No Stone Unturned 2025: The Big Men

No Stone Unturned 2025 is here! Today, Maxwell examines five under-the-radar big men with NBA potential. PLUS: Insights from Rafael Castro and Dayton Associate Head Coach Ricardo Greer!

Welcome to the first installment of No Stone Unturned 2025! In this series of articles, I will be digging into five players at different positional groups who are flying under the radar but warrant attention. For my methodology, I started by seeking out players with interesting statistical profiles or players who had popped on film for me this past season. From there, I compiled a list, worked my way through the film and data, then chose my favorites. I excluded prospects who have received rankings on early big boards and mock drafts, as well as those who received an NBA Combine or G League Elite Camp invitation. I’m looking for deeper cuts who aren’t receiving much love yet but still have a real crack at making a mark in the draft space.

This series is my favorite content that I get to produce for No Ceilings every year. When I first started to get into the NBA Draft, it was easy to find articles and coverage of the top prospects, but it was harder to find information about sleepers and players further down the board. Currently, there’s no shortage of people in the draft world who’ve made their niche covering under-the-radar players. Plus, the continued advancement of analytics and the increased understanding of the subject have allowed for fewer names to slip through the cracks. Add in the advent of the transfer portal, and the college basketball media space has done a great job of identifying exceptional mid-major talent, too.

Still, even with “the death of the sleeper,” I want to continue this series. Nine of the 59 players selected in the 2025 NBA Draft were covered in No Stone Unturned before they ever appeared on a mainstream draft board. Others, namely Yaxel Lendeborg, would have likely been selected had they stayed in the pool. My work here will never be done. There will always be players who deserve a bigger spotlight, or prospects who have interesting enough traits that they warrant discussion as potential breakout candidates. It may be increasingly difficult to find them as the scouting space grows more robust and data analysis improves, but I’ll always fight to stay ahead of the curve. I’ll also be doing so while keeping the series focused predominantly on mid-major players. Maybe that will change down the road, but for now, there’s still enough talent there.

Today, we are starting out by looking at the unheralded big men who could sneak into the NBA Draft conversation.

Let’s dig in! But before you do that, make sure you’re following me on Twitter/X here!

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Tarris Reed Jr., 6’10”, 260 Pounds, UConn, Senior

2024-2025 Season Stats: 9.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.2 TOV, 1.6 BPG, 0.7 SPG

2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 67.0/0/64.4

Signature Performance: vs. Providence, 3/1/2025. 24 points, 18 rebounds, six blocks, two steals. 10-13 FG, 4-5 FT.

Reminds me a little bit of: Ivica Zubac, Day’Ron Sharpe, Neemias Queta

Background

Tarris Reed Jr. played the first three years of his high school career at Chaminade College Prep. He competed for Mokan on the EYBL Circuit alongside future NBA players Kennedy Chandler and Kendall Brown. He finished his high school career at Link Academy. Flanked by future NBA players Julian Phillips and Jordan Walsh, it was Reed who was the team’s leading scorer. He earned four-star status from 247Sports, and they ranked him as the 40th overall player in the 2022 high school class. Reed’s play earned him invites to the Jordan Brand Classic and the Iverson Classic. He had a slew of offers from power programs such as Michigan State and Purdue, but he elected to begin his college career at Michigan.

Reed’s college career sputtered out of the gate. He was an awkward fit next to Hunter Dickinson as a freshman. He struggled with his efficiency and registered only three assists to 34 total turnovers. As a sophomore, things got better. He earned a starting role, rebounded well, and took a few steps forward as a processor. After the season, Michigan moved on from Head Coach Juwan Howard, and Reed entered the transfer portal before enrolling at UConn. His first season with the Huskies saw a gigantic step forward for Reed. He improved dramatically in a number of key areas and won the Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award. With previous starting center Samson Johnson off to the professional ranks, Reed should be in line for an even bigger role this coming season.

