Ouija Wonderings Volume 6: 10/23-11/27

Rowan returns with a new volume of Ouija Wonderings! How have the early performances of Egor Demin, Boogie Fland, Labaron Philon, Joson Sanon, and Derik Queen shook up his 2025 NBA Draft Board?

Welcome back! It's good to see you! The more the scouting year goes along, the more relieved I get that I didn’t name this column anything with “bi-weekly” in it. It’s not that I can’t keep a writing schedule, as you’ve seen from my recent columns on Milan Momcilovic and Hunter Sallis, but rather that the rest of life has been much busier and less structured than I expected.

This isn’t a pity party, however. Outside of scouting, the chaos in my life has been overwhelming at times, but I’ve managed to stay afloat. More than that, I’ve done my best to keep up with the cluttered early slate of non-conference games in college basketball. Unlike my summer firehose approach, the consistent schedule of games to watch has let me space out my watching and not feel like I’m too far behind.

Since the last column, the No Ceilings crew and I have also worked hard. I’ve helped with the Preseason Draft Guide and our 2025 Big Board V.1, alongside a litany of conference previews. It’s been a breath of fresh air to watch a game and talk to the other NC writers to hear the unfiltered opinions about different prospects and their games.

But this column is mine, so you’ll only hear my opinion here. With the college season in full swing and my board already experiencing some major renovations, I won’t hold back on my thoughts and process for constructing my board in what looks like one of the most fun draft classes in my recent memory.

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My Process, Briefly:

So, amidst my craziness, what has my process looked like? 

First, my watching hours have changed. Instead of watching live games nightly, I’ve had to adopt an early bird schedule. After waking up at 4 AM, I scroll through the long list of college and international games with prospects I need to watch and choose two to watch until 7 AM. Then, the necessity of work calls.

My lunch has become a writing and board construction time during my work day. It takes me about two weeks to write a No Ceilings article between the film watching, video edit cutting, draft writing, and article formatting, so I often type out my words with a mouth full of peanut butter toast. The same goes for my off periods during work, as I can find a nook or cranny and crank out more words for each of my columns.

If it sounds exhausting, it is. An earlier bedtime has helped to fight the sleepiness demons, but it’s a test of mental endurance to stay focused and draw worthwhile conclusions from the games I watch. It would be all too easy for me to turn the game on, lazily watch, and count it for my tally as a game watched, but I’ve roused myself and found basketball's back-and-forth to be an excellent substitute for coffee.

My Ouija board has undoubtedly changed throughout my watching pace, but I’ve tried my best to temper my conclusions. Why? Well, it’s only non-conference play. I’m not writing off a prospect based on an early string of poor performances, nor will I vault a player up my board based on slaughtering a few paltry college rosters. However, that doesn’t mean some performances haven’t moved the needle, as even my supposedly unassailable Top 5 has seen a change.

I’ve been looking for growth in these early games. Given the adjustment period needed, I’ve been more forgiving to players who are clearly in new environments or roles while also giving more leeway to players who are trying new things with their games. That doesn’t mean I’m clapping for a guard chucking up dozens of threes; instead, elements like Hunter Sallis’s passing improvements make me more understanding of his increased turnovers.

There isn’t a clear delineation, but we’re getting into the more legitimate stage of the non-conference slate. Teams are no longer running the gauntlet against a cupcake court; instead, teams are traveling to all warm destinations to play against out-of-conference competition. These matchups are the best example of cross-conference competition until March Madness and hold a bit more sway than the earlier games.

So, after watching a host of games and shifting around my board, what have I thought so far in the early 2025 draft season? Read on to find out!

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This volume was powered by…

• Dressing up as Thing from The Addams Family for Halloween

• Chromakopia by Tyler, The Creator

• GNX by Kendrick Lamar (I love a surprise drop)

• Shrinking on Apple TV

• Visiting friends in Pittsburgh for a weekend to get cider donuts

• Celebrating the holiday season with friends and family!

