December 2024 Scouting Roundtable
The No Ceilings crew gathers to discuss some of the biggest 2025 NBA Draft story lines as 2024 draws to a close.
With the holidays in full swing and conference play underway in college basketball, the buzz around the 2025 NBA Draft is really starting to heat up. As 2024 winds down, the countdown to draft day is underway in full force.
Plenty of prospects have already staked their claims to be drafted in June before the calendar officially turns over. With more than a month of college games in the books, and more than that for certain international prospects, the 2025 NBA Draft class is starting to take shape.
We here at No Ceilings have been evaluating some of these prospects for many years now, but the end of the year is a good time to reflect on what we’ve seen so far and what we expect to see from certain prospects in the new year. Without further ado, here is the No Ceilings crew’s final roundtable for 2024.
1. Which player has been the biggest riser on your board in the past month?
Rucker: Jeremiah Fears. Look, the hype is legit. He’s been outstanding. Get on the train now. Fears continues to dazzle with his play on the court, offering two-way versatility paired with elusiveness, vertical pop, playmaking, and the ability to build real estate at the free-throw line. There’s a lot of fun things happening right now and he’s rocketing up boards.
Jam: Jeremiah Fears rightfully should have a lot of support here, so I’ll go with another prospect who made a similar out-of-nowhere-type leap as a freshman into the lottery conversation: Labaron Philon. He’s been an integral instant contributor for Alabama. Although his shooting is still coming around (26.5% 3PT% on 2.8 3PA/G), he’s still a dynamic guard with size (6’4”) who impacts both ends of the floor and understands how to make winning plays.
Rich: Danny Wolf. I saw him in New York at the Jimmy V Classic, and was extremely impressed by how real his point guard skills are at seven feet tall. Beyond being able to truly run the offense as a play initiator, he makes fantastic reads when he is about to shoot and as he’s driving, and the plays he can make with his eyes up are a coach’s dream for a connective big.
Metcalf: Jeremiah Fears, by a mile. Initially, I thought he was going to be a multi-year guy because the track record of guards reclassifying isn’t stellar. However, Fears looks far more like a top-10 talent with his playmaking, scoring versatility, on-ball creation, and defensive playmaking. He’s been so fun.
Corey: I think that Jeremiah Fears is going to be a popular name for this question, but it’s for good reason. That kid is a killer. His handle is elite, he can make tough shots off the bounce, and he’s physical at the hoop. I’ll be watching how his decision-making evolves the rest of the year, but the kid can flat-out go.
Rowan: I only held out to watch him play better competition, but I’ve seen enough now. I’m ready to call Thomas Sorber a first-round draft prospect. It was one thing to dominate some low-level mid-majors; it’s a different ballgame for Sorber’s talent to pop as much as it has against teams like Syracuse, Seton Hall, and West Virginia. While he might lack some signature size, Sorber more than makes up for it with his active defense and offensive skills. I’m even more excited to watch what he can do once he settles into conference play, as he might have more room to rise on my Ouija Board.
Nick: Jeremiah Fears is the easy answer for me here. The Oklahoma guard has been lighting it up over the past few weeks, and he has officially staked his claim as a prospect to watch in this class. Fears has been one of the biggest stories of the early part of the college season, and he could continue to climb even further if he knocks down a few more of his triples and cuts back a bit on his turnovers—even if he doesn’t, he’s been more than impressive enough to get lottery looks if he keeps up his play to start the season.
2. Which player has been the biggest faller on your board in the past month?
Rucker: I’m still buying into the long-term potential with Miami’s Jalil Bethea, but as of now, he’s clearly not a “this year” guy. Now, things can change, and we’ve seen that happen in previous years—although it’s a bit rare. Bethea still has some outstanding upside to his game, but given the role and situation, it doesn’t look great for the 2025 draft.
Jam: Kwame Evans Jr. Unfortunately, he’s taken a major step back this season and has seemingly lost all of the momentum built from a strong freshman campaign. There might not be a true NBA skill here for him to rely upon just yet. With the start of conference play upon us, there's still time for the play-finishing, defensive playmaking big to turn this around.
Rich: I’ve been trying to give Kwame Evans an extended leash, but I think I can safely sell some of my stock for him. Everything is down for him, both in volume and percentages. I had him as my top returner, and that prediction has completely fallen on its face with a very low chance of regaining that value.