What’s Good

Tarris Reed Jr. is fantastic at the things a role-playing big man is asked to do. Let’s start off on the defensive end of the floor. Reed does a tremendous job of holding down the fort and protecting the rim. His long arms, large body, and positioning allow him to act as a deterrent. Guards think twice when they see Reed around the basket, often resorting to pulling the ball out or settling for a worse shot than a look at the rim. When opponents drive at him, Reed’s strong chest enables him to swallow them before blocking their shot or forcing them to settle for a suboptimal angle at the basket. Away from the hoop, he’s an attentive, active, and mentally sharp defender. Reed will move quickly to get into position and fight around seals in order to make plays on the ball. As a result, he registered a stellar 9.0 BLK% this past season.

However, Reed isn’t just some lumbering big man. He’s shockingly good out in space for a man his size. UConn often deployed him in aggressive ball screen coverages, having him hedge and recover back to his man or blitz opposing guards. They found success with those tactics because Reed has the motor and tools to make such a scheme work. He has good bend and flexibility, which helps him to guard out on the perimeter. He’s able to get down in his stance, slide his feet, and wall off smaller, quicker players on a consistent basis. His combination of size and agility flummoxes opposing handlers, leading to ill-advised dribble pickups and turnovers (2.0 STL%). Then, we circle back to the classic big man stuff. Reed is physically massive. He can guard out in space, but he’s also a great drop coverage defender and a force on the glass. Reed is a competitive and tough rebounder with the power and will to win contested battles on the boards time and time again. His 27.4 DRB% this past season was an elite mark. His classic production in the traditional areas, paired with modern defensive versatility, makes him an exceptionally intriguing defensive prospect.

Reed checks a lot of important boxes on the offensive end, too. For starters, he’s a hyper-efficient finisher. His 37 dunks (per Synergy) this past season are a good mark for a big man, but all the more impressive when you remember that he came off the bench. He’s got great hands with a big catch radius and the lift to finish above the rim consistently. Add in his hulking frame, and he’s like a freight train rolling to the rim. Still, he has wonderfully soft touch on non-dunks, and his strength makes it so that he has no issues finishing through contact. He’s every bit as impactful on the offensive boards as he is on the defensive end, as he posted an outstanding 17.5 ORB% this past season. His nose for the glass, timing, and tenacity are a sublime combination, and he’ll make defenses pay in a way few others can if they don’t put a body on him. Reed also helps his team create advantages with his bruising screens on the perimeter. He consistently makes great contact on his picks, levels opposing defenders, and sets up driving lanes for his teammates. Plus, Reed’s playmaking has been night and day from his freshman season. This year, both his assist-to-turnover number and his 10.8 AST% graded out at an above-average level relative to long-term NBA big men during their pre-draft seasons. His ability to finish effectively, do the dirty work at a top-tier level, and reliably make good decisions has led to him becoming a serious offensive threat.

What Needs Improvement

The biggest concern I have about Reed coming into this season is his ability to stay out of foul trouble. He’s a bit too jumpy defensively and leaves his feet too often on the interior. He fouled out of four games and had four fouls in another six contests. I’ll want to see more refinement and discipline on that front. Offensively, I want to see a great degree of assertiveness. He could do a better job of making himself available for the ball after screening and demanding it when he has a mismatch inside. I’d also like to see him continue to develop his ball skills. If he can show more comfort in putting it on the deck and making decisions on the go out of DHOs, it would go a long way. Lastly, if he could be a bit quicker laterally and a touch faster off the floor, I’d feel better about his NBA projection athletically.

Conclusion

This is going to sound aggressive, but I think Tarris Reed Jr. is an obvious NBA player. He’s up to the league’s standards of physicality. He can anchor a defense. He’s an absolute force on the boards. He’s a vicious screener. He’s a tremendous finisher. He has become a solid decision-maker. Sure, maybe he’d be a sexier proposition if he were sinking threes or showing more polish as a creator, but he’s really good at the stuff most centers are tasked with doing night in and night out in the NBA. Everything you could ask for out of a rotation big man is there, and I think his stock has been dramatically undervalued. He actually ranked in the Top 30 of my way-too-early 2026 draft board.

