Feast Week Fallout | The Prospect Overview
Feast Week had major implications on the 2025 NBA Draft! For Dylan Harper, Johni Broome, and PJ Haggerty, that was a good thing. For others...not so much. Find out who moved the needle, and how!
Feast Week is in the books! Today, we’re taking a break from the traditional Prospect Overview format and breaking down the biggest headlines from the past week!
Dylan Harper Has Arrived
I’d been a bit skeptical of Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper coming into Feast Week. The 6’6” second-generation star had been good in his early outings but hadn’t quite displayed the dominance I’d wanted to see against lower-tier programs. Back-to-back 35-point game performances against Notre Dame and Alabama put those concerns to bed.
Simply put, Dylan Harper gets where he wants on the floor. He’s a walking paint touch. He might not have the most traditional straight-line speed or the showiest handle, but he’s effective. Harper wins with power, craft, and fluidity. He will manipulate ball screens and use his supreme balance to shake defenders and get into the paint on a consistent basis. His physicality is sublime, enabling him to convert through contact on a consistent basis. Harper also got up off one foot well for a few dunks. 49% of his halfcourt shots have come at the basket, and he’s converting 67.3% of them, per Synergy. Both his rim pressure and rim finishing are registering at an elite level early in the year.
Even better, Harper has a tremendous level of feel. Rutgers’ overall talent level isn’t the greatest, forcing him to operate on ball a lot. His 31.5 USG% is extremely uncommon mark for a young player with his size. His 31.1 AST% is stellar, and it’s downright mesmerizing in contrast to his measly 9.2 TOV%. Harper is a skilled creator who always keeps his head up. He sees the floor and can fit balls through tight windows to open teammates, even on the go. This takes his downhill scoring game to another level. Defenses have no choice but to collapse on him, and he’s uniquely talented when it comes to punishing that help. At his best, he feels like an unstoppable offensive dynamo.
Still, I do have a few concerns. Harper’s defensive playmaking metrics (1.4 STL%, 1.2 BLK%) have been poor. His level of feel doesn’t manifest the same way on the other end of the floor. Given his aforementioned absurd usage rate, I’m willing to overlook that to a degree. My bigger worry is his shot. Harper’s shooting priors (33.3% from three and 67.9% between high school and EYBL play last year) aren’t the strongest. He’s been a willing shooter (7.2 threes per 100 possessions) at Rutgers, letting attempts fly off the catch and off pull-ups. However, he’s only at 28.6% from deep, and his low release point forces him to settle for longer attempts to avoid contests.
At the end of the day, I’m still excited about Harper, warts and all. Whichever team he lands with will devote a great deal of resources into getting his jumper repaired. I wish he made more of an impact defensively. Still, offensively, what he’s doing is fantastic. It’s not easy to find 6’6” dudes who get into the paint, finish, and see the floor like this. It’s a winning, efficient brand of basketball. This week, Harper’s offensive dominance proved that he more than deserves to be where he’s long been projected.
Broome Sweeps Through Maui
Johni Broome made the Maui Invitational look like child’s play. Through three games against great competition, Broome posted 21.7 PPG on 61.7 TS%, 15.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 3.0 BPG, and 1.0 SPG.
Auburn’s graduate big man can’t change the fact that he’ll turn 23 shortly after draft night. He also can’t do anything about his measurements (6’9” barefoot, 7’0” wingspan, 9’0” standing reach). But he is a great, productive basketball player. He does the garbage man center stuff. He’s physical, setting hard screens and winning positioning battles to control the glass. His defensive positioning is tremendous, and his timing enables him to swat more shots than his tools and athleticism would suggest are possible.
Most importantly though, Broome has improved where possible. Originally an interior big man at the start of his college career, Broome has turned into more of a floor spacer. He’s launching a career-high 7.1 threes per 100 possessions, letting it fly whenever given an ounce of space. In the game against UNC, he even dribbled into a triple twice. It wasn’t James Harden stepback-level stuff, but it showed that he possessed a capability of getting into his shot in ways beyond the more basic “I’ll shoot it if I’m open” big men. He’s also continued to develop as a passer. He boasts great recognition of double teams and does a wonderful job of mapping the floor. This should help him to thrive in short roll settings, and he’s displayed the ability to spray it out for threes after grabbing an offensive board. This increased NBA functionality is critical given his measurements.
Broome will never be the biggest or most athletic. The hit rate on older big men hasn’t been great in the past, either. But much of that had to do with the bigs who came out as older prospects in the pre-NIL era, and most of those guys weren’t nearly as productive as Broome. I’d like to see the Auburn big man continue to improve as a passer and even punish some closeouts as a downhill driver. But from a pure production standpoint, I don’t know what else can realistically be asked for at this point. Broome has worked his way into my first round. He’s a tough, well-rounded big man who produces. He might not fit neatly into an archetypal box, but he’s a really good basketball player.
