My Guys in the 2025 NBA Draft

Players I love in the upcoming draft

It’s time again for me to present “My Guys” in the 2025 NBA Draft. I apologize this came a day later than intended, but that pesky Kevin Durant trade ended up taking up most of my Sunday. Before we get to the list of My Guys, there are some notes!

• What does it mean to be one of My Guys? These are players I am generally higher on than most in the draft. There is one notable exception this year, but for the most part these are guys I have higher on my personal board than others.

• All measurements and stats here are courtesy of RealGM, which is a really indispensable resource for all things basketball information. Their college and international stats are second to none.

• This list is a bit longer than last year. I’ve spent more time studying this draft class than any other. I am also fortunate enough to live near Montverde Academy, who has four first-rounders in this draft. That means I was exposed to some of these guys earlier than usual and have seen more of them, beyond just their NCAA experience.

• This list also goes from extreme young guys to some much older prospects. I’m not as scared off by older players as some. As the NBA lives in its Apron Era, older players who are ready to play have more value for contenders. They need affordable depth, and older players can offer that right away.

• I’m presenting this list in the order the player ranks on my personal board. You can find my Top 100 board here.

On to My Guys!

• V.J. Edgecombe - SG - Baylor - #4 on TBB Big Board: I fell in love with Edgecombe when watching him play with and against other NBA players for the Bahamas at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last summer. Edgecombe was fearless and played with a real edge throughout that tournament. That matters so much to me. Excelling like that, in a spot with real stakes, is huge.

  Edgecombe wasn’t as dominant at Baylor as I had hoped, but he still showed plenty. He’s hyper-athletic and I think he’ll shoot it fine eventually. He’s NBA-ready defensively right now. And Edgecombe sees and reads the floor at a good level for someone who isn’t a natural on-ball playmaker.

• Liam McNeeley - SG/SF - Connecticut - #8 on TBB Big Board: McNeeley is someone I saw play a lot at the high school level and then at UConn. In his time at MVA, McNeeley had to play with a lot of other high-level guys. That ability to play off others, while also making plays for others has stuck with me.

  We saw some of it at UConn, but that team wasn’t as good as previous editions. That meant McNeeley had to do a lot on his own. That showed up with some inefficiency in his shooting. If you put McNeeley with the right team in the NBA, one that knows how to move the ball and find shooters, and he’ll look awesome. That’s what I’m betting on happening. McNeeley also has great size for what his role projects to be. I see his floor as Corey Kispert and his upside as a bigger version of Desmond Bane.

• Asa Newell - PF - Georgia - #16 on TBB Big Board: Newell is another MVA product. He’s super athletic and bouncy. Those are traits I highly value in bigs. Outside of his three-point shot, which is very much a work in progress, Newell was pretty consistent in his lone college season. That’s not something you see in college big men who don’t have the system built around them.

  Newell reminds me a lot of Jaden McDaniels, but a bit bigger and more athletic around the rim. I think he’ll be a very good defender from Day 1 in the NBA, and the offensive upside is considerable as well.

• Johni Broome - C - Auburn - #20 on TBB Big Board: Broome was someone who kept catching my eye when I was watching other players. He just knows how to play. You can see it in the way he moves on the court. He’s never in the way of the action without a purpose. For a big man, he’s got exceptional passing skills. The jumper is inconsistent, but the form doesn’t look broken.

  Mostly, this one is about feel for the game. Broome will make things happen just because he understands the game. He’s a smart defender and a terrific rebounder too. That should translate to the NBA, while his offensive game sorts out.

• Nique Clifford - SF - Colorado - #22 on TBB Big Board: Clifford can do it all. He’s an older prospect, like Broome, but I’m not real worried about that. That experience should help him play right away in the NBA.

  The way Clifford reads the floor will be good for him to fit into any number of different styles of play. He’s also become a pretty good spot-up shooter. He also holds up defensively. Clifford has everything NBA teams want in a wing.

• Kam Jones - SG - Marquette - #28 on TBB Big Board: Jones is the guard version of Clifford and Broome. As a senior, he took on a huge role for Marquette and played really well. His efficiency suffered, because Jones had to self-create almost all of his looks. But his playmaking and off-the-dribble game improved greatly.

  The defense will be there. Jones is really tough and excels both on- and off-ball. With the improved creation ability, Jones has gone from someone who looked like he’d just be a 3&D guy in the NBA to a potential starting guard.