The question then turns to this question: “What type of an NBA player is he?” If he can reel in the fouling, I think the dream outcome looks like Ivica Zubac—a bruising big man who can control the boards, finish inside, and win through his power and timing defensively. More modestly, a straightforward role like the one Neemias Queta played for the Celtics this past season is easy to envision. Even on the lower end, though, I believe he’s more polished than your standard “end of the bench” big man. I think Reed has a bright future ahead of him, and he’s one of my favorite sleepers entering this draft cycle.

Rafael Castro, 6’11”, 220 pounds, George Washington, Redshirt Senior

2024-2025 Season Stats: 14.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 TOV, 1.4 BPG, 1.2 SPG

2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 66.0/0/63.8

Signature Performance: vs. Richmond, 1/29/2025. 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, one steal. 7-9 FG, 7-12 FT.

Reminds me a little bit of: Daniel Gafford, Mason Plumlee, Oso Ighodaro

Background

Rafael Castro played high school ball at Dover High School in New Jersey, where he emerged as one of the top double-double threats in the country. He also played for Team Rio on the grassroots circuit. Additionally, Castro suited up for the Dominican Republic during the 2019 CentroBasket U17 Championship, helping his squad earn a fourth-place finish. 247Sports labeled him a three-star recruit and ranked him as the 142nd best prospect in the country. He chose to attend Providence over other suitors such as Florida, Miami, Seton Hall, Xavier, and Dayton. He redshirted his first year with the Friars. He saw minimal playing time over the next two seasons, but he displayed some promise as a defender.

He transferred to George Washington for his junior season and emerged as one of the most intriguing big man prospects in the country. “Trust was my biggest factor in the portal,” Castro told me in an interview, “I wanted to go somewhere where not only I could trust the coaching staff, but they could trust me also. Coach Caputo recruited me out of high school to Miami before I committed to Providence. For him to still want me to be a part of his team after three years showed me that he never gave up on me.” His athleticism, playmaking, and continued improvement throughout the year all stood out. Castro’s play down the stretch earned him Second-Team All-Atlantic-10 honors and a spot on the Atlantic-10 All-Defense team. He will return to the Revolutionaries for his final college season.

What’s Good

The first thing that pops on Rafael Castro’s film is his mobility. He is a blur running up and down the floor. He’s made for the up-tempo, fast-paced nature of the NBA. His straight-line speed makes him a serious weapon in transition. In a halfcourt context, he sets good screens and rolls to the rim quickly. Factor in his springy legs and great hands, and he’s one of the premier lob targets in the sport. Per Synergy, Castro registered 71 dunks this past season. According to BartTorvik, his dunk total ranked 9th in the country. Oftentimes, the only way for defenses to slow him down when he’s streaking to the rim is fouling him, hence his .751 free throw rate. He’s a hard-nosed rebounder, too, having registered a potent 12.8 ORB% this past year. “I respect the game. I understand that there are little things that separate me from other big men when being evaluated, like dominating the boards and winning games. There’s someone who would die to be in my position. So whether it’s grabbing a rebound or running the floor, I know it’s a blessing. As long as I get to play basketball, my motor will always be high,” Castro remarked. The functional athleticism box is firmly checked here.

But what makes Castro all the more interesting is that he’s not just a tall guy who can run and jump—he’s also skilled. Castro is a tremendous passer who sees every part of the floor well in a variety of contexts. He’s great out of the short roll and can also sling the ball cross-court accurately from the block. His firmly positive assist-to-turnover ratio and 13.7 AST% this past year bode well for a center prospect in an era where big men are tasked with more decision-making responsibilities than ever. “I learned how to read the help side of the defense coming over, what pass to make, and I learned solutions to different screen coverages…It wasn’t until hitting a major growth spurt in high school that I started dominating in the paint. I went from 6’3” as a freshman guard coming off ball screens and pin downs for shots, to 6’7” my sophomore year, to 6’10” the following year.” That past as a guard is evident on tape.

