The SEC is quietly producing large amounts of NBA all-stars. These 10 stars could be up next in the 2025 NBA Draft.
10. Johni Broome, Auburn
Most college basketball fans, casual or not, probably recognize the name Luka Garza. The former Iowa Hawkeye won the Wooden Award in the 2020-21 season after a dominant year on the hardwood. But some basketball fans who solely tune into the NBA might not know who he is. That’s because he’s currently coming off his fourth season in the association, one in which he averaged 3.5 PPG for the Timberwolves in just 5.6 MPG.
Johni Broome enjoyed similar dominance at the college level, and many ball-watchers, this one included, believed he should have won the Wooden Award over Cooper Flagg. But this ball-watcher also has watched Broome get run off the court by Collin Murray-Boyles, three years his younger, in a February matchup against the worst basketball team in the SEC. Broome is turning 23 years old in a month, making him older than Alperen Şengün and Paolo Banchero. That’s not to suggest it’s always unwise to select a college senior in the NBA draft. But it is suggesting that other, younger prospects could do what he did this past year after two to three years of NBA experience and development. Toss Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen in the college game in three years and they’d be levels ahead of what Broome did this season.
Broome won’t have the physical advantage over big men in the NBA that he enjoyed last season. Free throws, for whatever reason, have not come along whatsoever during his college career. Last year, in his fifth college season, he averaged 58.7% from the line. He’s relatively slow, especially compared to the top of this year’s power forward class, and his three point percentage, after a half-decade in college, was just 27.8% last season. That doesn’t exactly scream valuable production of any sort in the NBA.
But at a certain point, GMs have to acknowledge that he put up these numbers in college for a reason, and there’s a chance that those reasons translate to the league. I just, personally, find that unlikely. If I were an NBA GM, I would sign him to a summer league deal, absolutely. But I wouldn’t draft him.
9. Tamar Bates, Missouri
Bates is 22 years old and struggled to find a role in his first two years in college at Indiana. He’s also not the biggest or most athletic guard in the draft pool. But he’s here on this list despite that because he distinguished himself as an elite and efficient shooter in two years under the tutelage of Dennis Gates. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Bates attempted 214 free throws. He made 200 of them. Last season, he shot 87-92 (94.6%) from the line. That’s Steph Curry level. No, I’m not saying Tamar Bates is going to become Steph Curry. Nobody in this draft class will become Steph Curry. But in this one category, shooting free throws, Tamar Bates is certainly on that level.
Beyond the arc, he was quite good. Bates improved on his 3PT% every season he played in college, ending up with a 39.7% clip on 3.9 attempts per game last year for Missouri. His TS% of 64.3% ranked second in the SEC among qualified players, only behind his teammate, Caleb Grill. (Who himself is quite the shooter.) Though Bates was quite good in the mid-range, (a forgotten skill in today’s NBA) his 3PAr of 42.7% could see to be risen. I think it wouldn’t hurt him to take more shots from the perimeter, and in an offense with NBA spacing, (depending on the team) Bates could carve out a lengthy career off the bench, with production similar to what Ty Jerome did this season with the Cavs. Take Tamar Bates in the early second round and you’ve got yourself a steal.
8. Alijah Martin, Florida
Alijah Martin was one of the top reasons why Florida walked away with a NCAA championship this past season. The Summit, Mississippi native scored 18 in a comeback win over the defending champion UConn Huskies, then dropped 17 against Auburn in the Final Four. Despite questions about his age, (he’s already 23 years old) Martin is ready as an NBA prospect. He’s short (6’2″ish) but is close to an elite athlete for his height and has the physicality and leadership to succeed in the NBA. Martin is a reliable outside shooter (35.0% from deep last season) and has a long wingspan for a guard of his size.
The main drawbacks of Martin as a prospects are his age and height. His playmaking ability is also not at an NBA-level, and he’s cemented as a shooting guard, with a lack of flexibility for playing any other position. But he’s physical with a high motor, and Martin has proved himself a winner and leader with both Florida Atlantic and Florida. That’s why taking a flier on a player like Martin in the second round is a low-risk, high-reward strategy.
7. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Chaz Lanier, like most of the prospects from 7-10 on this list, will slide down draft boards because of his age. Lanier, who spent four years at North Florida, transferred to Tennessee prior to this past season. He, after averaging 19.7 PPG with the Ospreys as a senior, didn’t miss a beat in the transition to the SEC, pacing the Vols with 18.0 PPG and earning an All-SEC distinction.
Lanier’s success seemingly came out of nowhere in college. After three seasons of averaging less than 5.0 PPG in the A-Sun, he burst onto the scene as a senior, then backed it up with an elite season in the SEC. That, to me, raises his ceiling. Yes, his age (he’s 23) will cause him to drop further than a freshman would. But it’s worth wondering how much better he can get, is it not? If Lanier, in two years, can go from 4.7 PPG at North Florida to 18.0 PPG at Tennessee, what can he do in two years from now? He’s an elite shooter, but not just a shooter. Lanier is quite good at moving without the ball, and can create space for himself while dribbling on-ball or cutting off-ball.
Unlike Martin, Lanier has the height (6’4″) to fit immediately into an NBA unit. I remember watching Lanier drop 30 on Texas A&M, a very good defense, cutting the Aggies up with eight makes from behind the arc. That player is certainly capable of making a difference in the NBA, just like former Vol Dalton Knecht. Take a pick on Lanier in the late first round, NBA executives.
