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an hour ago
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- Yahoo
MLB Draft Combine 2025: 10 draft prospects who stood out this week in Phoenix
PHOENIX — The fifth annual MLB Draft Combine took place this week at Chase Field in Phoenix, with more than 300 prospects eligible for next month's draft participating in a series of workouts, strength and conditioning tests, and interviews with major-league clubs. This was the final opportunity for these players to make a strong impression before the draft begins on Sunday, July 13, as part of the All-Star festivities in Atlanta, and several players seized the opportunity to boost their stock at the combine. Here are the 10 draft prospects who stood out most, on and off the field, this week in Arizona: 1. RHP Seth Hernandez, Corona High School (CA) It's not Hernandez's fault that history tells major-league teams that selecting a high school right-handed pitcher at or near the top of the draft is a dangerous decision that often yields a poor return on investment. All he can do is continue to develop his craft on the mound and show why he could be the rare exception, the one who blossoms into the kind of full-blown ace that every team covets. Of course, Hernandez had nothing to prove on the field at the combine, coming off one of the greatest high school seasons ever, but his poise and thoughtfulness in interviews was on full display, and he's eager to get his professional career started to unlock his potential further. Advertisement 'I'm so excited to play baseball at the next level,' Hernandez said. 'I'm already itching, like, the [high school] season just ended, and I just want to play again.' Hernandez is widely considered to be among the top five prospects in this year's class, but the risk associated with his demographic might push him beyond the first five picks — perhaps to a lucky team that didn't think it would have access to a player of his caliber. No one is questioning his talent, but it will be on Hernandez's work ethic and his developmental environment — as well as some crucial health luck — to ensure a path to success in the big leagues. 'I'm just trying to be the best baseball player I can be — win Cy Youngs, win World Series, win MVPs, all that stuff — it's really appealing to me,' Hernandez said. 'I think that I could really do it, and I'm excited to work my ass off to get there.' 2. OF Brandon Compton, Arizona State University An Arizona native who has starred for the Sun Devils the past two seasons and grew up going to games at Chase Field, Compton made the most of having the combine in his backyard. Of the 96 hitters to participate in batting practice this week, no one hit the ball harder than Compton — and it wasn't particularly close. He accounted for the three hardest hit balls of the entire event (116.9, 116.6 and 116.4 mph) and 13 of the top 26. Compton also hit the farthest home run of the combine, at a projected 460 feet. Advertisement Compton's epic power display was a refreshingly positive showing coming off what was a relatively underwhelming sophomore season in which he hit just nine home runs and posted an .865 OPS, both notable drop-offs from his freshman year (14 HR, 1.089 OPS). As a likely left fielder, his value is all in his bat, so teams would prefer to see more consistently elite production at the collegiate level. But what Compton does have going for him is multiple summers of standout production in wood-bat leagues, first in the Northwoods League in 2023 and then in the Cape Cod League in 2024. These are significant feathers in Compton's cap as a prospect, and they should ensure a selection somewhere in Rounds 2-4 next month. 3. C Taitn Gray, Dallas Center-Grimes Community High School (IA) After Compton, the most eye-popping performance from any hitter at this year's combine belonged to Gray. A switch-hitting catcher from Des Moines committed to the University of Oregon, Gray has seen his profile slowly rise over the past year, and he has now gone fully mainstream, thanks to an ultra-loud showing at the combine. Batting lefty in the early BP session Tuesday, Gray was torching balls down the right-field line, maxing out with 114.5 mph exit velocity and sending multiple balls soaring over the fence. About an hour later, he stepped into the box batting righty and continued to put on a show, this time displaying outstanding opposite-field power to the right-center-field gap as well as pulling a titanic, 428-foot moon shot to left field. Crucial questions remain about the viability of Gray as a catcher; he lacks polish, and his size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) could be prohibitive for a future as a backstop. But switch-hitters with this kind of juice from both sides of the plate do not grow on trees, and if the bat comes along as many hope it could, Gray could transition to the outfield and still project as an extremely valuable prospect. He also doesn't turn 18 until a month after the draft, making him all the more enticing for teams that put a premium on age in evaluations. There's a lot of risk baked into this profile, but it seems increasingly unlikely that Gray will make it to campus in Eugene. A sizable signing bonus should be in play instead. Sorry, Ducks. Andrew Fischer, Seth Hernandez, Quentin Young and Brandon Compton are among the prospects who made a statement at this week's MLB Draft Combine. (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) (Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports) 