2025 NBA Draft: 5 prospects on the rise during March Madness

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March Madness is the perfect opportunity for NBA Draft prospects to prove they can shine on the biggest stage, under the highest pressure against defenses that have game planned to try and stop them. It’s like a stress test for talent evaluation. The five players below raised their draft stock during opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, and three of them will have the chance to keep building this weekend.

Ranking: 4th

It’s one thing to flash skill. It’s another to own the moment. Queen did both over the weekend, and in the most dramatic way possible. With the clock ticking down in a second-round dogfight against Colorado State, Queen caught the ball at the top of the arc, took two dribbles, and lofted a soft-touch fadeaway off the glass. Splash. Buzzer. Ballgame. Maryland to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

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That was just the One Shining Moment. The meat of Queen’s performance also showed why he could be moving into the top five of draft boards. As a 6-foot-10 freshman big man, he feasted in a wide variety of play types. He attacked from the perimeter using spin moves to get into off-hand layups. He bullied his way into the paint. He euro-stepped into a floater. He even hit a pair of 3s, with one coming from the wing and another from the corner.

In the opening weekend, Queen showed why I compare him to DeMarcus Cousins and Naz Reid in his full NBA Draft Guide scouting profile. And he played better than he has all season on defense, raising the bar and looking engaged at all times.

Queen was already a top-10 prospect on my board, but after rising to the occasion on the biggest stage, he’s climbed even higher. Now comes his toughest challenge yet: Florida. The Gators rank second in offensive efficiency and 11th on defense, per KenPom, and their Aussie anchor Alex Condon will bring a level of physicality Queen hasn’t faced all season. Can he score through it? Can he hold his own on the other end against a relentless attack? This is the kind of matchup that separates lottery picks from top-five candidates. And if Queen keeps passing these tests, there’s no telling how high he could rise.

Ranking: 17th

Demin looked like he should return to school during the Big 12 tournament, missing 10 of his 13 shots with nine turnovers to only seven assists. He needed a bounce-back in the NCAA tournament, and he’s done just that, looking like the top-10 pick some scouts believe he is.

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At 6-foot-9, Denim has the size of a forward, but he plays point guard for BYU. And he showed off his versatility in both games, pushing the break in transition, operating with his back to the basket from the post, and running pick-and-roll. And he always delivered pinpoint passes, whether he fired it across his body or went behind his back with a bounce pass.

I don’t have Demin ranked quite as highly as some draft analysts because of my concerns about his ability to consistently generate quality shots against set defenses. He seems like more of a high-level connectors, like Josh Giddey, than a primary creator. But nonetheless, the appeal is obvious when he’s also hitting his shots which he did in the opening weekend, including a dagger 3 from NBA range against Wisconsin.

BYU faces Alabama on Thursday. It’ll be the toughest test of the season for Demin, and another chance to prove himself to scouts.

Ranking: 5th

Remember watching Joel Embiid at Kansas? We saw him grow over the course of the season, going from a raw but enormous big man to doing Dream Shakes and blocking everything at the rim. Maluach hasn’t quite had the Charmander to Charizard transformation that Embiid did, but the progress is quite clear. He’s making quicker reads on defense, rotating a beat faster. He’s moving even better laterally on the perimeter. And he’s deterring even more shots by being in the proper position around the basket.

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Maluach only began playing basketball at age 13 so he’s still learning how to best utilize his massive frame, at 7-foot-2, 250 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. And we’re seeing the progress. Not just on defense, but on offense too. Maluach hit all eight of his shots against two undersized frontcourts in the opening rounds, so he dunked over defenses, caught lobs, and used his size the way he should.

And then there was one moment that’s stuck in my mind: a give-and-go with point guard Tyrese Proctor. Maluach received the ball at the wing, Proctor cut, Maluach delivered a dime but Proctor drew two defenders. Maluach calmly stepped behind the line, received the pass, and drained a 3 with a confident, relaxed form.

Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela are my comparisons for Maluach in the Draft Guide. But he’s a 75.4% shooter from the line, and he’s made one-quarter of his limited attempts from 3. He has touch. He’s rapidly improving. Could it only be a matter of time until he’s launching 3s at a higher volume? You can’t rule it out. And maybe if Duke keeps advancing, we’ll see him reveal even more layers to his game.

Ranking: 8th

Fears didn’t survive March. But he might’ve won it anyway. Fears dropped 20 points against UConn and looked like the most polished player on the floor, keeping the ball on a string, weaving through defenders, and generating open shots.

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Fears is a bonafide scorer who proved himself this season as a Sooners freshman, but in this game it was his playmaking that stood out despite logging only four assists. Unfortunately, his teammates made only one of their 14 attempts from 3. By my count, Fears made eight passes that led to open 3-pointers with only one make. And they came out of a variety of actions, whether it was pick-and-roll, inbounds plays, or lasers to the perimeter after knifing into the paint to draw multiple defenders. Fears arguably passed the ball better than he has all season.

That said, his paint finishing is still hit-or-miss. Fears missed six of his nine layups attempted, per Synergy (plus one missed loud dunk attempt). Some of those paint shots he had to force, but you’d still like to see more makes. But weaponizing his scoring with a playmaking ingredient is the natural next step of his career. And even in a loss, he showed he’s building winning habits.

Ranking: 20th

It wasn’t a deep tournament run for Stirtz, but it was a meaningful one. While displaying his manipulative playmaking feel and his crafty scoring from all over the floor, Stirtz led 11-seeded Drake to an upset over Missouri and then fought like hell against Texas Tech. In total, he had 42 points on 30 shots with 12 assists, all while playing every minute of each game.

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I have Stirtz ranked in my top 20, but there are plenty of NBA executives who’d like to see him return to college and play for Iowa. There, he could show off what he could do with less demand on him to handle the ball at all times. Can he defend better? What does he look like operating off-ball like he would be more often in the NBA? And how does his scoring translate against a higher level of competition?

But he will test the waters. And if he excels, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he gets a first-round promise considering how much he oozes talent as a shot-creator who makes his teammates better.

This news was originally published on this post .

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