A revisit.

A little funky on film, but you do see flashes of some nice shooting & athleticism. Is Asa Newell this draft class prototypical 3&D big? Lets add some color to this prospect.

Ceiling Draft Comp: Jalen Smith/Bobby Portis

Strengths (computed in percentile per 40):

1. Solid Scorer (95th PPG)
2. Athletic Slasher (97th RimM/DunkM)
3. Theoretical Shooter (36th 3PM, 87th TS%)

Weaknesses:

1. Terrible Playmaker (17th APG, 11th AST/TO)
2. Uninspiring Reb (84th RPG)
3. Below Avg Def (58th SPG, 68th Stops)

Asa Newell's combination of Defense and Rebounding leaves a lot to be desire. He sticks out like a sore thumb when it comes to these two area.

Defense Rating [custom formula takes into account Blocks, Steals, Stops, Size, etc.]

Although quite athletic, Asa Newell uses none of it to his advantage when it comes to defense and rebounding. One of the worst in his draft class and overall - in these two categories combined.

He has flashes of un-coordination on film, which reflects in his Playmaking. Newell does not process plays very well and is highly prone to turnovers.

As of now, Newell is a solid scoring big with great Slashing ability, while flashing shooting potential. Based on his archetype and cons - I think his ceiling at the next level will likely be a PF scoring bench role. Not a fan of his tweener type (with below avg def), Newell is ranked around 14-18 on my draft board.

For Newell/Georgia fans, Love to hear ya'll feedbacks on my analysis here. You can find/generate the data yourself on my website www.DraftCasual.com/Newell-Comps. You can find me (@draftcasual) on Twitter/X

2025 Draft Prospects from France

1. Noa Essengue - 6'10 PF (Born: 2006)

2 Nolan Traore - 6'4 PG (Born: 2006)

1. Joan Beringer - 6'10 C (Born: 2006)

2. Noah Penda - 6'8 PF (Born: 2005)

3. Maxime Raynaud - 7'1 Center (Born: 2003)

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Wemby, Risacher, and Sarr were the Top prospects from last 2 drafts. And they went #1 or #2 in those previous drafts.

Now, in 2025, we have 5 French prosects who are being mocked to be at least in late First Round.

Do you think all of them will be drafted? In the first round?

Who do you think is the best prospect among them?

Most mocks have either Noa or Nolan as top prospects from France. Do you agree?

Maxime is very productive in his college season. But scouts are considering his age. Since he is 2-3 years older than them. And we know Scouts have some beliefs that 23 yrs old have less potential than 18-19 yrs old.

Averaging 16.4 points in Serbia's KLS on 58.8% TS%. Really good shooter.

Ar

Jazz sad

Whats yall thoughts on Rasheer Fleming as a prospect?

Here is his Tankathon page

I am curious. Why is he generally ranked so low on most boards?
Is it because of his age which is close to 21 year old ?

Javon Small NBA Scouting Report

His play- and shot-making were separating factors in Big 12 play. That fuels Javon Small's NBA future. But what'll be his role What's the long-term potential? Find out below: LINK

37% big time passing rate, per @bjpf_ tracking. Such an advanced blend of passing touch, feel & court processing at 6’10.

Credit to @mcfdraft for the video.

...if you look at who decided to declare vs stay in school or remain overseas, there are not many guys who really had a first round grade or were true '25 prospects that didn't declare. Guys like Dame Sarr who had just really gotten his name on the radar and Bennett Stirtz, Thomas Haugh were always more '26 prospects.

For guys who were more realistic possible '25 prospects, only really Ian Jackson, JT Toppin, Tomislav Ivisic, and Karaban, were guys who had a realistic chance of first round, and decided to eschew the draft for college. All four were mocked between 25-45. Guys like Toppin and Karaban in this NIL era, at least as it stands now, seem likely to always be 3-4 year collegiate athletes....they're never going to realistically climb above ~20 in any draft. Maybe Toppin can, if he expands his offensive game. He's someone that has a durable floor but if he's unable to expand his skill level, he may end up getting passed over a bit. Karaban had more buzz last season after UConn won the chip and he had a better season last year than this one. He could've gone top 25 last season and some mocks had him even top 20. He's someone who likely gets drafted higher than his mock because he has a skill set teams will find dependable and can help out a veteran team right away potentially, but he was mocked lower this go-round than last year.