PJ Haggerty Deserves Your Attention
Like it or not, drawing fouls is a skill, and no one is better at it than PJ Haggerty. Memphis took the world by surprise when they made it to the finals of the Maui Invitational, and PJ Haggerty’s charity stripe addiction was a big part of that. The 6’3” redshirt sophomore is a nightmare to contain. He has a barrage of dribble moves and counters to get defenders off balance, enabling him to get into the paint consistently. From there, defenders are caught in Haggerty’s trap. He has a mastery of deceleration and pump fakes, managing to get defenders in the air before he plows into them. Haggerty’s toughness and strength (he’s 191 pounds with long arms) help him to convert through contact; even if he doesn’t, though, he’s more than happy to go to the foul line. Haggerty is attempting 10.7 free throw attempts per game this season. This isn’t some small sample size nonsense, either. He took 10.6 free throw attempts per game last year. This is simply who he is, and how he wins.
There are some other nice odds and ends here, too. Because his game is primarily predicated on going downhill, when he does go to a stepback, it works every time. He gets good elevation on his pull-up jumpers, maximizing his size. The volume is low, but he’s made 43.5% of his threes this year. Haggerty’s ruggedness shows up on the glass, where he outperforms most of his guard peers. Defensively, he uses his length and grit to smother the ball.
The big swing skills for Haggerty will be his jumper and playmaking for others. Haggerty has never been much of a shooter. His creation process is more self-oriented. He doesn’t look to pass as often as he should, and he can tend to plow recklessly into traffic prior to getting stripped. A negative assist-to-turnover ratio is extremely worrying for a 6’3” prospect, and currently, Haggerty is underwater in that respect (3.0 APG to 4.1 TOV). Still, his ability to get to the foul line is genuinely special. If he can keep the defenses honest from deep and limit his mistakes, there is going to be a lot to work with from an NBA standpoint. Haggerty’s performance in Maui snuck him into my Top 60, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him showing up on more draft boards.
Cue Country Roads
The West Virginia Mountaineers are one of the quirkiest teams out there. They might not have what you’d call “a center-sized player who plays more than 15 minutes per game.” But what they do have is a load of skilled, tough, and smart players.
We’ll lead off with their most notable draft prospect, Tucker DeVries. The 6’7” senior is a threat to score at all three levels. He can drain movement threes (46.9% from deep on 11.9 threes per 100 possessions this season), pull up in the mid-range, or use his crafty dribble game to get inside and finish. But what makes him special is his ability to leverage his gravity. I don’t know if there’s another player in college basketball more gifted when it comes to pulling in help and punishing it with savvy, accurate feeds to open teammates. DeVries slung 11 assists to only three turnovers during West Virginia’s Battle 4 Atlantis stretch. Defensively, his feel and timing go a long way. His combination of awareness and hand-eye coordination enables him to outsmart opponents while racking up stocks (2.9 STL%, 5.5 BLK%). While he’s far from an elite athlete, he’s pretty strong, and he’s never moved better than he has so far this season. The Tuck Train still rides strong, and he’s been in my first round this whole cycle.
It looks like Javon Small is another guy we need to add to the 2025 Draft discussion on this squad. The 6’2” guard may not have size, but he has loads of heart, tenacity, and talent. He’s a rugged rim attacker who fully embraces contact at the basket, getting tough finishes and trips to the free-throw line as a result. He’s also content to play without the ball, knowing how to relocate. He can bomb deep threes off the catch (41.3% from deep on the year). Small plays the game at a high speed and can find openings for teammates in a hurry. Defensively, his quickness makes him difficult to separate from and he racks up a ton of steals (4.2 STL%). Small guards might not be trendy, but Small checks a lot of necessary boxes for one. He’s strong, good on and off the ball, and he can make a mark defensively. If he keeps this up, he’ll be in the mix all year.
Long-term, I love Amani Hansberry. The 6’8” sophomore can defend a variety of positions. Currently, his assist-to-turnover mark is underwater and he’s only 28.1% from three. But Hansberry is a smart operator, and I’m willing to bet the ball control numbers turn around as he acclimates to a much bigger role than he had a year ago. Additionally, while his three-ball hasn’t fallen, he’s far from shy beyond the arc and he’s made 81% of his free throws on the year. Those are both great indicators. He’s probably not a 2025 guy, but Hansberry is someone NBA teams should start monitoring with intent.
The Only Thing to Fear is Jeremiah Fears
Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is one of the youngest draft-eligible players in the 2025 class. Additionally, he’s got a great frame at 6’4” and 182 pounds. Most importantly though, he can hoop. Fears looked like a seasoned vet against Arizona, dropping 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He has deep range off the catch and can pull up from long range. However, it’s his downhill game that caught my eye. He has the handle and wiggle to weave through traffic. When he gets to the basket, he’s tougher than a two-dollar steak and fearless of rim protectors. This multi-faceted scoring arsenal makes him an extremely tantalizing prospect. Whether or not he can make a run at the 2025 draft will be tied to his decision-making. His passing recognition seems more basic than advanced at this stage, and he can dribble himself into trouble that he can’t escape at times (4.6 APG, 4.1 TOV). Still, Fears acquainting himself to high major basketball so quickly at such a young age is truly remarkable. He’s a legitimate NBA prospect.