What’s more, George Washington leaned more on Castro down the stretch. “As the year went on, my confidence grew knowing my teammates trusted me with the ball…I was strictly a lob threat to start the year, and once teams sat on my roll, it was hard getting any touches. I started working with my now trainer, Justin Zormelo, and he broke down my film, encouraging me to shorten my rolls, which led to more touches. Once I got those, I tried to make the right plays,” Castro noted. His assist rate climbed to 17.3% in conference play, where he averaged 2.1 APG to only 1.6 TOV. Castro can also put it on the deck and has displayed an ability to counter comfortably when going to the rack. Add in his speed, and he can run effective keepers out of handoff sets, too.

Castro’s athletic traits go a long way on the defensive end, as well. He has great lateral agility allows him to guard out on the perimeter. Smaller players are leery of testing him in space, given his combination of foot speed and length. He’s also better at helping at the nail, digging on drivers, and jumping into passing lanes than most at his position. As a result, he registered a 2.5 STL%, which is outstanding for a big man. “Switching one through five and getting steals in rotations are some of my favorite parts of my game,” Castro said. His ground coverage is top of the line. Around the basket, his timing and bounce allow him to swat shots (5.2 BLK%) without fouling (2.8 fouls per 40 minutes). He has the potential to be a positive value player on both sides of the ball as a pro.

What Needs Improvement

I do worry about Rafael Castro’s frame scaling up to the next level. He’s on the skinnier side. He’s definitely tough, but there are real strength limitations that can bite him at times. He’s easy to drive backwards, and he’s prone to getting pushed around on the boards. He also has a difficult time recovering when screened. Additionally, he could stand to improve as a defensive anchor. His positioning in ball screen coverages can be erratic. While his recovery tools are excellent, he’s forced to work his way back into plays too often because the angles he takes create clear driving lanes for opponents. “Executing ball screen coverages and blocking shots at the rim is important for me. This year, I want to continue moving in the right direction defensively and take getting scored on personally,” Castro remarked.

Conclusion

Rafael Castro’s move from Providence to George Washington ended up paying dividends for him. He received a big role out of the gate that he subsequently outperformed, and he was rewarded by becoming the focal point of their offense down the stretch. Now, he’ll return for one more run, and he’ll be surrounded by a strong level of talent. I understand having some reservations about his NBA upside. He’s an older prospect who’s at a strength deficit, his ball screen defense could use some polish, and he only popped after “going down a level.”

Still, the Atlantic-10 is no joke, and Castro’s production was undeniable. Few big men can move the way Castro can, whether it’s end-to-end, laterally, or vertically. Pair that exceptional mobility with a high motor and a high level of feel, and it becomes hard to get hung up on the negatives. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from this series is that when it comes to margins, it’s better to focus on a player’s top-end talents that give them something to work with rather than wallowing in what a prospect can’t do super well yet. Castro has the goods, and they could lead to a fruitful NBA future. His self-awareness, intellect, and confidence are traits common among the success story players who have emerged from this series. He quietly had one of the best breakouts in the country this past year, and I think he’s a great bet to land on mainstream draft radars this coming season. Had he entered last year’s draft, he would have ranked inside my final Top 60, and that’s where he’ll start this year on my board. Start getting familiar with Rafael Castro if you haven’t already.

Amael L’Etang, 7’1”, 230 pounds, Dayton, Sophomore

2024-2025 Season Stats: 7.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 TOV, 1.0 BPG, 0.5 SPG

2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 50.9/33.8/64.3

Signature Performance: vs. Davidson, 2/5/2025. 13 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, two blocks. 4-7 FG, 0-1 3FG, 5-6 FT.

