With the college basketball season just beginning, many fans are keeping an eye out for standout players who are poised to become the first draft picks of the 2025 NBA season. This is an extremely important time for many players, with this season being the one that counts for many players. There are some players across the country and different universities who have established themselves as star players. A lot of these players have already drawn the attention of the NBA. So let's take a look at some of the top collegiate basketball players who are poised to become the first picks in the 2025 NBA draft.
DJ Wagner
Age: 19
DJ Wagner is one of the most highly anticipated players for the NBA draft. He's a point guard from Camden, New Jersey and known for his incredible performance in high school. He's now playing with the Arkansas Razorbacks as a point/shooting guard. The NBA has had an eye on him ever since. He's known for his speed with the ball as well as his competitiveness. This must run in his blood as he's following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather Dajuan and Milt Wagner who were both also talented players.
Cooper Flag
Age: 17
Cooper Flagg is set to be one of the youngest players ever to be drafted into the NBA. If selected in June, he will be 18 years old, only just making the cut-off point by two weeks. If he had his birthday any later, he would have had to wait another year to join. Flagg plays as a guard/forward and is a freshman at Duke University. Before he attended the Montverde Academy in Florida, there is was rated as the top player in the 2024 class by both 247Sports and ESPN. He was also the youngest player since 1980 to win the 2022 USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year. His impressive performance very quickly attracted the NBA, making him a top choice for the 2025 draft. Many believe that Flag is going to be a player that goes down in NBA history, not just for his age, but for his ability too.
Kon Knueppel
Age: 19
Another player from the Duke Blue Devils. Kon Knueppel is another player who is expected to be in the 2025 NBA drafted. Sports Illustrated even described him as the perfect connector piece. Knueppel is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and played for his high school team, Wisconsin Lutheran before heading to Duke. Not only is he a top shooter in the college basketball league, but also has talents in other areas too. This makes him a great player all around. His passing skills, especially off the dibble are one of the many reasons he's caught the attention of experts in the industry.
Ace Bailey
Age: 18
Ace Bailey plays for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, switching between guard and forward. His impressive performance has attracted the attention of the NBA, meaning there's a huge possibility that he is going to be called up in the 2025 season. Bailey is from Chattanooga, Tennessee where he played for McEachern High School. Bailey's performance has already been so impressive that he's been named to the Naismith National Player of the Year Top 50 Preseason Watchlist as well as the National Association of Basketball Coach's National Player of the Year Top-20 Watch List.
Dylan Harper
Age: 18
Dylan Harper plays alongside Ace Bailey on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights as a Guard. He's originally from Ramsey, New Jersey and played for Don Bosco Preparatory High School. He also played for the U.S. on the USA Basketball u19 team. Like most other players on this list, there's been a buzz celebrating Harper's skill since he was in high school. His strong build, positional size and long arms provide a great advantage on the backcourt. He's a very versatile player who has been known to be able to take on some different roles on the court. He also is known to be a great perimeter rebounder. He's also a favorite among sports betting enthusiasts. Collegiate basketball has recently become more popular, you can boost your betting with Caesars' promotional codes here to enhance your experience even further.
Carter Bryant
Age: 18 years
Carter Bryant plays for the Arizona Wildcats as a guard. He was originally from Fountain Valley, California and played for his high school team. Bryant has been described as a skilled offensive player with advanced ball-handling ability. While he may have caught the attention of the NBA, a lack of playing time could be the reason he doesn't make NBA picks for 2025.
This list alone has made it clear that the 2025 NBA Draft is going to introduce some incredible players into the NBA. Just like every year, rookies take to the floor, making a name for themself in the league. With highly anticipated players like Cooper Flagg, DJ Wagner and Ace Baily, there's already talk of number-one picks. With such a diverse range of future stars, it will be exciting to see what each player brings to the NBA, adding to the incredible culture that the league has already built.
