The 10 Best Remaining Players in the 2025 NBA Draft After First Round originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The first round of the 2025 NBA draft featured a record number of college basketball freshmen getting picked – 18 total including 11 of the 14 lottery picks.
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It was not only a great day for the diaper dandies, but for college hoops in general which had 24 of the first 30 players selected – a shift from previous years which were dominated by overseas selections.
Duke dominated the headlines with a trio of top ten picks, starting with Cooper Flagg at No. 1 and followed by Kon Knueppel at No. 4 and Khaman Maluach at No. 10.
However, there were quite a few college stars who did not hear their name called on Wednesday who now have to wait 24 hours until the second round starts on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET to find out where they are headed next.
Below is a look at 10 college basketball stars who are still available and what they will bring to their next team:
Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) after a dunk against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Spectrum Center.© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
1. Rasheer Fleming, Forward, St. Joseph’s
Although all the green room players were selected, Fleming was the highest rated player that didn’t get picked on Wednesday – and he was in attendance at the draft too.
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Fleming is an elite athlete who could play three, four, or five at the next level. He’s a versatile defender with a huge wingspan, which alone gives him a nice floor, but his outside shooting makes him a tantalizing prospect – although the competition level in the A-10 has some giving pause.
2. Maxime Raynaud, Center, Stanford
Raynaud averaged 20 and 10 in the ACC last year, but didn’t draw as much national attention due to being on a bad Stanford team. The 7’1 big man is also a strong outside shooter and has a solid floor as a backup big – and could emerge as one of the steals of the second round if he puts it all together.
3. Adou Thiero, Guard, Arkansas
Thiero broke out in his first season at Arkansas, averaging over 15 points per game and shooting over 60% on two point attempts.
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He possesses great positional size and is an elite defensive prospect, which gives him a decent floor even if the outside shot never materializes.
4. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Center, Creighton
Kalkbrenner was widely projected to go late in the first round, but instead he finds himself waiting until Thursday to get picked. The big man is an elite rim protector and finisher around the rim who displayed the ability to step out and hit outside shots.
He’s an older prospect but a strong bet to stick as a versatile backup center at the NBA level.
5. Kam Jones, Guard, Marquette
A consensus All-American last year, Jones averaged nearly 20 points per game for Marquette, using his strong frame and burst to get downhill and score at the rim at an efficient rate.
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Jones wasn’t an efficient three point shooter last year, sitting at 31.1%, but his high volume and previous success from beyond the arc is well worth gambling on for someone in the early second round.
6. Johni Broome, Center, Auburn
Every year there is a player or two who folks just overthink. Yes, Broome’s athletic testing was subpar, yes he’s a big man who doesn’t play above the rim, yes he’s an older prospect, but it’s clear the Auburn product can flat out ball.
Broome’s defensive instincts, touch around the rim, and jumpshot should make him a plug-and-play backup center right away at the next level, and whoever lands him in the second round will be happy with the results.
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7. Koby Brea, Guard, Kentucky
Here’s a list of players 6’6 or taller who shot 42% or higher from three on over 700 career attempts in college: Kyle Korver, Jason Kapono, Allan Houston, Dennis Scott, Sam Hauser, and Steve Novak.
There’s not a player on that list you wouldn’t be happy to have in the middle of the second round, yet that’s where Brea has consistently been mocked. Considering how effective he was at Kentucky in the SEC, it’s hard to imagine the floor spacing won’t translate at the next level.
8. Ryan Nembhard, Guard, Gonzaga
Nembhard was the best passer in college basketball last season, shattering Gonzaga’s and the WCC’s single-season assist record with his 344 dimes.
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His 4.0 assist to turnover ratio was staggering, and while his height will likely keep him from reaching the same ceiling as his brother Andrew, there’s little doubt he can help a team as a third point guard right away.
9. Sion James, Guard, Duke
James looks like what an NBA GM would make in a lab if they were trying to put together the perfect modern role player. Insane efficiency? Check: James shot 57% on twos, 41.3% from three, and 81% from the free throw line for Duke last year. Plus defense? Check: James’ defensive rating was fourth in the ACC last year, and he generated quite a few steals and blocks throughout his career.
James is an older prospect, but there’s very good potential as a three-and-D wing here, even with a low volume of shot attempts, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he emerges as one of the steals of this draft.
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10. Micah Peavy, Forward, Georgetown
After steady improvement in his first four college seasons, one at Texas Tech and three at TCU, Peavy full on broke out under Ed Cooley at Georgetown last year. The 6’8 guard averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and a conference leading 2.3 steals per game.
He shot 41% from three on four attempts per game, and like James he has obvious three-and-D potential at the next level, and should contribute right away.
Related: Ryan Nembhard Teams Up With Brother Andrew in Latest USA TODAY NBA Mock Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