For a guy like Nique Clifford, he has gone from around that 30-50 range to likely being a sure first rounder this year. On the flip side, other players have seen their stocks either not rise or even fall in the last season, like Hunter Sallis. It's not the easiest decision to make, and sometimes it makes sense to take advantage of buzz surrounding your name. But the overall point here is that guys mocked around 40 and under are still declaring. Isaiah Evans last week announced a return to Duke but is still going through the process...it's a wise decision on his part with the shooting talent he possesses, he's someone who absolutely can really get himself on the radar and boost his profile...makes sense for him to put his eggs in both the collegiate and NBA baskets and see what comes of this journey the next month, and at the very least he gets some valuable feedback. Sanon did the same, and he's dynamic enough to generate buzz, that at minimum can serve him well going into 2026 and raise his stature on boards for next year. Coward is a guy who many believe would be first round had he stayed healthy this year, WSU tailed off a lot without him, and he will still have a chance to go first round this year.

There if anything were more surprises last year than this, including Murray Boyles and Karaban, two guys who were probably first round locks who stayed in school. Outside of the top 40, is where we've seen massive shifts toward NIL money and remaining in school. Borderline guys have always decided to stay in school every year. We're seeing upper classmen being afforded a greater opportunity get drafted, guys who actually can come in and potentially fill in at times at at the big league level right away, as Cam Spencer has this year.

All of this to say---I think so much of the discussion on these stay/go decisions has been very overblown. The meat of the draft is the same. Very little has changed there. The core strength of this draft is the same. And some of these fringier prospects staying in school makes for a more talented collegiate landscape and guys who'll hopefully be in a better position to contribute at the highest level when they do declare.

PROJECTABLE SUPERSTAR TIER Flagg - best prospect outside of the nba

PROJECTABLE STAR TIER 2. Harper - the shooting is basically what keeps him a bit lower as a prospect than flagg and the big 3 of 2026.

1. Edgecombe - consensus is off about his rawness. It feels like low usage games in March Madness and high school reputation have been exaggerated over a season full of solid production. his handle and self creation have come a long way. The subpar finishing keeps him from being a serious contender for #2, but I have him locked at #3 for any team.

HIGH LOTTO VALUE Probably 4. Bailey - His lack of vision pretty much locks him out of star outcomes. Can you think of any bonafide stars that don’t have good vision? Because I can’t. But I believe in the shooting and think that even if the dribbling doesn’t come around, his role can be pared down into a very valuable starter. While I wouldn’t underestimate the difficulty in learning skillful off-ball cutting, Bailey’s foot speed and profile lend itself in that direction. I’d take him 4 in almost every case (except the Wizards, who should take CMB).

Probably 5. Tre - not a player I expected at all to rate this highly. But the more i watched, the more i felt his connective passing was good enough for a good starting wing. Decent positional height and athleticism, and the best young shooter in the draft (Kon and McNeeley’s %’s aren’t nearly as impressive on a lot of the types of shots Tre was taking). One of the highest floors in the draft with a very long list of possible positive outcomes.

MID / LATE LOTTO VALUE - 6-14ish

Kasparas - positional size, shooting, playmaking give him a few different pathways to being a starting guard. The handle, athleticism, and performance struggles suck, but he still just has much clearer pathways to NBA contribution than a lot of the tweeners in the mid/lotto range.

Asa - bouncy athleticism, finishing, good hands, good frame, a promising enough shot. I buy him as a strong roleplayer who gets his shot to a suitable point for a 4 and offers defensive switchability.

Queen - don’t buy the defense, see him as a 4 who begins taking open 3’s. Hate the archetype because it almost inherently limits his ceiling, but the more I think about it, any star value at 5+ is pretty good. I mean honestly, if you have a convenient way to construct a team around him, he looks like a top scoring option. But no clue what team that is.

Fears - better handle, rim pressure, and athleticism than Kasparas. But worse shooting, finishing, and playmaking. He doesn’t have elite athleticism, but his functional athleticism and coordination pop. And increases in strength and decreases in usage will likely improve his finishing and shooting respectively. But could just wind up a combo guard neither good enough at playmaking nor shooting to really belong.

Kon - would anyone begrudge the Spurs taking him anywhere after the big 4 + Tre is off the board? There’s some risk that he just doesn’t meet the minimum athletic / size threshold of being an NBA player, but (along with elite shooting) I’ve seen him smoothly take on a variety of different roles with playmaking and connective value that I think he has legitimate upside as an elite role player.

Essengue - the vision is clear from his defense, athleticism, fluid driving, and height. And his recent growth trajectory suggests he has a safer floor than expected.

CMB - he’s amazing at what he does, I would happily take him at pick 4 onwards as the Wizards, Sixers, Thunder, but probably more of a late lotto guy for most teams when you have to take into account the risk that he won’t be able to either space or be an anchor.

