Perhaps more than anything else, the 2024 NBA Draft was characterized by its lack of high-end prospects at the top of the class. While there were a bevy of great prospects, the first two picks, Zaccharie Risacher to the Atlanta Hawks and Alexandre Sarr to the Washington Wizards, paled in comparison to the Victor Wembanyama’s, Brandon Miller’s, Paolo Banchero’s, and Chet Holmgren’s who typically fill these spots.
However, with the pages now turning to the 2025 Draft, this strength atop the class is already being cemented by its top two prospects, Cooper Flagg of Duke and Ace Bailey of Rutgers.
In his college debut against Lincoln, Flagg stuffed the stat sheet, demonstrating his tantalizing all-around impact. He tallied 22 points, including 2-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and 6-for-11 shooting from two-point range. These buckets included tough off-the-dribble jumpers, thunderous finishes off of drives and lobs, and spot-up shots. Further, he sent four shots back in highlight form from all over the court, and dished out six highly impressive assists. He displayed great vision and timing on these finds, successfully linking the offense.
In his college debut against St. John’s, Bailey also made an incredible first impression. The big wing scored 25 points on 18 field goal attempts, including 4-for-9 shooting from deep. All throughout the game, his shot-making ability popped. Even at his size, he was navigating into, and converting, difficult pull-up attempts from all over the court. He also stretched his impact to other facets of the game, though, with 5 rebounds and 5 steals.
While Flagg and Bailey’s freshman campaigns are both just getting started, it’s clear that these two are a different level of NBA prospect than anybody in the 2024 class. They possess an unmatched level of star potential that the draft hasn’t seen since 2023. As the college basketball season unfolds, it’ll be interesting to watch how Flagg and Bailey stack up amongst each other as the top prospects in the class.
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