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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg
The 2025 NBA Draft is next month but there are still many undetermined decisions that will have a big effect on both this draft class and the NCAA. There are more than 2,000 players who entered the men's college basketball transfer portal this offseason. Advertisement 27 of those players also declared as early entry candidates for the 2025 NBA Draft. Among that list, 20 of those players (including Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg as well as Duke's Cedric Coward and Kentucky's Jaland Lowe) have already committed to new schools for the upcoming NCAA campaign. More: Why a shockingly small number of NCAA basketball players declared for the 2025 NBA Draft Meanwhile, however, 11 players from the transfer portal have simultaneously received invitations to either the 2025 NBA Draft Combine or to the G League Elite Camp. That includes five players (Darrion Williams, Boogie Fland, PJ Haggerty, RJ Luis, and Jamir Watkins) who have yet to commit to a new collegiate program. While one player (Saint John's Joson Sanon) declined, the rest will have the chance to make a case for their professional future in front of NBA scouts and executives. Advertisement Those who did not receive an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine or G League Elite Camp (e.g. USC's Chad Baker-Mazara, Indiana's Tayton Conerway, UConn's Silas Demary Jr., and Mississippi State's Quincy Ballard) have a fairly straightforward answer: They should probably just return to school. But prospects like Lendeborg, Williams, Fland, Haggerty, Luis, Watkins, and Coward will have particularly interesting decisions to make after the 2025 NBA Draft Combine is wrapped. Here are the most interesting candidates who will have until May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw from the draft if they wish to play in the NCAA next season. Players are sorted based on future projections, strength of schedule, and various impact metrics. Note: Nick Kalinowski, Evan Miya, Bart Torvik, Ken Pom, and CBB Analytics were resources for this research. 1. Yaxel Lendeborg UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) looks to pass as Memphis Tigers forward Dain Dainja (42) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena. Former School: UAB Advertisement New School: Michigan Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.30 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.68 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 27 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 2. Darrion Williams Former School: Texas Tech New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.91 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.51 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 46 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 3. Chad Baker-Mazara Former School: Auburn New School: USC Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.14 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.88 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 4. Boogie Fland Former School: Arkansas Advertisement New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.88 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.27 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 53 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 5. PJ Haggerty Former School: Memphis New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.73 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.44 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 69 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 6. RJ Luis St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) dribbles during the second half of a second round men's NCAA Tournament game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Former School: Saint John's New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.31 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.29 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 67 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited More: Rick Pitino had a 7-word explanation for benching RJ Luis in St. John's loss to Arkansas 7. Tayton Conerway Former School: Troy Advertisement New School: Indiana Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.62 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.74 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 8. Silas Demary Jr. Former School: Georgia New School: Uconn Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.03 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.00 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): NR NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 9. Jamir Watkins Former School: Florida State New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.06 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.69 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 70 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited WATCH: FSU basketball star Jamir Watkins talks FSU return, new basketball season 10. Quincy Ballard Former School: Wichita State Advertisement New School: Mississippi State Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.32 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.67 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 11. Jaland Lowe Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) drives to the basket against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Tae Davis (7) during the first half at Spectrum Center. Former School: Pittsburgh New School: Kentucky Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.19 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.68 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite 12. Brenen Lorient Former School: North Texas New School: West Virginia Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.16 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.18 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 13. Mackenzie Mgbako Former School: Indiana Advertisement New School: Texas A&M Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.38 