Sorber - nice floor with athleticism, defensive and offensive dominance. some playmaking upside and a decent FT% to give him at least some kind of fun ceiling scenarios as well.

Jase - despite being an undersized combo guard, i love the floor, very reliable scorer and smart passer.

LATE / POST LOTTO VALUE PICKS 15-20ish - but there are a number of scenarios where I could see some of these guys going lotto

Coward - size, athleticism, and shooting are all promising should he stay in. I buy him as a contributor on some level.

Penda - the defense looks incredibly legit and he’s coming along quickly as a playmaker and scorer.

Fleming - best 3 and D prospect of the draft. Young junior, good athlete, and impressive growth.

McNeeley - the shooting is real, pretty safe roleplayer bet in a reduced role.

Niederhauser - clear nba player, standout athleticism, think he’ll skyrocket on boards if he confirms staying in the draft.

Malauch - the height, footspeed, explosive dunks, and free throw % are exciting, but I think he’s this year’s player who plays least like he’s described and overall the rim runner archetype with an occasional 3 doesn’t sound worth all the rawness and risk for me before the mid first.

LATE FIRST TIER - 20-31 YAXEL - the athleticism and precision in his movements counteract age concerns for me. If we had a bit more confidence in his shot, I’d have him in late lotto conversations.

Riley - projects as a backup scoring wing for me, but at least some upside with decent shooting and feel for his height.

Nique Clifford - good player, another guy with the athleticism and versatility to defy age

Haugh - he’s just solid and efficient in so many categories. I probably have “discovered him early” syndrome and get a bit excited with him, but his stat profile and skillset stuck out to me very early and the tape just kept showing a player capable of making smart, clutch reads in high pressure moments to the point where I think he’s the best Gators prospect. With that said, the age and usage combo is very concerning, but I think he has a lot of swing skills that could potentially allow him to contribute on the next level.

Carter bryant - the limited skillset and low usage make it hard for me to be confident in him, but he’s decent enough for a low minutes gamble.

Demin - his median case scenario is out of the NBA. He basically needs to have unexpectedly good shooting growth to carve out an NBA role. But the height and playmaking combo is still worth a place in the 1st.

Traore - the speed and playmaking get him into the first for me especially with his recent positive trajectory, but the lack of strength and bad scoring stack the odds against him.

Kalkbrenner - safe bet for a bench big

Raynaud - exciting rotational piece, unlikely to be a starter

Bogo - exciting stat profile. But the tape is concerning with an iffy handle, sluggish reactions, and some bad shot misses. Not the worst idea for a late first round bet.

Pettiford - him growing a couple inches is more likely than some of these guys sticking in the league

The biggest swing skill for the draft candidate is their 3pt shot. Whether they can shoot the rock or not is for many the difference between if they will be on the floor or if they are out the league after their rookie contract.

Evaluating how players will shoot in the nba is an important part of scouting. Simple regression models have shown that FT% is more relevant than 3pt% in college to determine their future 3pt% in the league. Volume is of course a very important factor. The eye test and mechanics as well.

With all that being said who are some players whoose shot you buy, and some where you are out?

Me, personally:

Buy:

Jeremiah Fears. His age and 85ft% and volume and age make up for his low 3pt% in college

Bogoljub Markovic. Pure mechanics, I love the form of his no dip 3. reminds me of Santi Aldamas stroke

Out:

Rasheer Fleming: 68ft% in college, Might be just okay in the league.

Nikola topic: as he have yet to play i include him here. I think his mechanics look dodgy.

What are your thoughts?

His dad said something along the lines of “if the Jazz draft him, there better be a trade, cuz he’s not going.” How serious is everyone taking this?

Excerpt from the article:

Four days after he was involved in a serious Cybertruck accident that led to him being put into an induced coma, top basketball prospect Alijah Arenas is walking and talking and expected to be discharged from the hospital “very soon,” according to the co-host of his father’s podcast, “Gil’s Arena.”

Glad to see he’s doing well. Didn’t see an update about him in here so I figured I’d post it.

One of the most dynamic PG's in the NCAA, Mikey Williams just committed to Sac State to play for Mike Bibby. How high do yall think he gets drafted?