Hepburn Stuns in New Role
Is Chucky Hepburn a guy?! Louisville’s senior point guard caught my eye at Wisconsin during his freshman campaign, but never really popped off in the way I’d hoped. But in the Battle 4 Atlantis, Hepburn picked apart opponents with surgical precision. He averaged 20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 5.3 SPG during the tournament. He’s a master manipulator offensively, weaving through traffic and throwing well-disguised dimes that leave defenders frozen. Defensively, he reads the opposing offense and uses his quick hands to collect steals. Hepburn is undersized, and he’s never quite scored like a future NBA guard. But in the Bahamas, he looked the part in a way he never had. Hepburn should be on Portsmouth Watch if nothing else.
UConn, UOkay?
The Maui Invitational was a disaster for the Connecticut Huskies. The back-to-back national champions dropped three straight games.
There’s a lot of finger-pointing that could go on here. There have been some disappointments. Liam McNeeley has done alright as a shooter (35% from three on the year on good volume), but the rest of his game has left a lot to be desired. His interior finishing and defense have both been somewhat of a letdown. If you watch how he drives, then look at how a player like Gradey Dick drove at Kansas, there’s a noticeable difference. McNeeley isn’t as fluid, shifty, or bouncy off one foot. While his strength certainly helps him, his overall offensive game lacks dimensionality. You could do worse than a quick-thinking, high-level knockdown guy at 6’7”, but I was thinking there might be more to him, and we haven’t seen that yet. I’d hoped for a breakout season from Jaylin Stewart, but his overall offensive output makes it clear that he’s not ready for a leap to the NBA yet. Aidan Mahaney could get away with being a volume scorer in the WCC, but his inefficiency and defensive shortcomings have sent him back to the drawing board. Starting big man Samson Johnson moves like an NBA rim runner, but he can’t stay out of foul trouble. He’s averaging 12.3 fouls per 100 possessions, sending opponents to the line and disadvantaging the Huskies.
Still, there have been bright spots. Alex Karaban is still a lethal sniper (46.8% from three), a trustworthy decision-maker (3.3 APG to 1.0 TOV), and an impactful team defender (7.2 BLK%). Also, Tarris Reed Jr. has been an awesome pleasant surprise. The powerfully built junior is finishing at a high level (77.3 FG%) and dominating on the glass (21.3 ORB%, 34.2 DRB%). Add in the fact that he can pass a little bit and protect the rim, and I think he’s a legitimate NBA prospect right now.
The Huskies have been a mess. But there’s still time to grow. I’d love to see Liam McNeeley take a leap as a finisher and defender. If he, Solomon Ball, Aidan Mahaney, and Alex Karaban can generate more dribble penetration, the offense would flow much more consistently. Defensively, Johnson and Reed need to stay out of foul trouble, and the guards need to hold up their end of the bargain more consistently. This hasn’t been the start UConn wanted, but there are ways for them to right the ship, and there’s still plenty of NBA talent for scouts to monitor.
Feast Week Fallers
We’re starting to hit the point in the year where it’s clear that the 2025 NBA Draft will be a trickier predicament for certain prospects.
Oregon’s Kwame Evans Jr. had one of the best BPMs among returning sophomores and was a big favorite of mine. He’d stuffed the stat sheet at 6’9”, and that’s my type of player. Unfortunately, he doesn’t look to have added much this off-season, and he’s struggled to score. This has relegated him to the bench unit, and the 2025 Draft feels like a longshot despite being a first round guy for me coming into the season. Hunter Sallis entered the year with first round buzz. Despite returning to Wake Forest with a heap of quality teammates, his efficiency has taken a hit. He scored 19 points on 28 shots between games against Florida and Minnesota, struggling to create offense against quality athletes and defenders with NBA size. Given his mundane passing, rebounding, and defensive output, he needs to put the ball in the basket at a highly efficient clip to pop. I loved Cade Tyson at Belmont. The 6’7” wing was one of the most potent and efficient scorers in the country. This year at UNC, though, he sputtered out of the gate and has found himself outside of the Tar Heels’s rotation. It will be interesting to see if he can re-earn some minutes. If not, I’m intrigued to stay if he sticks around, goes back to Belmont, or tries to find a new home. Gonzaga wing Michael Ajayi hasn’t been bad. The 6’7” forward still looks like a pro. He’s rebounding and producing defensively. Offensively, though, he looks the same as he did a year ago, struggling from deep and not showing much in the way of playmaking for others. He looks more like a good college role player than a future NBA contributor at this stage. Indiana guard Kanaan Carlyle was a human highlight reel at times with Stanford. But at Indiana, he’s been even less efficient than before, which is troubling given his lack of size.
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