4. SS JoJo Parker, Purvis High School (MS) Of all the highly touted high school shortstops at the combine, Parker has arguably the best chance to hear his name called in the first 10 picks next month. His twin brother, Jacob, was also in attendance, and the two happily obliged a barrage of media obligations over the course of the week. Around this time a year ago, Jacob's prospect stock was a notch higher, thanks to his big physical frame and tremendous raw power, but JoJo's terrific hit tool shined on the showcase circuit and again this spring, fueling a surge past his brother and into first-round consideration. Advertisement What has also occurred for JoJo over the past year has been a considerable development in physicality, to the point that he is no longer cast aside as the smaller Parker with the profile to match. 'There's a picture of us at our house when we're in seventh grade, and he looks like a senior in high school, and I look like a seventh grader,' JoJo said. 'He's still a little bit taller, a little bit stronger, but I'm catching up there.' JoJo might not have the hulking, 6-foot-4 frame that Jacob does, but he has grown to 6-foot-2 and put on some good muscle over the past year, helping enforce his profile as a potential impact bat, rather than the smaller Parker brother who knows how to put the bat on the ball. 5. 3B Andrew Fischer, University of Tennessee Raised in the ultra-competitive cauldron that is New Jersey high school baseball, it's no surprise that Manasquan's Andrew Fischer has arrived at the precipice of his professional career with the utmost confidence in his abilities on the diamond. A prime example of transient star power in the transfer portal era, Fischer's advanced bat was on display for three schools in three years: Duke as a freshman, Ole Miss as a sophomore and, finally, this year with the Volunteers, when he was one of the best hitters in the SEC. Advertisement 'I look to do damage, like, at all times,' Fischer told Yahoo Sports. 'It doesn't matter — two strikes, 2-0, whatever — just want to make my presence known in the box. I want to be intimidating for the pitcher. I want them to feel my presence and almost be afraid to miss in the zone.' Fischer's mantra at the plate is reflected in his statistics, which have improved each season as he has become more disciplined with his approach. A 25.5% strikeout rate as a freshman was slashed to just 14.4% as a junior, and his slugging (.595 to .760) and walks (13.9% to 21.6%) ticked up in turn. Fischer did not participate in the on-field-workout portion of the combine, but that was hardly a surprise; his body of work dominating Division I pitching for three years speaks for itself and should result in Fischer hearing his name called at some point in the back half of the first round. 6. INF/OF Quentin Young, Oaks Christian School (CA) The nephew of Delmon and Dmitri (who were both first-round picks and played a combined 2,482 major-league games), Young is one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class, and his performance at the combine did little to clarify his enigmatic profile. Young has a massive physical presence, with a well-built, 6-foot-5 frame that offers plenty to dream on while also eliciting questions about his future defensive home. His BP session Tuesday was predictably spectacular, with Young registering the highest non-Compton exit velocity, at 115.4 mph, and launching five other balls in excess of 111. During infield drills, Young took grounders at shortstop, where he played primarily during his high school senior season. He was more inconsistent than most of his infielder peers but also showed flashes of uncommon athletic grace for a player his size. Advertisement Young swung and missed far more often this spring than scouts would prefer for a top-level high school hitter, but he also hit 14 home runs in 29 games. For all the questions regarding his hit tool and whether he'll stick at shortstop or eve in the infield, Young's rare physical traits and big-league bloodlines are likely well worth the gamble for a team at some point on the first day of the draft (Rounds 1-3), just probably not in the first 20-30 picks. 7. RHP Mason Estrada, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Yes, you read that correctly: A pitcher from MIT took the mound at the combine and showed off why he could be one of the unlikelier draft picks we've seen in quite some time. A native of Covington, Louisiana, Estrada primarily played shortstop in high school but made big strides on the mound during his senior season. Without many Division I offers, a connection to the MIT athletic department through a family friend led to a commitment to play baseball at the world-renowned academic institution, which has a strong Division III program. Estrada's velocity immediately stood out in Cambridge, but he suffered an elbow injury just before his freshman season in 2024 and needed Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, the velo was intact when Estrada returned to the mound this spring, touching as high as 98 mph during the season and 96.3 mph during his bullpen session Tuesday. While Estrada's ultimate goal is to pitch at the professional level, it's unclear whether that journey will begin this year: he's planning to transfer to the University of Tennessee for the 2026 season if the draft doesn't work out, and that could provide him a much larger platform to prove his talents against SEC competition. Either