Reminds me a little bit of: Quinten Post, Luke Kornet, Frank Kaminsky

Background

Amael L’Etang hails from Toulouse, France. He first burst onto major basketball radars during his time with Cholet’s Espoirs (21 and under) club. During the 2023-2024 season, he averaged 13.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 0.9 BPG for them. He committed to Dayton in the summer of 2024. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ricardo Greer, Dayton’s associate head coach. “I played in France for 15 years, and the agent that I had then was the agent that has L’Etang now. He said, ‘I’ve got this big guy, his upside is through the roof, and with what you've been able to do with other players, I think this would be a great situation for him,’” Greer explained. L’Etang had a great first year on campus. He carved out a starting role and made the Atlantic-10 All-Freshman team. This summer, he suited up for France in the U20 European Championships, and he’s been a key contributor to their squad. He’ll return to the Flyers for his sophomore campaign.

What’s Good

Amael L’Etang is very tall and very skilled. He’s comfortable spacing the floor, as he drained 33.8% of his threes on nearly two attempts per game this past season. Since 2008, only five freshmen seven-footers have registered a positive BPM and hit over 33% of their threes while taking more than five attempts per 100 possessions—Amael L’Etang, Chet Holmgren, Lauri Markkanen, John Butler, and Isaiah Austin. Holmgren, Markkanen, and Butler all went on to play in the NBA, and Austin would have if it weren’t for a Marfan syndrome diagnosis. That’s good company. L’Etang has a pretty jump shot with a high release and gets the ball out of his hand at a respectable speed. “Being a seven-footer and shooting the ball...a lot of bigs don't want to come out and defend him. He opens up the floor for our guards and forwards because they have to come up on him. And when they do, he makes everyone else so much better…A lot of threes he took, he was unbalanced, and he rushed them. We think he can get the percentage higher next year by focusing on that.”

This ability to stretch the floor goes a long way in opening things up for his teammates, and it also accentuates what L’Etang can do as a playmaker. “His IQ and passing are through the roof. He's able to pick stuff up right away, and the way that he's able to pass the ball, he's like another guard out there,” Coach Greer remarked. He sees the floor well from the top of the key, the elbow, and the nail. His ability to read opposing defenses, find open teammates, and execute on his deliveries is ahead of schedule for a young big man. Furthermore, he’s a poised ball handler who can spin through traffic and adjust to help defenders as he drives to the rim. He’s got a fluid downhill game. These talents make him tailor-made for the dribble-handoff and delay sets that have become increasingly more prominent at the NBA level. Additionally, L’Etang has shown some grab-and-go juice. Given how Dayton has allowed offensively gifted big men to cook in the past, L’Etang should be able to continue to add polish to his arsenal this coming season. His 14.9 AST% and 1.2-to-1.0 assist-to-turnover are great statistics for any big man, but they are particularly eyebrow-raising here given L’Etang’s youth and the context in which he’ll get to operate this coming season.

L’Etang isn’t just a one-way proposition, either. He works hard to get up and down the floor. When he guards out in space, his fluidity and ability to make himself long help him to contain opposing ball-handlers. His positioning in ball screen defense as a drop defender is good, and he does a nice job of minimizing the offense’s ability to create advantages. His size, coordination, and discipline help him to block shots on the interior. L’Etang doesn’t get too jumpy, and he routinely avoids getting suckered by pump fakes. His 7.2 BLK% in the A-10 is a solid mark, and it’s particularly reassuring given how few offensively skilled big men reach such a number. “He's versatile defensively,” Greer noted, “the natural response for most bigs is to drop, but we want him to be able to be up, move his feet, and be disruptive. He's a willing player; the French national team has him showing right now. Against Marquette, we had him switching, and he did a really good job against some great guards. He can do a lot of different things for us.”

What Needs Improvement

Most of my concerns with L’Etang tie back to physicality. “The biggest thing is getting stronger. He understands the offense, he understands what we expect from him. Playing those minutes as a big, the physicality piece can wear on you, so that's the biggest thing. It's about locking into that,” Greer stated. Offensively, L’Etang can be contact-averse while screening, and he doesn’t have the power to seal off defenders. He needs to go up stronger on the interior (66.7% on halfcourt rim attempts). On defense, he’s sort of stuck between coverages. When switching, he’s a bit heavy-footed in space and can get blown by when he isn’t mindful of his balance. In drop coverage, he’s a bit weak through his chest, he doesn’t get off the floor quickly, and he can be too passive contesting shots around the rim. He also routinely finds himself out-muscled on the defensive glass.