Metcalf: Donnie Freeman has been a bummer. I’m still intrigued with him long-term, but his defensive and offensive feel have consistently fallen short for a prospect with his hype coming into the season. There are still plenty of tools to like, but the consistency and processing speed have been really far from where they need to be.
Corey: I’ve always been apprehensive about Alex Karaban’s game due to the aesthetics of his game, while acknowledging that the aesthetics don’t always do his game justice. Karaban has good size and is clearly a winning type of player who does the role player stuff well. Still, I can’t get on board with the Top 20 talk. He looks way overmatched as a lead guy. UConn desperately needs a wing who can create paint touches and Karaban has just looked out of his element anytime he doesn’t attack in a straight line. He’s a super stiff mover, and I think that his lack of flexibility limits what he can do with the ball in his hands. There is a role for him at the next level as a bench guy who you just need to knock down open shots, make connective passes, and not get killed defensively, but I don’t think that is necessarily the kind of guy you need to take in the first round.
Rowan: For a player as old as he is, there was always going to be a razor-thin margin for error for Tyon Grant-Foster. Choosing to return to college basketball at his age should’ve resulted in dominance and some new facets to his game. Instead, last year’s standout performance for Grand Canyon looks more and more like a fluke than the future. TGF’s shooting percentages are way down, his turnovers are up, and he hasn’t looked the same returning from injury. With other players making better cases to go in the second round, I fear that time has run out on one of the better feel-good player stories in college basketball last year.
Nick: There’s definitely still time for him to turn it around, and there were encouraging signs in his most recent game against UCLA, but I’m starting to see Drake Powell as more of a future-value prospect than a 2025 NBA Draft prospect. There have been flashes for sure, but I’ve dropped Powell pretty far down my board after holding out hope for a bit to start the season.
3. Every prospect goes through ups and downs on the court. Sometimes, a hot streak is a run of good luck; other times, it’s sustainable growth. Which prospect on a hot streak stood out to you? Is it real, or a mirage?
Rucker: Here you go. It’s Kasparas Jakucionis, and heck yes, it’s real. Although there were plenty of fans of the Illinois freshman guard coming into the year, the hype train has started to pick up legit ludicrous speed. He started out the season with some impressive games that specifically spotlighted his playmaking ability. If anything, scouts wanted Kasparas to be more selfish at times. Then, we saw a shift in which Kasparas was oozing with confidence and started to take over games. In his last six games, Jakucionis has scored 20+ points in every game. During that stretch he’s shooting 46.8% from the field, 48.8% from downtown, and 88.1% from the charity stripe. That also includes 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. The kid can play and it’s legit.
Jam: Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud. He’s been on an impressive tear from the jump and I wouldn't bet against him slowing down any time soon. The 7’1” big man is leading the ACC in points (21.4) and rebounds (11.8) per game, while knocking down 38.2% of his shots from three (4.6 3PA per game) and blocking 1.1 shots per game. He’s able to score on multiple levels while providing significant value as a stretch five that can provide serviceable rim protection.
Rich: I’ll break the rules and give two. The first one is Max Shulga. His stats are eerily similar to Desmond Bane’s in 2019-20, and I don’t think his dominance against smaller schools has been a fluke. He does everything for the VCU offense and is intelligent; any playoff team will be lucky to have him. The second one is Darrion Williams, who has beaten up on bad competition, but I think it is fully sustainable in a competitive Big 12. He is efficient, he is scoring on all three levels, he has taken a massive passing jump, and his ability to draw fouls continues to soar.
Metcalf: Rasheer Fleming has been fantastic. The tools were always obvious, but we never got much consistency from him. He’s constantly getting involved on offense, knocking down shots, and defending at a high level. It feels like he’s finally made the leap.
Corey: Javon Small out of West Virginia has been a bad dude this season. He went nuclear against Gonzaga, throwing up a cool 31 points, but he’s been putting in work off rip. The senior guard has managed to up his scoring by nearly five PPG while also increasing his efficiency. He’s a crafty, creative playmaker, and he’s an all-caps DAWG defensively. As a 6’2” senior, Small may get a bit overlooked this season, but he has all the tools to become this draft’s Jamal Shead.
Rowan: It took about a month, but North Carolina’s Ian Jackson looks to have settled in at the college level. He’s scoring the ball well, having topped 20 points in two of his last five and double digits in five of the last six. The same smooth scoring package that made Jackson a highly-touted recruit has shown up for UNC, and I believe it’s here to stay. He brings a perimeter blend that no one outside of RJ Davis has for the team, which makes his role both important and essential for their success this season.