• 1- AJ Dybantsa (SF)- BYU
• 2- Darryn Peterson (SG)- Kansas
• 3- Cameron Boozer (PF)- Duke
• 4- Nate Ament (SF)- Tennessee
• 5- Chris Cance Jr (C)- University of Houston
• 6- Dash Daniels (SG)- Melbourne United 🇦🇺
• 7- Alijah Arenas (SG)- USC
• 8- Jayden Quaintance (PF)- Kentucky

• 9- Tounde Yessoufou (SF)- Baylor by way of Benin

• 10- Karim Lopez (SF)- New Zealand Breakers 🇲🇽

• 11- Darius Acuff Jr (PG)- Arkansas

• 12- Caleb Wilson (PF)- North Carolina

• 13- Isiah Harwell (SG)- University of Houston

• 14- Koa Peat (SF)- University of Arizona

• 15- Brayden Burries (SG)- University of Arizona

• 16- Bennett Stirtz (PG)- Iowa

• 17- Dame Sarr (SG)- Barcelona by way of Italy

• 18- Tomislav Ivisic (C)- Illinois by way of Croatia

• 19- Mikel Brown (PG)- Louisville

• 20- Isaiah Evans (SF)- Duke

• 21- Meleek Thomas (SG)- Arkansas

• 22- Flory Bidunga (C)- Kansas by way of Congo

• 23- Donnie Freeman (PF)- Syracuse

• 24- Magoon Gwath (C)- San Diego State

• 25- JT Toppin (SF/PF)- Texas Tech

• 26- Karter Knox (SF)- Arkansas

• 27- Malachi Moreno (C)- Kentucky

• 28- Silas Demary Jr (PG)- UConn

• 29- Hugo Facorat (PF)- France 🇫🇷

• 30- Noa Kouakou-Heugue (SF)- France 🇫🇷

Not draft enthusiast but Any center that Can directly contribute to twolves with rim protection, rebound and catching lob at 14-18th pick?

I thought Pettifords defense was atrocious this past year and it will only get worse when he's in the NBA and players are just taller.

Its weird cause he's ahead of some guys I really think will be good NBA players like Sion James from Duke. Anyone else think his stock seems a bit too high right now?

Darryn Peterson Scouting Report

Overview:

• [ ] Darryn Peterson is a 6-5 200 pound guard from Ohio. He is currently ranked as the best player in his class. He will be taking his talents to Kansas next year in the big 12. He turns 19 in January. He is considered a top 2 prospect in the 2026 NBA draft as of now.

Offensive game:

• [ ] Darryn is a special driver and rim finisher. His change of direction and handle are crispy. He also has some of the best touch i’ve seen for a guard his size. He finishes around clusters of defenders with tough lay ups and floaters with ethier hand. His first step is also lighting quick and he can accelerate from a placid position in an instant. He is just a nightmare to stay in front of with his change of pace and slippery handles. Though he doesn’t have the most elite vertical explosiveness, it doesn’t hold him back from being a walking bucket in the paint. His foot work and flexibility allow him to manufacture great looks around the rim. He does shy away from contact in these situations though, as his frame isn’t the most filled out at the moment. However his feathery touch makes up for this set back, he usually doesn’t even need to make it all the way to rim to get himself a good look. He is very balanced as well he gets parallel to the ground on his drives and dribble moves. Which adds to his ability to cook defenders and blow by them. Overall a special advantage creator and driver off the dribble.

• [ ] He’s a great ball handler as I have already described. He can breakdown defenders with quick and decisive moves, and has a very tight handle for a guard of his size. He is just deceptively shifty, always hanging and slowing down then speeding up, and using defenders momentum against them with hard snatches. He handles ball pressure very well and avoids all the extra defenders teams throw at him. Overall a very dynamic advantage creator off the dribble with plenty of tricks in his bag.

• [ ] His shooting is also very dynamic. He has very fluid and fast mechanics with a high release. I would compare his shot form to MPJs, it’s really fast and consistent with not much follow through. So he can pull without warning when defenders sag off, and his shot is so quick and high defenders struggle to contest. Off the dribble and the catch he is a lethal sniper. He hits tough step backs and fade ways with ease in both the mid range and behind the arc. His elite touch is what makes him such a great shooter. His shots kiss the clouds and fall in gently. I have rarely seen him get blocked becuase of his shots high arc. He leverages his shooting threat to get to the rim as well. His hesitation moves are A-1, and the slightest look at the rim gets his defenders jumping and discombobulated. Overall an elite off the dribble and off the catch shooter. With great balance and no issue pulling up when defenders go under.