Conclusion

Amael L’Etang will need to come along physically, whether it’s by adding bulk to his frame or improving his lateral agility. The good news is that he’s got three full years ahead of him to do it. When you look at the bigger picture, there’s a lot to love. He’s a top-notch shooter for a big man his age and an intelligent, gifted passer. Plus, his awareness and positioning defensively go a long way to cover for his current physical shortcomings. This combination of youth, size, and skill makes him one of the most intriguing long-term big man prospects in college hoops. The fact that he’s with a program that has a top-notch reputation for developing offensively talented big men is icing on the cake. I think he’s a good bet to make it to the league at some point, and he has a modern game that could allow him to stay there for a long time.

Miles Rubin, 6’10”, 210 pounds, Loyola Chicago, Junior

2024-2025 Season Stats: 9.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 TOV, 2.3 BPG, 0.4 SPG

2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 71.4/0/48.8

Signature Performance: vs. Oakland, 12/22/2024. 21 points, nine rebounds, one assist, two blocks. 9-11 FG, 3-4 FT.

Reminds me a little bit of: Isaiah Jackson, Brandon Clarke, Jaxson Hayes

Background

Miles Rubin played at the prestigious Simeon High School in Chicago, which has produced NBA players such as Derrick Rose, Jabari Parker, Nick Anderson, and others. As a senior, he averaged 15.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 5.0 BPG while earning Second Team All-City, First Team All-Defensive, and Sixth Man of the Year honors. On the grassroots circuit, he played for the EYBL’s Meanstreets squad, leading his team in rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. Rubin slotted 184th in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the high school class of 2023. He chose Loyola Chicago over Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Akron, and DePaul. He quickly emerged as one of the best rim-running shot blockers in the country as a freshman. Rubin was an Atlantic-10 All-Freshman Team player during his first year on campus, and he’s earned back-to-back Atlantic-10 All-Defensive Team nods. He’ll be returning to the Ramblers for his junior campaign.

What’s Good

Miles Rubin is one of the more versatile big man defenders out there. He’s uniquely suited to guard five out thanks to his agility. Add in razor-sharp instincts, and he does an excellent job of covering ground, whether it’s closing out or hurrying into help position at the rim. He was often deployed in aggressive ball screen coverages, which makes sense given his switchability. He mirrors the ball well and does a good job of sliding his feet. Rubin can hold his own out on an island far better than most players his size.

Still, the rim protection is what we’re here for. He’s always where he needs to be around the basket, and he’s always there on time. Rarely will he allow a bucket at the rim by virtue of being late to his spot. He processes the game quickly and has the speed to act on it. Additionally, he plays with a pretty strong level of discipline when guarding on the block. He mirrors post counters well, can contest shots with either hand, and doesn’t get overly eager to leave his feet. Add in his effortless lift off the floor when he does need to jump, and you’ve got one of the premier shot blockers in college basketball. His 11.3 BLK% was sixth in the country among underclassmen who played over 40% of their team’s minutes, per BartTorvik.

On the offensive end, Rubin has emerged as one of the best lob targets in college hoops. He’s fast end-to-end, he’s quick off the floor, and he has excellent hands. Per BartTorvik, his 80 dunks this past season ranked him third among all Division-I players. He also showed growth with the ball when he didn’t have a clear path to the rim. He’s able to whirl and twirl to get to his spots if need be. There’s some nice subtle big man craft here too, as he does a good job of relocating in the dunker spot and around the restricted area to maximize openings for both teammates and himself prior to receiving the ball. This clean-up man polish led to a 71.4 FG% this past season. Per Synergy, Rubin ranked in the 94th percentile as a cutter, the 88th percentile as a roller, and in the 86th percentile in transition. Simply put, he’s efficient where it matters for a rim-runner. Rubin demonstrated some growth as a passer this year, too. His assist rate climbed to 11.7 AST%. He can make sharp deliveries from the top of the key and spray the ball out to open shooters after collecting on the offensive glass.

