't the biggest of bigs nor an elite defender. There's also uncertainty on how he might fare against a bigger or quicker defenders, while he must improve his range after making just 7 of 35 3-pointers (20%). He also didn't measure well at the combine; he tied for last among all players in standing vertical leap (23.5 inches) and tied for second-lowest in max vertical (28.0), as well as last or next to last in lane agility, shuttle run and three-quarter court sprint testing. Asa Newell, Georgia STRENGTHS: The five-star recruit and first-round prospect helped the Bulldogs return to the NCAAs for the first time in a decade, with the 19-year-old capable of playing as a small-ball center or power forward. His athleticism helped him thrive on the offensive glass (22nd in Division I at 3.33 rebounds per game) and as a rim finisher, along with showing potential as a versatile defender. CONCERNS: Newell needs bulk on his 6-9, 224-pound frame to handle physical, stronger opponents. He also needs to enhance his outside shot after shooting 29.2% on 3-pointers (26 of 89). Thomas Sorber, Georgetown STRENGTHS: The freshman has the frame to tussle amid bumps in the post (6-9, 263) and in traffic. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 53.2% overall, including 57.1% in post-up chances, according to Synergy. The first-round prospect has defensive potential with a 7-6 wingspan (tied for second-longest at the combine) that helped him average 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals. CONCERNS: The 19-year-old must improve his 3-point shot (6 of 37, 16.2%). There was a limited sample size of 24 games before a foot injury ended his season, though the Hoyas lost seven of 10 without him to illustrate his value. Others of note: – RASHEER FLEMING: The 6-8, 232-pound junior from Saint Joseph's is a first-round prospect who averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last year. He has a better than 7-5 wingspan, and went from shooting 31.3% on 3s in his first two seasons to 39% last year. – DANNY WOLF: The 6-11, 252-pound junior thrived in moving from Yale in the Ivy League to the Big Ten's Michigan. The first-round prospect averaged 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds while also making 38 3s in 37 games to go with 15 double-doubles. – MAXIME RAYNAUD: Stanford's fourth-year senior from France is a skilled 7-footer who averaged 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds while making 67 3-pointers in 35 games last year. His rangy skillset could land him late in the first round. – JOAN BERINGER: The 6-11, 230-pound Frenchman turns 19 in November and could be a first-rounder as a mobile threat working in the pick-and-roll and as a lob threat. – HANSEN YANG: The 7-1, 249-pound center from China is a potential late first-rounder with intriguing size (9-3 standing reach, nearly 7-3 wingspan, only combine player in top three in both hand length and width) to go with shooting and passing touch. He turns 20 on June 26, the day of the second round. – RYAN KALKBRENNER: The 7-1, 257-pound senior from Creighton averaged 14.5 points and 2.4 blocks while shooting 65.8% over five college seasons. He has good touch in the paint and had 49 points in a game last year (second-most in Division I) as a possible late first-rounder. – YANIC KONAN NIEDERHAUSER: The 6-11, 243-pound junior from Penn State is a likely second-rounder who ranked 12th in Division I by averaging 2.31 blocks. He had a better than 7-3 wingspan with a 37-inch max vertical leap at the combine. ___