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Who I Watched, What I Thought:

Early Ascents

• The two biggest risers on my board, in terms of tier, have been Egor Demin and Kasparas Jakucionis. Sure, both Labaron Philon and Boogie Fland have pushed themselves into the Top 30 of the Ouija Board, but Demin and Jakucionis have entered the Top 7. Demin's early rise has been well documented already, but it’s hard to overstate how much more interesting he is as a prospect with the ball in his hands versus an off-ball tool. His creation chops, for himself and others, are strong enough at his size to convince NBA teams to hand him the keys to their offense early in his career. That shouldn’t be overlooked.

• Similarly, Kasparas Jakucionis has shown a steady hand in how he’s led the Illinois offense this season without having a truly great scoring game yet. It may be a bit of a reactionary take. Still, I’ve elevated Jakucionis over Nolan Traore at this stage, given the pendulum swings each has undergone in the early portion of the season. A lot can still change, but Demin and Jakucionis have moved me the most to the top of my board.

  Living Life on the Edge(combe)

• So, why have I dropped Nolan Traore down my board due to early struggles but not VJ Edgecombe? Circumstances. Traore is playing tougher competition but has also shown more of the warts in his game that are difficult to fix. The lack of a consistent scoring package inside or outside makes Traore’s transition to the NBA a riskier prospect. That’s not to say he won’t be able to come in and contribute to an NBA team. Instead, it highlights how thin of a band his star outcomes might be. The same can be argued for VJ Edgecombe, given his offensive struggles, but a few things have kept me holding onto my VJ stock for longer than others. Firstly, Edgecombe is a far superior athlete to Traore, which buys him more time now and in the future to develop into a better player. Second, Edgecombe has still been a positive player for Baylor due to his passing, rebounding, and defense. He’s affecting the game in several ways, even without his shot helping him. Also, the level of competition has been high enough for the Bears early in the season that there is less of a distinction between Edgecombe’s competition and Traore’s opponents than with other prospects. Thus, the reason for Traore’s tumble and Edgecombe’s resistance to the fall. Both Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey have charged hard toward that #2 spot, but Edgecombe remains there for me for another week.

  Freshmen Phenom Files

• Boogie Fland and Labaron Philon have careened up the Ouija Board from a simple concept: seized opportunity. Each point guard was slated to start behind the veteran leaders ahead of them on the depth chart, but each has laughed in the face of tradition and taken the reins for their respective teams. Fland has been the most electric player in the Arkansas backcourt all season and shows no sign of slowing down. His pull-up shooting, combined with his passing looks, makes him the most valuable offensive player for the Razorbacks and, by proxy, makes him a real NBA prospect this year due to his skill and age. Philon has pushed his way into starting next to Mark Sears on one of this year’s championship favorites in Alabama, mostly from a similar pitch. Philon’s scoring, driving, and distribution have all been boons for the Crimson Tide during their tough early slate, and it’s hard to see Philon playing worse when the opposing competition dips a bit in quality. Thus, my preseason worries about minutes for Philon are defunct. These young, dynamic guards should factor into first round conversations this year, and their February 8th clash will be my top watch that day.

• Two other freshmen who have moved the needle for me are Derik Queen and Joson Sanon. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Queen in the preseason, but look what I know: all Queen’s done is establish himself as the best player on Maryland in just about half a dozen games. He’s driving from the perimeter, finishing well inside, spreading the ball, and not looking at all scared of the moment. That means “something,” corny as it sounds, in the grand scheme of things, and Queen has certainly proved he not only belongs on the court at all times for the Terrapins but also in first-round draft talks. Joson Sanon has led a balanced Arizona State attack out west and has shown his offensive lethality. He’s still a shooter through and through, pulling up from any angle with any amount of space, and that’s led to his 51.7% shooting from deep. Those numbers will dip eventually, but for Sanon to make it to the NBA, he must be an elite shooter at his size. That looks like a possibility now, making it possible for Sanon to spray his way into one-and-done conversations.