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.39 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite 14. AK Okereke Former School: Cornell New School: Vanderbilt Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.15 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.11 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 15. Joson Sanon Former School: Arizona State New School: Saint John's Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.37 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.19 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite (Declined) 16. Cedric Coward Washington State Cougars guard Cedric Coward (0) makes an easy lay up against the Eastern Washington Eagles in the first half at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Former School: Washington State Advertisement New School: Duke Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.13 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.30 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 54 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 17. Melvin Council Jr. Former School: Saint Bonaventure New School: Kansas Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.73 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.88 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 18. Tae Davis Former School: Notre Dame New School: Oklahoma Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.57 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.78 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 19. Jaron Pierre Jr. Former School: Jacksonville State Advertisement New School: SMU Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 1.74 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.09 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite This article originally appeared on For The Win: Most impactful 2025 NBA Draft prospects who are also in NCAA transfer portal
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg
19 best NBA prospects who are also in the NCAA transfer portal, including Yaxel Lendeborg The 2025 NBA Draft is next month but there are still many undetermined decisions that will have a big effect on both this draft class and the NCAA. There are more than 2,000 players who entered the men's college basketball transfer portal this offseason. 27 of those players also declared as early entry candidates for the 2025 NBA Draft. Among that list, 20 of those players (including Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg as well as Duke's Cedric Coward and Kentucky's Jaland Lowe) have already committed to new schools for the upcoming NCAA campaign. More: Why a shockingly small number of NCAA basketball players declared for the 2025 NBA Draft Meanwhile, however, 11 players from the transfer portal have received invitations to either the 2025 NBA Draft Combine or the G League Elite Camp. That includes five players (Darrion Williams, Boogie Fland, PJ Haggerty, RJ Luis, and Jamir Watkins) who have yet to commit to a new collegiate program. Those who did not receive an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine or G League Elite Camp (e.g. USC's Chad Baker-Mazara, Indiana's Tayton Conerway, UConn's Silas Demary Jr., and Mississippi State's Quincy Ballard) have a fairly straightforward answer: They should probably just return to school. But prospects like Lendeborg, Williams, Fland, Haggerty, Luis, Watkins, and Coward will have particularly interesting decisions to make after the 2025 NBA Draft Combine is wrapped. Here are the most interesting candidates who will have until May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw from the draft if they wish to play in the NCAA next season. Players are sorted based on future projections, strength of schedule, and various impact metrics. Note: Nick Kalinowski, Evan Miya, Bart Torvik, Ken Pom, and CBB Analytics were resources for this research. 1. Yaxel Lendeborg Former School: UAB New School: Michigan Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.30 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.68 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 27 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 2. Darrion Williams Former School: Texas Tech New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.91 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.51 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 46 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 3. Chad Baker-Mazara Former School: Auburn New School: USC Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.14 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.88 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 4. Boogie Fland Former School: Arkansas New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 6.88 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.27 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 53 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 5. PJ Haggerty Former School: Memphis New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.73 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.44 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 69 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 6. RJ Luis Former School: Saint John's New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.31 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.29 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 67 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited More: Rick Pitino had a 7-word explanation for benching RJ Luis in St. John's loss to Arkansas 7. Tayton Conerway Former School: Troy New School: Indiana Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.62 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.74 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 8. Silas Demary Jr. Former School: Georgia New School: Uconn Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.03 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.00 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): NR NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 9. Jamir Watkins Former School: Florida State New School: Uncommitted Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.06 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.69 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 70 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited WATCH: FSU basketball star Jamir Watkins talks FSU return, new basketball season 10. Quincy Ballard Former School: Wichita State New School: Mississippi State Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.32 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.67 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 11. Jaland Lowe Former School: Pittsburgh New School: Kentucky Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 5.19 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.68 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite 12. Brenen Lorient Former School: North Texas New School: West Virginia Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.16 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 7.18 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 13. Mackenzie Mgbako Former School: Indiana New School: Texas A&M Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.38 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.39 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): TK NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite 14. AK Okereke Former School: Cornell New School: Vanderbilt Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.15 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 3.11 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 15. Joson Sanon Former School: Arizona State New School: Saint John's Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 4.37 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.19 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite 16. Cedric Coward Former School: Washington State New School: Duke Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.13 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 5.30 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): 54 NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited 17. Melvin Council Jr. Former School: Saint Bonaventure New School: Kansas Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 2.73 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.88 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 18. Tae Davis Former School: Notre Dame New School: Oklahoma Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 3.57 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 2.78 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Not Invited 19. Jaron Pierre Jr. Former School: Jacksonville State New School: SMU Projected BPR (via Evan Miya): 1.74 Projected BPM (via Nick Kalinowski): 4.09 Big Board Ranking (via ESPN): Not Ranked NBA Draft Combine Status: Invited to G League Elite
New York Times
17-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Men's NCAA Tournament power rankings: The 16 teams most likely to cut down the nets
Editor's note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men's & women's NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments. The college basketball season's long journey is now reaching its frenzied finale. The NCAA Tournament bracket is officially here, and we can now analyze real matchups and regions. Advertisement The list below marks our first attempt to rank the 16 teams most likely to cut down the nets in San Antonio, factoring in team quality alongside potential paths through the NCAA Tournament. We'll revisit these rankings after each round, gauging whose stock has improved or dropped based on the quality of their play and any upsets that might clear the way for a deep run. Determining how much weight to place on a team's current form is a tricky part of this analysis. Florida, for example, is clearly rolling of late, having won the SEC tournament while capturing two wins over Alabama and another over Tennessee in the past two weeks. How high should that hot streak vault the Gators? In the same vein, should No. 1 overall seed Auburn, losers of three of its last four, be knocked down the list? Unsurprisingly, the SEC is well-represented here. The league established itself as a juggernaut in nonconference play and was rewarded with a tournament-record 14 teams earning bids, including four of the top eight seeds. However, the SEC does not top these rankings. So, who does? The ACC regular season and tournament champion sits atop the rankings at KenPom and Evan Miya (second at Bart Torvik). Cooper Flagg's ankle injury is the most pressing concern, but as long as he is fine by the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils' chances of winning it all should be unaffected. Duke still beat Louisville by double-digits in the ACC final without Flagg, so Jon Scheyer's squad should not have much trouble with the winners of American/Mount Saint Mary's and Mississippi State/Baylor on the first weekend. The Gators are a national darling right now after storming through the SEC tournament. They won all three games by at least nine points, and their only loss since Feb. 1 was a final-minute coin flip at Georgia on Feb. 25. Florida is deep, talented and physical, and it has a true star in scoring guard Walter Clayton Jr. If there is one hesitation, it is that Gators coach Todd Golden has never won an NCAA Tournament game. Can he suddenly win six in a row? The best team in the country for the season's first four months, Auburn has suddenly looked mortal ever since clinching the SEC regular season title. Johni Broome remains a star, and the big lefty nearly carried the Tigers to a win over Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals. But Auburn seems to lack the 'it' factor it carried for most of the season. Plus, the Tigers are always vulnerable to a Chad Baker-Mazara meltdown. Like Duke, Houston is a double champion, having won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles. The Cougars are a typical Kelvin Sampson team in all of the best ways: elite defensively, physical, relentless on the offensive glass. But this team is also one of the best perimeter shooting teams in the country, adding an