way, the fact that Estrada has progressed to the point that an invite to the combine was even possible is remarkable, and it'll be fun to see where his journey takes him next. Advertisement 8. C Michael Oliveto, Happauge High School (NY) Speaking of unlikely paths to the combine, consider Oliveto. Unlike so many of the other prep stars featured, who spent last summer jumping from showcase to showcase, Oliveto spent those months just trying to earn a chance to play at the Division I level. A few offers from some smaller schools in the Northeast arrived at the end of the summer, and Oliveto ultimately committed to Yale, a strong Ivy League program, albeit not one known for churning out big-league All-Stars. At that point, Oliveto had put himself in a good position for his future, but any notion that he was preparing for a pro career still seemed completely farfetched. Then everything changed in October, when Oliveto went to the annual World Wood Bat Association World Championship in Jupiter and looked like one of the best players on the field in an event loaded with top prospects. He was immediately inundated with inquiries about his future from advisors and big-league teams. That momentum carried into the spring, as scouts flocked to Long Island to get a glimpse of this ascendent backstop, and Oliveto performed well in front of his newfound, high-profile audience. Advertisement What has been an absolute whirlwind for Oliveto over the past eight months continued this week at the combine, where he showed off his excellent left-handed swing in batting practice and spent most of Wednesday afternoon behind the plate catching pitching prospects' bullpen sessions. Without years of expectations of a pro career looming over him, Oliveto embraced the combine experience in a way that some of his prospect peers simply could not, and his expedited trajectory to potentially being an early-round selection just a year after having zero D-I offers makes him one of the most interesting prep prospects in this year's draft. 9. RHP Zane Taylor, UNC-Wilmington Over the past four years, no pitcher in the country started more games at the Division I level than Taylor, who made 57 starts for the Seahawks during his four-year collegiate tenure. For the first three years of his career, Taylor's pure stuff on the mound was fairly generic; he was the consummate college workhorse, a reliable strike-thrower who helped his team win a lot of games but didn't necessarily project as a pro prospect. That changed his senior season, when Taylor's velocity ticked up from 91-93 mph to 94-96 mph, and he authored one of the best statistical seasons of any Div. I starter: 1.98 ERA and 0.76 WHIP with 105 strikeouts in 95 ⅔ innings across 15 starts. Taylor's increased heat was on display at the combine, with his fastball averaging 96.5 mph and maxing out at 97.7 during his bullpen session Wednesday. With his college eligibility fully exhausted, Taylor, who turned 23 earlier this month, will have minimal leverage when it comes to negotiating an MLB signing bonus. This makes him an ideal target for teams looking to save bonus pool money in the early-to-middle rounds while still landing a talent legitimately capable of reaching the big leagues. 10. RHP/SS Mason Pike, Puyallup High School (WA) Pike represents the most intriguing two-way talent in this year's class, and his rare athletic abilities were fully on display at the combine. As if being a legitimate prospect as both a position player and a pitcher isn't enough, Pike is also a switch-hitter, and he swung the bat well from both sides of the plate during his BP session Tuesday. He has more raw power swinging lefty, registering eight of his nine hardest hit balls while batting left-handed, including a max exit velocity of 109.9 mph, but he also hit 12 balls with 100-plus mph exit velocity batting righty. During his bullpen session Wednesday, Pike's four-seam fastball averaged 95.2 mph and climbed as high as 96.6 mph, and a high-80s cutter and low-80s cutter rounded out his pitch mix. Listed at an even 6 feet, Pike has a frame more typically associated with an infield prospect (he also fielded grounders at shortstop as part of Tuesday's workout), and he wants to keep hitting, but there are a lot of teams enthused about his potential on the mound. Whether a team can sway Pike with a big enough signing bonus for him to eschew his commitment to Oregon State — and whether he continues his two-way exploits in college or pro ball — will be one of the more fascinating storylines to follow in the draft.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
The alarming reasons why Ace Bailey's NBA draft stock is plummeting
The alarming reasons why Ace Bailey's NBA draft stock is plummeting Rutgers freshman forward Ace Bailey was long considered one of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft. But things are not trending his direction. Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists with 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. Those are exciting numbers, especially considering he attempted 4.5 shots per game from beyond the arc and was listed by the school at 6-foot-10. However, during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, he had disappointing physical measurements standing just above 6-foot-7 barefoot. None of his athletic testing seemed to jump off the page for evaluators, either. As noted by league insider Jake Fischer, for example, Bailey is "no longer seen as the top-three lock" in the 2025 NBA Draft. More: How tall is Ace Bailey? Here are his measurements from the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. Bailey was ranked No. 3 overall in our first consensus mock draft, but over the past few days, the reports are not looking great. A ccording to Jeff Goofman from The Field of 68, Bailey's camp has "rubbed a lot of people the wrong way" during the pre-draft process. Here is Jonathan Givony discussing why Bailey is no longer projected at No. 3 overall to the 76ers, now giving the nod to V.J. Edgecombe from Baylor instead (via ESPN): "[Edgecombe] appears to be "the leader in the clubhouse" currently, with Bailey losing momentum after refusing to visit, initially unsatisfied with his search for a proven pathway to development. However, Bailey is scheduled to work out in Philadelphia at the end of this week, and we'll see if he's able to sway the tides in his favor. The feedback from his interviews at the draft combine in Chicago was not all that positive, with some teams expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus. NBA executives say Bailey has been polarizing in internal front office conversations because of questions about his feel for the game and lack of polish, creating a wider draft range than initially anticipated." Givony elaborated later about why he now has Bailey falling all the way to No. 6 overall: "Bailey's predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop. Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top five, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective." Jonathan Wasserman, another draft insider, also had Bailey projected at No. 6 overall in his latest mock draft. Here is what Wasserman said about why he had him slated a bit lower as well (via Bleacher Report): "With the buzz around Jeremiah Fears ultra positive, Ace Bailey could slip a few spots to No. 6. The Washington Wizards could get a surprise opportunity to draft a special shotmaker who won't turn 19 until August. His shot selection and answers to certain questions at the NBA combine have raised some questions." Kevin O'Connor from Yahoo speculated that "there is chance" Bailey could fall all the way to No. 7 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, who reportedly have some interest in the former Rutgers standout. Rafael Barlowe, another draft insider, tried to unravel why this is happening. Here is what he wrote (via NBA Big Board): "Bailey is one of the more divisive names in this draft, but not because of talent. There's no debate there. Bailey is a gifted shot-maker and when he's on—capable of putting up some ridiculously efficient scoring outbursts. But he'll also mix in those nights with some ice-cold shooting performances and head-scratching shot selection. The tools are there, no question, but consistency has been the big issue that keeps resurfacing. The concerns are less about talent and more centered on his feel for the game and overall decision-making. One scout even mentioned the optics of two projected top-three picks—Bailey and Dylan Harper—failing to win consistently together at Rutgers. And honestly, that's a fair point. Still, from a pure talent standpoint, Bailey should not fall past Charlotte at No. 4. But I've been hearing for months that a drop was possible. If Charlotte passes on him, and Utah at No. 5 does the same, then things could get a little chaotic." As noted by Barlowe, things could indeed get "chaotic" for Bailey on the night of the draft. Looks like the public today is catching up to the front office split league wide that I've been trying to explain for literally months now on Ace Bailey. This has absolutely been a thing for a long while. — Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) June 17, 2025 As noted by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, however, none of these concerns are particularly new. Beyond everything discussed above, some of the stats are plainly concerning. Bailey finished the season with a relatively poor box plus-minus, per Bart Torvik, scoring a 3.5 BPM. The only players to finish with a BPM below 4.0 while in college who were still picked in top-10 in the NBA Draft: Ziaire Williams, Jaylen Brown, Cody Williams, Cam Reddish, and Austin Rivers. Brown is the only player from that group to have had a successful pro career, but perhaps Bailey can change the trajectory and have a similar impact as the Boston Celtics star in the NBA.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel, the other Duke star you're not talking enough about
Meet NBA draft prospect Kon Knueppel, the other Duke star you're not talking enough about Duke Blue Devils freshman Kon Knueppel is one of the most impressive prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he is more than ready to explain exactly why. During his one-and-done campaign at Duke, nearly everything that Knueppel did on the court positively impacted the team. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 40.6 percent on his 3-pointers. After a suggestion from his mom, he also managed to shoot a remarkable 91.4 percent on his free-throw attempts. While most evaluators were discussing his roommate and teammate Cooper Flagg — the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — it was Knueppel who won ACC tournament MVP before Duke eventually made the Final Four. By the end of the season, Knueppel led all NCAA Division I men's basketball players in raw plus-minus, per CBB Analytics. That effectively means that Duke outscored its opponents by more points (625) when Knueppel was on the court than any other player was able to accomplish. Knueppel held his pre-draft process in Milwaukee, where he worked out twice a day on the court and once in the weight room. He spoke to For The Win about what he is working on this offseason to prepare for his transition to the NBA. He is currently projected at No. 6 overall in our latest consensus mock draft. Meanwhile, for more prospect coverage, here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. You can watch Episode 1 of Prospect Park below: What did you tell teams during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine? Knueppel: The main thing is that I'm a guy who really loves basketball. At the end of the day, that's your profession. You're going to have guys in the building and you're going to want guys who are going to be there. Hopefully, they saw a guy who really loves basketball and wants to get better and keep doing it as long as he can. You want to talk about how much you love the process of getting better. That's something I've always enjoyed. I love that feeling of being here and getting better. I emphasize that I love the competition and like to compete. That can be at anything but basketball is my sport of choice. I demonstrate that competitive edge and that desire to get better. What goes into your identity as a winning basketball player? Knueppel: My dad was always good at emphasizing that it's not always about scoring. That's not always the most important thing. I think people tend to think that way growing up. That does not always translate to winning the most. But I try to focus on all the little things. I'm going to make it as hard on the guy that's got the ball that I'm guarding. I'm going to make it super hard on him. I'm going to box out. I'm going to rebound. I'm going to get a loose ball. Those things add up. It all goes into having a good plus-minus or making winning plays on the court. What are some things people do not realize about your game right away? Knueppel: I think it's probably defense. You're going to get beat. People are going to make moves on you. They're going to get around. But I think sometimes what sets me apart is I pursue the play. Even if the guy beats me a little bit, I'm trying to get back in front. I'm trying to contest his shot. I'm trying to make his shots as hard as I possibly can for the other guy. Even if I'm not the quickest, I know how to use angles and I'm trying to make it the toughest shot possible for the guy I'm guarding. I think that's definitely something I can carry over here. We also didn't shoot a ton of non-rim 2-pointers. You don't want to live on a steady diet of those. But I think I have a pretty good in-between game. That's something I worked really hard on both growing up and this offseason. So I'd like to utilize some more of my midrange shots because those will open up in the postseason if you can hit those. Some of those creative finishes in the lane, too. How are you able to translate film study into your play on the court? Knueppel: Our coaches at Duke were very, very good with us. We watched game tape as a team but also individually. [Assistant coach] Emanuel Dildy would get on me a ton about my positioning on defense. I have a knack for knowing when I'm making a mistake, which helps. Sometimes, it hurts me because I get too caught up in trying to not make mistakes. But it helps me know where to be and be in the right spots. I think a lot of that comes from watching film. What change did you implement to become a better free-throw shooter? Knueppel: It's funny. I used to do three dribbles, and I'd shoot from my hip. Most people shoot from their hip on a free throw. [My mom] would always set it up higher and then shoot. There is just less room for error. If you come from your hip, you can go the wrong way. If you set it where I set it now, all you do is shoot it. So you're not missing right or left. You're only going short or long. It took my uncle to tell me to do that for me to listen. I didn't listen to my mom, and I should have just listened to her right away. What can you share with me about your recruitment process at Duke? Knueppel: The grandfather of one of my high school teammates is good friends with ... Jon Scheyer's dad. He texted Scheyer's dad saying that I'm good enough to play at Duke. I'm sure Scheyer was like, 'Sure, Dad. Whatever.' But then he saw me play a couple times. He saw me at the NBA camp. What stands out more to coaches more than skill and all that stuff is the winning plays you make. That's something I try to tell a bunch of players — my brothers included. There are a bunch of guys who can score. It's about guys who can make the right plays, know how to pass on time to guys, know how to rebound and get the ball sometimes. That's what it comes down to. So then Scheyer thought I was a good fit, and I'm glad he did. What is something people do not know about Cooper Flagg you can tell us? Knueppel: He doesn't turn it off. I think that's one of the best compliments I can give. I know people see it in the games. He plays every play. Guys of his caliber don't usually play every play like he does. But he does it in practice, too. I remember the first time we played pickup together in the summer, I was on his team. We won a bunch of games in a row. Then he switched teams and they won a bunch of games. It's rare for guys that can do that. So it was cool to be around. Off the court, he's a great guy. You wouldn't know he's a good basketball player. He doesn't carry himself in that way like he's all that. He's just a humble dude who loves basketball and wants to get better. What got you into reading Bill Simmons at such a young age? Knueppel: My mom's brother Jeff got me The Book of Basketball for Christmas one year. I was like, 'This thing is a thousand pages. It's ridiculous.' I just fell in love. I always loved the history of basketball. But the way he would compare it to pop culture and all that: From then on, me and my dad would always read his columns. We were big fans. We loved listening. My dad loves The Rewatchables podcast. So the movies and sports were all wrapped up in that book. It's one of my favorites. I've read it a lot of times.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kon Knueppel turns heads with shocking NBA draft testing results