What Needs Improvement

At 210 pounds, Rubin is on the skinny side for an NBA big man, and he doesn’t appear particularly long, either. As a result, he’ll likely be a bit positionally small. He gets bossed around on the glass, struggles to punish mismatches on the block, and loses position battles on both ends. He can have a hard time staying vertical when drivers meet his chest. Typically, the best way to compensate for this issue is with additional offensive skill. Rubin is improving as a passer, but he still had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. As a 48.8% free-throw shooter, he’s more likely to be a Hack-A-Shaq Target than a floor spacer. Rubin will need to add strength while continuing to develop as a playmaker and become a better foul shooter.

Conclusion

This is Miles Rubin’s second go-around in the No Stone Unturned series. In some ways, I was a little disappointed with what we saw this past year. Rubin got a bit stronger, and his passing took a step forward, but he didn’t take the big across-the-board leap I was hoping to see. If you’d asked me a year ago which big man of the 2024 No Stone group I felt most comfortable saying would appear in an NBA game, I would’ve picked Rubin over Danny Wolf and Yaxel Lendeborg. In some ways, I think that “miss” speaks to the continued evolution of the game. The rim-running shot blocker is becoming less valued, while skill and feel are more valued among big men than ever before. I’d noted that trend last year, but my thought at the time was that Rubin was so great at his skill set that he’d still get over the hump.

I still believe that could be the case, though. Development isn’t always perfectly linear. Guys like Terrence Shannon Jr., Ochai Agbaji, and Zach Edey were always good enough to be considered prospects, but it took a while before they really started to blow the doors off of people. That could be the case with Rubin. Just because he didn’t average 20 and 10 as a sophomore doesn’t mean he can’t get over the NBA hump eventually. There’s still a lot to get excited about here. For instance, did you know that Rubin is the only player in the BartTorvik era(2008-present) to register 75 dunks with both a block and assist rate over 10? That sort of two-way athletic prowess, paired with growing feel, is difficult to ignore. Loyola faced significant roster turnover this offseason, but Rubin stayed put. There’s a good chance that the Ramblers could be “his team” this year; if that’s the case, the draft world will take notice.

Ernest Udeh Jr., 6’11”, 260 pounds, Miami, Senior

2024-2025 Season Stats: 6.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.1 TOV, 1.4 SPG, 1.3 BPG

2024-2025 Shooting Splits: 63.4/0/59.8

Signature Performance: vs. UCF, 3/1/2025. 16 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks. 6-6 FG, 4-7 FT.

Reminds me a little bit of: Paul Reed, Precious Achiuwa, Willie Cauley-Stein

Background

Ernest Udeh Jr. played high school basketball for Dr. Phillips High School in Florida and won a state title there as a junior. He competed for Southeast Elite on the grassroots circuit. Between those two squads, he came up playing alongside the likes of notables such as Riley Kugel, Ven-Allen Lubin, and Denzel Aberdeen. His high-energy style and productivity earned him a McDonald’s All-American Game invitation, four-star status, and a 32nd overall ranking from 247Sports in the 2022 high school class. He chose to attend Kansas over the likes of Baylor, Arkansas, Alabama, and UCLA.

His first and second years with the Jayhawks had highs and lows. He appeared in 30 games, bringing heaps of defensive playmaking and efficient scoring off the bench. Conversely, he was limited to 8.3 MPG, playing a small bench role behind KJ Adams Jr. He entered the portal and spent his next two seasons at TCU. There, he continued to wreak havoc on defense while growing as a rebounder and decision maker. After his junior year, he entered the transfer portal once more, and he’ll wrap up his college career with the Miami Hurricanes.