element of offensive explosiveness past Houston teams have lacked. The Cougars do have a lingering health question: Key forward J'Wan Roberts has an ankle injury that could linger into the NCAA Tournament. Rick Pitino's Red Storm won the Big East regular season and tournament championships thanks to arguably the best defense in college basketball. RJ Luis Jr. was the Big East's player of the year, but Zuby Ejiofor and Kadary Richmond are also capable of taking over games. The Johnnies have just one loss since the calendar flipped to 2025. The Crimson Tide have not quite matched their sky-high preseason expectations, but this is still an explosive offense led by veteran All-America guard Mark Sears. Another star from Alabama's 2024 Final Four run, Grant Nelson, injured his knee against Florida in the SEC tournament, though, and the Tide's ceiling would lower if he ended up missing games. Alabama's defense has also been leaky most of the season, a potential Achilles' heel against other top teams. Texas Tech is off to Wichita to face UNC Wilmington, but perhaps its most important battle over the next few days is against the injury bug. Key starters Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian missed the Red Raiders' Big 12 tournament semifinal loss to Arizona, and although coach Grant McCasland has already said they will be available, they need to be the best versions of themselves for Texas Tech to go deep into the tournament. The Vols could not take down Florida in the SEC tournament title game, but their win against Auburn in the semifinals illustrates their upside. Tennessee has an extremely veteran roster — 14th nationally in KenPom's D-I Experience statistic — and like most Rick Barnes teams, this group is hyper-physical and downright mean defensively. A Sweet 16 clash with Kentucky, which swept Tennessee this season, would make for an intriguing shot at revenge. Michigan State's claim to fame is its demonic work on the glass. Thanks to a bruising group of big men and sound positional principles, the Spartans rank No. 5 nationally in rebounding margin. The knock on the Big Ten regular-season champs is that they struggle to shoot from the perimeter, but Jase Richardson's emergence as a deadly scorer since entering the starting lineup on Feb. 8 has raised the ceiling of the offense. The Badgers' legs seemed shot by the end of their hard-fought loss to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament final. They went just 7 of 39 (17.9 percent) from beyond the arc, a far cry from the 19-of-32 (59.4 percent) explosion against UCLA just two days prior. Still, the Badgers proved they are a much better team with the services of Max Klesmit, who missed their strange season-ending home loss to Penn State. With a guard trio like Klesmit, John Tonje and John Blackwell, Wisconsin can beat anybody. Iowa State's best is up there with anyone in the tournament. When fully healthy, the Cyclones lost just twice this season: to Auburn by two at the Maui Invitation and to BYU in double overtime. The problem is that TJ Otzelberger's team will not be healthy for the NCAA Tournament, as he announced Sunday that guard Keshon Gilbert will not be available for the remainder of the season. Iowa State still has two tremendous guards in Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones plus a deep, physical frontcourt, but the Clones' ceiling lowers without Gilbert's swarming on-ball defense. A year after an Elite Eight run as a No. 6 seed, Clemson is up a seed line this time around. Several key veterans are back from that squad, most notably point guard Chase Hunter and forward Ian Schieffelin. Veteran transfers Jaeden Zackery and Viktor Lakhin are eager to get in on the postseason success as well; neither has played in the NCAA Tournament yet. Unfortunately, the Tigers start with a tough matchup with one of the country's most athletic mid-majors, and they will be shorthanded after backup guard Dillon Hunter broke his hand. Kentucky has all kinds of upside, racking up 11 Quad 1 wins this season, which tied for fourth nationally. But the Wildcats also went just 10-8 in the SEC, struggling mightily with consistency on the defensive end. Those worries could be compounded if their best on-ball defender, Lamont Butler, is out or well below 100 percent for the tournament. He is expected to play, but he has reinjured his shoulder multiple times this year, and Kentucky is a different team when he is on the bench. The Crab Five, as Maryland's starting unit has come to be known, is as good as any in the country. The Terrapins have size, shooting, playmaking, ballhandling — almost everything you could want. They do lack depth, though, so if one or two players have an off night, Maryland can be vulnerable. Grand Canyon is a challenging underdog; the Antelopes have four starters back from the team that beat Saint Mary's in the NCAA Tournament last season and have plenty of size and athleticism themselves. Arizona almost won the Big 12 tournament, playing Houston to a near-draw for 39 minutes in the championship game. The Wildcats have an impressive top gear, but the Caleb Love cloud will hang over their heads all tournament. He went just 5 of 18 from the field in the Wildcats' postseason loss to Clemson last year. Arizona is a dominant offensive rebounding team, though, and any player in the seven-man rotation can have a big game on a given night. Outside of the top seeds, we're looking for upside for a title contender. Led by a likely lottery pick in Kasparas Jakucionis and an excellent coach in Brad Underwood, Illinois has that. The Illini's seeding suffered due to a shaky February when the roster was ravaged by injuries and illness, but when things are clicking, Illinois looks unbeatable. Case in point: winning at Oregon by 32 and winning at Michigan by 20. Can the Illini capture that form for six consecutive games? Unlikely, but you never know. The Bracket Central series is sponsored by E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Illustration: Will Tullos for The Athletic; Photos: Grant Halverson, James Gilbert, Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