• Izan Almansa - PF/C - Perth (Spain) - #40 on TBB Big Board: We have to start with Almansa testing positive for a banned substance in Australia. Not a great way to head into the draft. But it’s not something that should linger or change his NBA eligibility at all.

  Almansa has had a weird path to this point. Two years ago, he played on an incredibly messy G League Ignite team. The fact that he was even slightly productive in that environment was encouraging, because big men were often an afterthought for that Ignite team.

  Last year, for Perth in Australia’s NBL, Almansa was again fairly productive. He’s tough around the basket area. Almansa has a knack for grabbing offensive rebounds and he’s got fairly good touch around the rim. His jumper has decent form, but there’s nothing there yet. Defensively, Almansa is ok, but he’s not going to make his living on that end. Overall, there’s potential to work with here, and that’s what I’m betting on emerging in the NBA.

• Kobe Sanders - SF - Nevada - #42 on TBB Big Board: Sanders is another older, do-everything wing. He’s got good size and a good feel for the game. I’m not saying he’ll reach the heights of dominating NBA Finals games, but there’s shades of Jalen Williams in Sanders’ game.

  The jumper coming along nicely. He’s a good free throw shooter, so that should translate to hit threes at a decent clip. Sanders is also a good passer and decent rebounder, and competitive defensively. The fact that he maintained being highly productive despite a major jump in competition for his senior season should bode well for his NBA transition.

• Koby Brea - SG/SF - Kentucky - #45 on TBB Big Board: Brea is starting to rapidly rise up boards around the draft-sphere. To the point that I might be a bit lower on him than many now. If you want a shooter, Brea is your guy. There’s not a ton else to his game right now, but he’s one of the best pure shooters in this draft class.

  The good news? There’s some untapped potential here on offense. Brea showed some signs of being able to drive a closeout and find the next play as a senior. Mostly, he’s a shooter with size, and every NBA team wants players like that.

• Damari Monsanto - SG/SF - Texas-San Antonio - #46 on TBB Big Board: This is where I start really calling my shot on players. I think Monsanto will be an NBA player based on his shooting alone. He shot 42% on nearly eight three-point attempts per game. Upon landing at UTSA, Monsanto basically embraced the designated shooter role, and it’s made all the difference for his pro prospects.

  He’s a legit 6-foot-6, and he has good rise on his shot. That means it’s hard for defenders to bother him when he shoots. Monsanto shoots a really easy ball too. As shooting specialists become more in demand, Monsanto should get real looks from NBA teams.

• Jacksen Moni - C - North Dakota State - #47 on TBB Big Board: Moni has had a fun path to this point. He was dominant at the Division II level before moving up for his senior season. The best part? That dominance showed up even more at North Dakota State.

  At 6-foot-10, Moni is a really funky center prospect. He’s a solid finisher around the rim, but he really shows up as a shooter. He knocked down 41% of 5.8 three-point attempts per game. He’s also not afraid to mix it up a bit on the glass, especially going to the offensive boards. As stretch bigs are more desired than ever in the NBA, Moni should get a shot.

• Earl Timberlake - SF - Bryant - #49 on TBB Big Board: Timberlake first flashed in a handful of games at Miami five years ago. Then he was ok for Memphis. When he landed at Bryant in 2022, he took off. Timberlake’s size isn’t going to blow you away, until you watch how strong he is. He just doesn’t get moved easily, and he’s pretty athletic too. He wasn’t at all out of place when his team played Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament this year.

  If the jumper was cleaner, Timberlake would be higher up on my big board. He just doesn’t take many of them, because the lefty is so good at bulldozing his way to the rim. This past year, Timberlake also improved as a passer and really showed up as a defender. There’re shades of Herb Jones in Timberlake’s game. He’ll need to play on a two-way deal or maybe straight in the G League, but Timberlake could force his way onto an NBA roster eventually.

• Augustas Marciulionis - PG - Saint Mary’s - #59 on TBB Big Board: Marciulionis has good size for a point guard, and an NBA pedigree, as his dad Sarunas was a long-time NBA player. But the younger Marciulionis holds up as a prospect all on his own.

  At 6-foot-4, Marciulionis reads the floor really well. He’s also really good about playing with his own personal pace. Marciulionis excelled both in transition and in the halfcourt. To stick in the NBA, he’ll need to shoot it better, but everything else is there. He should be a quality backup guard at least.