6.Adou Thiero, Arkansas
Thiero missed time last year with injury, but played very well, (especially compared to his freshman and sophomore years at Kentucky) and has two huge strengths that I witnessed while watching tape. Thiero is great at getting to the line and causing havoc defensively. As a small forward, those are two things that executives will covet from a prospect. He was very efficient from the field offensively, at least inside the arc, and there’s lot of potential to love from the former four-star prospect. Though some are worried about positional fit, seeing as the modern small forward/wing is expected to be able to possess at least a capable three-point shot, Thiero in my mind has the chance to get better in that aspect. He’s worth a late first-round pick.
5. Asa Newell, Georgia
Mike White strikes again. He was able to convince Asa Newell to commit to Athens, a place that held a lot of sentimentality to the freshman big man. And what did Newell do? Just lead the Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance since the Mark Fox era. Newell is versatile and has shown improvement in his three-point ability, though he’s not close to being automatic from deep. A very good athlete, there isn’t a facet of his game where he truly struggles with.
Sure, he can improve in plenty areas. But he has a high floor, and there isn’t an area of his game that an executive can point to and say “that’s a huge weakness.” For this reason, I wouldn’t be shocked or disappointed if he was picked in the lottery. Newell is only 19, and he is great on the offensive boards; his motor isn’t in question. Newell is a solid power forward option, and if needed could maybe run for a few reps as a small-ball center. In terms of potential, I wouldn’t be surprised if Newell was starting in the NBA in three to four years.
4. Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Sometimes, a prospect just needs to pass the eye test. Sure, other tests are important. Unless you’re Walter Clayton Jr., national champion. Clayton Jr. took over in March (and for a day, April as well) and willed his team to the national championship game. He didn’t have the best performance against Houston, but I’m willing to forgive a player for not scoring 20 points against the best (arguably) collegiate defense of all time.
Clayton Jr. has been gaining steam as a potential first-round pick in the draft, and I’m all for it. A former standout football player, Clayton Jr. has a great athletic profile and an elite shot. He has an elite shot. I had to say that twice because it’s that good. He isn’t the dunker that his teammate Martin is, but he can get up, and that leap allows him separation on his shots. Walter Clayton Jr. is clutch. He has an elite shot. Y’all know I had to say that for a third time. He’s not the best defender and his passing can be improved as he navigates to the NBA level, however.
Ultimately, I’ve got to trust my eyes. My eyes say that Walter Clayton Jr. will be an immediate contributor in the NBA.
3. Tre Johnson, Texas
I’m not as high on Tre Johnson as most experts are. I think it might not be suggestible to take a player who ranked 11th on their college team in TS% with a top-10 pick. He hasn’t been all that efficient as a shooter, despite a mark of 19.9 PPG. And defensively, he’s been average at best and a detriment at worst.
True, he was great at limiting turnovers. And that 39.7% clip from deep? Ooh, that’s great. And yes, he’s by all means a great guy who’s constantly hungry to get better on the court. And his product on the court visibly improved over the course of the season, to that point. And he’s a scorer at heart who has plus ball-handling skills. So maybe I overreacted to a couple of stats that point to a player that would have a late first-round grade, when in reality Johnson is well worth a top-ten pick. I really like him, and I hope he has a great career. When Tre Johnson gets picked, I’ll still have those doubts about him as a prospect in the back of my head, but I will be cheering on the outside.
2. Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
One or two big questions remain about Collin Murray-Boyles as a prospect, depending on who you ask. The first one is the lack of perimeter shooting, a near-need in today’s NBA. Murray-Boyles only made nine threes in his college career, and shot 26.5% from deep this past season. When you add in his height, less than 6’7″ barefoot, (though I’m still not sure why the NBA measures players barefoot, as if the prospects are suiting up to hoop in their socks) some GMs become worried about where exactly he would be slotted into a lineup, fit-wise.
However, the Columbia native was one of the best passers on the Gamecocks this past season, and he, besides the lack of a consistent shot, really does fit the bill of the modern power forward. He’s great at switching on defense, has elite footwork inside on offense, and led the team in steals per game last year. As a freshman, he met 7’5″ Jamarion Sharp at the rim and sent his shot back. That play should help quell doubts about his size. (Also, his wingspan is over seven feet.)
Murray-Boyles isn’t a fit for every NBA team. But he’s a great fit for at least several. In terms of intangibles, he stepped up in crucial moments and truly put the team on his back in a handful of wins last year. There’s absolutely zero character concerns with Murray-Boyles, and he’s much more mature than his age (20 when the season starts) suggests. I’ve interviewed Murray-Boyles in his time at South Carolina, as well as watched him compete from the baseline in SEC contests. The one thing that stands out in terms of his skill is his footwork. This is a big man that can put in work 1v1 against older frontcourt players (see Broome, Johni) and has a very high basketball IQ. Though he’s seen as a risky selection due to his size, I believe CMB has a pretty high floor, especially relative to what scouts say.
1. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
Not all draft writers have Fears as the best prospect out of the SEC for this year’s NBA Draft. But this writer does, and that’s all that matters for this piece. Fears, just a freshman, averaged 20.4 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.9 RPG in the best conference in college basketball. Is that good? It ain’t bad.
Fears plays with grit and has a great motor. He’s able to create separation offensively and doesn’t have the severe defensive woes that plague Tre Johnson. The Oklahoma product is one of the youngest players in the draft, but he already plays with a maturity that NBA teams need from a draft prospect. He can get to the line quite well, and ultimately his offensive potential is what makes him the top pick from the SEC this year. Fears is naturally talented with the ball in his hands, and will come off the board within the top ten.