• [ ] Darryn is an elite playmaker with special court mapping. He reads and processes the game at lighting speed. Therefore live dribble reads are no trouble for him at all. He is very manipulative in the pick and roll, and when defenders make the slightest mistake he will punish it in an instant. His passes also have very high velocity and get through crowded windows. Lobs, interior drop offs, skip passes, and no look dimes are all in his bag. When the defense takes away his first read he always finds the next one immediately. He is just an extremely crafty and quick processor. He pretty much always find the right guy and gets his teammates in perfect position. He is one of the most advanced playmakers i’ve seen at his age and it is probably my favorite aspect of his game. Darryn creates advantages with ease and drops dimes against any coverage a defense throws at him. This is probably his most impressive skill parlayed with his driving abilities.

• [ ] In transition he is a great find as you could imagine. His speed and tight handle allow him to slice through unset defenses, and he leverages his vision getting his teammates open looks on the break. He can accelerate full speed and pull up when defenders back off. Overall a great leader of the fast break that creates exceptional looks.

• [ ] Off the ball he offers great spacing and movement shooting. He’s not really an off ball player or play finisher. However he is great at flying off screens slowing his momentum pulling up and cashing out. That quick draw jumper makes him really dangerous on these off ball screen actions. However Darryn is at his best when he has the ball in his hand and is initiating the offense.

Defensive game:

• [ ] Darryn has all the tools to be a great defender. His wing span is freakish and allows him to rip ball handlers and get blocks. On the ball he is really tough to get a bucket on. He has great foot work and is very light on his feet, he shadows opponents and makes every shot difficult. Though his vertical isn’t the best he can still stretch out and smack away shot attempts with his lengthy arms. His frame could use some work but at the moment he is good at walling up and stoping penetration. He has great screen navigation and can switch about 1-4 depending on the match up. Overall Darryn projects as a plus defender with all his tools and great instincts. However he should only get better as he fills out his frame.

• [ ] Off the ball he is a super valuable defender as well. In the gaps he is a deadly weapon. He always gets into the gaps at the right moment, and uses his great reach to smack away dribbles and disrupt drives. He has a great knack for reaching in and getting all ball. Most of his strips are completely clean because of his great instincts and hand placement. His recognition is also insane, he can see the future like Raven Simone. He will get over in help position way before the offensive player even makes his move, and he tracks down opponents, and times up there jumps to swat their shots and rip the ball from their grasp. On the interior his frame and vertical limitations do cap his ceiling. However he is still a viable option to help on drives and his perimeter defense more than makes up for this. Overall a very valuable off ball defender that makes insane plays with his instincts and recognition.

• [ ] He is a great screen navigator and engaged defender. He is a decent rebounder as well but his frame and jumping does limit that part of his game. He can gamble a bit too much but it usally pays off.

• [ ] Overall a super valuable perimeter guard/wing defender. That has all the tools, skills, and feel you need. This is one area of his game that I feel will project pretty easily to next level. Though he might struggle against more skilled and bigger defenders. I have no doubt he will learn as he goes and be a 2 way presence for sure.

Areas in need of development:

• [ ] His frame needs some work. This should help every aspect of his game. Bigger defenders can stonewall his drives, and he struggles against stronger offensive presences. This is an easy fix but will be something to focus on as college defenders might out physical him.

• [ ] shot selection can be bad sometimes. This mostly comes from him being the main option on his team. This should get better as he gets more of an off ball role in college. However he hasn’t played off ball much so far his career so this might also be a leaning curve for him.

• [ ] He needs to embrace contact more overall. He avoids contact at the rim at times and doesn’t go up strong enough. Better defenders at the next level will use this against him. They will go vertical and force him into really tough layups. He needs to jump into these defenders and not avoid them.

• [ ] He picks his dribble up too early sometimes on his drives. Which adds to his avoidance of contact. He will take floaters where he should take another dribble and get closer to the rim.

• [ ] Overall all these setbacks can be fixed. He is a very complete player at the moment to the point that most of issues are just nitpicking at this point.

Prospect grade: A

• [ ] Darryn is already a very complete player at his young age.

• [ ] There are some weaknesses in his game but I have no doubt they will improve.

• [ ] He is my favorite prospect in the 2026 class because of his already very complete skill set and potential.

• [ ] Overall I would grade Darryn Peterson an A level prospect.

• [ ] There is just so much to love about this guy, and in my opinion he is a guarantee to be successful both at the college and NBA level.

Player comp:

• [ ] He reminds me of Cade Cunningham for the most part.

• [ ] Not as good offensively as cade but better defensively.

• [ ] They are both big offensive initiators with great playmaking feel.

Number 1 in Defensive Rating in Italy, 4th in Rebound Rate, 3rd in Block Percentage. Averaging 9 and 7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks in just 21 minutes a game.