Nick: After starting the season with more of a playmaking focus, Kasparas Jakucionis has put up six straight 20-point games, including a dominant performance in Sunday’s battle against Missouri. Given how gifted he is and how Will Riley has cooled off a bit after a scorching start to the season, I’m willing to bet on Jakucionis keeping it going scoring-wise as he carries the Illini as far as he can take them.
4. On the flip side, even the best prospects go through cold spells. One of our favorite sayings at No Ceilings (courtesy of Tyler Rucker) is: “It just takes time.” Which prospect are you being patient with this month?
Rucker: Khaman Maluach. I’m fearing that this might be my answer next month as well.
Jam: Khaman Maluach. He might be the most fit-dependent prospect in the class. Like most, I’m a huge fan of the tremendous tools and upside. I certainly see the vision and am just hoping to see at least a bit of a production uptick as we get deeper into conference play and Maluach continues to gain comfort. He’ll be looking to build upon his best game of the season in a win over Georgia Tech (15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one block in 21 minutes).
Rich: Ben Saraf, easily. Results aren’t what a good scout watches for; it’s the processes. I’ve been impressed with Saraf’s bad games, and am not entirely worried about his poor shooting games. His ability to separate and to make others better even when shots aren’t falling has been strong over the last few weeks during his shooting cold spell. There are still some fundamental concerns I have, like his left hand dominance, but what he does right is consistently good, and so is how he does those things.
Metcalf: Carter Bryant deserves a much more significant role than he’s been getting. That Arizona team is a mess, but Bryant has been one of the few bright spots. When he’s played, Bryant has been very good. He just needs the coaching staff to realize who on that team actually deserves minutes.
Corey: Kon Knueppel hasn’t consistently shot the ball at a high level from deep early this season, but I fully expect that to change. I am truly not worried about it—especially due to the fact that Duke lacks any kind of high-level playmaker to get him the kind of shots a high-level creator will at the next level. Which brings me to my next point...Kon is maybe Duke’s most nuanced ball screen playmaker? I’ve loved what I’ve seen from Kon as a playmaker. He’s more than a connective guy. I think he’s going to find his groove as a shot maker, and we’re going to see the kind of value he’s capable of bringing to the next level.
Rowan: Nique Clifford’s shooting has started to cool off, but that hasn’t led me to cool on him. He’s playing as the first option for the first time for Colorado State, which earns him some slack. Given that he won’t be playing that role in the NBA, I’m more willing to give Clifford a break while he tries to expand his game. He’s still got the size, skillset, and mindset to be a great NBA role player, which means that a minor shooting slump won’t move the needle for me.
Nick: I’m being patient with Jalil Bethea. That Miami team is an absolute disaster, and Bethea should not shoulder the blame for that, given that he’s barely played this year. He cracked 20 minutes for the first time this season in Miami’s recent game against Mount St. Mary’s, and he was the biggest bright spot for Miami despite coming off the bench. Bethea will hopefully get more opportunities going forward; if he doesn’t, I’m more than willing to be patient with him, given his brutal surrounding context.
5. Which game next month are you most excited to watch?
Rucker: BYU at Houston, January 4th. Egor Demin, let’s see what you got. Also that same day, VJ Edgecombe vs. Iowa State. I mean, yeah, January 4th has about five more awesome games too.
Jam: Colorado State vs. San Diego State on January 14th. A clash between a couple of Top 30 caliber two-way wings from mid-major schools, Miles Byrd and Nique Clifford. Add in Magoon Gwath, one of the most compelling long-term big man prospects, and this is a must-watch.
Rich: Auburn vs. Georgia in the middle of the month. Asa Newell has generally passed every test he’s been put through, but Johni Broome vs. Asa Newell will be a key matchup to determine both of their stocks.
Metcalf: Oklahoma vs. Alabama on 1/4 should be appointment viewing. There’s a ton of talent and yet another big test for Jeremiah Fears.
Rowan: Oklahoma vs. Georgia on 1/11 is a great chance to see both Jeremiah Fears and Asa Newell, two high-upside freshmen who could crash the lottery party and even push for some top-end spots by the end of the year.
Nick: Rutgers vs. Indiana on January 2nd. The Ace Bailey vs. Mackenzie Mgbako matchup should be fascinating, and I’m always in for watching more of Dylan Harper.