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) controls the ball against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images The post Kon Knueppel turns heads with shocking NBA draft testing results appeared first on ClutchPoints. Kon Kneuppel's limited athleticism has been a frequent criticism regarding his ceiling as a top-10 NBA draft pick. The Duke forward did not test at the Draft Combine last month due to an ankle injury. However, he has since completed the required pre-draft testing, and the numbers are sure to turn heads. Advertisement Kneuppel posted a 31.5-inch standing vertical leap, ranking 12th among 73 players who've tested, ahead of fellow top prospects Cooper Flagg (29.0), V.J. Edgecombe (30.0), Dylan Harper (30.5) and Ace Bailey (27.5). He posted a 36.5-inch max vertical leap, which ranks 20th. His 2.92-second shuttle run time also ranks 20th, tied with Flagg and ahead of Edgecombe (2.93), Harper (3.05), Jeremiah Fears (3.09) and Tre Johnson (3.11). The rest of Kneuppel's speed and agility testing was less favorable. He recorded an 11.92-second lane agility time, ranking 68th, and a 3.35-second three-quarter court sprint, ranking 61st. Will Kon Knueppel's encouraging testing results impact his draft position? Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) drives against Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Kon Kneuppel is widely regarded as one of the safer projected lottery picks in this year's draft. The 19-year-old's elite outside shooting and high feel for the game were on full display during his freshman campaign. He shot a scorching 40.6 percent from three as a freshman and flashed secondary shot-creation and playmaking alongside Cooper Flagg. Advertisement However, he measured 6-foot-5 without shoes at the combine after being listed at 6-foot-7 at Duke. His 6-foot-6.25 wingspan was also subpar. Those numbers, coupled with concerns about his athleticism, led to questions about whether his shot creation and defense will hold up at the next level. Yet, Kneuppel's impressive vertical leap and shuttle time numbers should quell some concerns about his athletic profile. He's also one of the stronger prospects in this year's class, frequently using his 219-pound frame to create space on drives to the rim. The Duke freshman is the No. 8-ranked prospect on ESPN's Top 100 big board. He's projected to be selected by the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8 in ClutchPoints' and ESPN's latest mock drafts. CBS Sports and The Ringer have the New Orleans Pelicans selecting Kneuppel at No. 7. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report has him going No. 10 to the Houston Rockets, while Yahoo Sports projects him to go No. 4 to the Charlotte Hornets. Related: Kentucky's Otega Oweh shrugs off new House settlement ruling Related: Former Morehouse College coach joins in-conference rival
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MSU star Jase Richardson reportedly ‘connected' to teams in late lottery of NBA Draft
MSU star Jase Richardson reportedly 'connected' to teams in late lottery of NBA Draft Michigan State basketball star Jase Richardson 'has been connected to teams drafting in the late lottery' of this year's NBA Draft. The latest NBA Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor sites Richardson as being connected to teams selecting in the late lottery. That includes the Chicago Bulls, who O'Connor has drafting Richardson with the No. 12 overall pick. Here is the exact writeup from O'Connor on Richardson: 'Richardson has been connected to teams drafting in the late lottery, despite measuring 6-feet at the NBA Draft Combine. He is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson. Jase didn't inherit his father's height or dunk-contest athleticism, though, so his smaller stature caps his upside. But does that matter? Look at the way the Pacers and Thunder play, with tons of players who can fly around the floor and make quick decisions. That's Richardson's exact style, so he could seamlessly fit on a team like the Bulls.' O'Connor also listed Richardson as NBA comps with Derrick White and Richard Hamilton. Richardson was an instant impact player for the Spartans, becoming Michigan State's top player by the end of his freshman season. He averaged 12.1 points per game and shot over 40% from three-point range to help lead Michigan State to a Big Ten title and Elite Eight finish in the NCAA Tournament. The NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 25 – 26, with the first round taking place on June 25 and the second round on June 26. The draft will be televised on ESPN and ABC. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