What’s Good

Ernest Udeh Jr. is one of the most mesmerizing defenders in college basketball. At 6’11” with a sturdy frame and big shoulders, he looks like a 90s-era NBA back-to-the-basket big man. Still, he moves with the lateral agility of a wing. He has a shocking combination of size and foot speed. He looks uncanny guarding out on the perimeter, where he can smother smaller players. His presence is downright intimidating, often leading to forced dribble pickups, panicked passes, and turnovers. He can really sit down and move in a way that few big men can, and it’s beneficial for his team’s margins in the turnover battle. Udeh’s career 3.5 STL% is as good as it can possibly get for a big man prospect. He has the other instincts you’d like to see out of a big man who can guard on the perimeter, too. He covers ground exceptionally well, he knows when to help at the nail, and he does a good job of avoiding foul trouble. He’s tailor-made for a switching system, with the physical gifts, instincts, and drive to guard five-out at the professional level.

Udeh still gives you some of the classic big man stuff, too. Because he’s so big and mobile, he’s a good rim protector, too. Udeh’s block rate of 5.9 isn’t anything to write home about, but it makes sense considering how often he’s guarding out on the perimeter. Plus, he held opponents to 38.1% at the rim per Synergy, so it’s not like anyone is getting anything easy on him. His rim help instincts are solid, he gets into position fast when he recognizes that he needs to, and his chest holds up well to contact. Plus, the fact that he flies off the floor for rejections is always good to see.

Offensively, Udeh keeps it simple, but I think he could be a better weapon than the numbers indicate. He has blazing end-to-end speed (91st percentile in transition, per Synergy). Plus, he’s not afraid to use his big body to lay down a violent screen. As a result, he’s a devastating roll man. He makes good contact and gets to the rim in a hurry. Add in great hands, serious bounce, and a determination to rip the rim off the basket, and he’s an electric finisher. Per Synergy, Udeh ranked in the 92nd percentile as a roller this past season, and it’s my belief that he could post greater scoring totals if this ability were leveraged more consistently by his team. He’s tough to stop downhill, so teams often resort to fouling him (.821 FTr last season). Additionally, Udeh is a feisty offensive rebounder (career 13.5 ORB%), so opponents need to make sure they put a body on him after a missed field goal. He displays solid passing vision at times and has a degree of comfort putting the ball on the deck.

What Needs Improvement

Udeh’s offensive game is still pretty raw. His 17.5 TOV% on 11.9 USG% is a red flag, as he’s prone to turnovers when asked to do too much with the ball. He only scored 14.7 points per 100 possessions this last season, which is extremely low by NBA prospect standards. Part of that is his teammates missing him when he had a runway to the rim too often, but there are issues beyond that. His touch on non-dunks is quite poor, as he went 47.4% on halfcourt layups and 2-for-11 on hook shots this past year, per Synergy. And while he draws a lot of fouls, his 59.8 FT% last season diminishes the value of that skill. His positioning can leave something to be desired, as he can cramp the spacing on the court by getting too close to his teammates while also not sealing or carving out space for them. Defensively, he doesn’t always work to secure positioning on the glass and could stand to be more assertive on the boards. His 20.6 DRB% is a fine number in a vacuum, but it’s disappointing in contrast to his numbers on the offensive glass, and the film shows examples of food being left on the table.

Conclusion

When I put together this series, there are times when I think, “the public-facing boards are wrong, this guy is obviously worthy of being drafted, and there’s a clear-cut role for him to play at the next level.” This isn’t one of those scenarios. I get why Udeh has slid under the radar. He’s been an extremely low-usage player who doesn’t score at the volume typical of an NBA prospect, his touch is suspect, and he coughs up the ball more than he should. If it doesn’t pan out for him, the reasons for it will be obvious.

Still, I think there’s a real chance that he’s a surprise breakout candidate. Udeh is a devastating rim-runner. His physicality, speed, and bounce make him a deadly finisher who could thrive in the NBA’s fast-paced play style. It’s exceedingly difficult to find players his size who can slide their feet and cover ground like he can on defense. There’s something here. It’s a little funky and unconventional, but there’s an intriguing blend of skills going on with Udeh, and the Miami Hurricanes could unleash it. He’s more of a watchlist guy than a sure thing bet for me, but I’ll be keeping an eye on him. He could be a “muck-it-up energy big man” in the vein of a Paul Reed if things break right.