  Wake Forestry Survey

• In preparation for my recent Hunter Sallis article, I watched every Wake Forest game to get a full grasp on his impact on the team. Thus, I have a more complete view of Tre’Von Spillers, Juke Harris, and Cameron Hildreth as draft prospects. Spillers is always the most active player on the floor, flying around on cuts and closeouts, yet his movements are rarely wasted. He’s a great horizontal athlete, gets down the floor easily, and elevates for blocks and dunks with little resistance. The more encouraging element, although early, is Spillers hitting 4-of-12 threes in the first few games. That added shooting touch would completely change his game, even at mediocre efficiency, and make him a real draftable prospect in my book.

• On the other hand, Cameron Hildreth does not look like he’ll be able to play himself back into draft consideration anytime soon. The primary appeal of Hildreth’s game is his shot-making, so when he can’t buy a basket, that’s a problem. Combine that with the fact that he’s not receiving the same on-ball attention as Sallis, and it’s fair to ask whether Hildreth does enough anywhere on the floor to warrant future pro consideration. I still like his size and slither, but he badly needs to hit shots yesterday. Finally, although this is more of a next year shout, I enjoyed the flashes from Juke Harris off the bench. He has great wing size, isn’t afraid to drive into the teeth of the defense, and shows enough shooting touch to hold my attention. It won’t happen this year behind Sallis, Hildreth, Davin Cosby, and Parker Friedrichsen, but I’ll look forward to what Harris can do in a bigger role for Wake Forest next year.

  A Pinch of a Pro Perspective

• I’ve watched my fair share of NBA games this season, which has given me thoughts on the lottery this year and the game overall. The early success of the Cavaliers, Warriors, Thunder, and Celtics all points to the need for draft prospects to be good shooters, smart ball-movers, and reactive defenders. While sure, these are the best teams in the league, and comparisons aren’t apt, they’re also the best because they’ve found players who fit into winning archetypes in modern basketball. That increases the spotlight onto more one-dimensional players like Rocco Zikarksy, Nolan Traore, and Kon Knueppel while also making Dylan Harper, Nique Clifford, and Hunter Sallis all a bit more appealing. 

• Lottery-wise, some unexpected teams are seemingly in contention for Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper, amongst others. Philadelphia never expected to be this low in the standings, and while they likely won’t earn a Top 6 pick, their roster is one young stud to pair with Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey away from tipping toward a youthful contender instead of one right now. Similarly, the New Orleans Pelicans were focused on contending for the playoffs, not for a top draft pick. Zion Williamson’s absence has hurt, but overall injuries have cratered their depth, and it might be time to pull the plug on the Williamson-Ingram experiment and start anew with one of this year’s star prospects. As a last aside, my favorite fit at this juncture for Cooper Flagg would be the Washington Wizards, as his two-way connective play would complete the fledgling structure that the Wizards are building around Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington.

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What’s Next

• Watching games in person is always a treat, and in a bigger city like Seattle, opportunities sometimes crop up to see two great games in one day. I’ll attempt that on Saturday, December 7th, when the USC Trojans visit the Washington Huskies for a 3 PM matinee game. After that showdown, I aim to hop on the light rail, then the monorail, and get to Climate Pledge Arena for the “Battle in Seattle” between Kentucky and Gonzaga. It’ll probably be a test of endurance, but I’ll love every second of it if I can pull it off.

• Outside of those games, I’m planning on watching some combination of Syracuse vs. Tennessee, Arkansas vs. Miami, Princeton vs. St. Joseph’s, Baylor vs. UCONN, Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh, Texas Tech vs. DePaul, Duke vs. Auburn, and Utah vs. Saint Mary’s in the coming weeks before the holiday season and my subsequent travels.