Top 10 prospects for 2025 NBA Draft who can make a mark in the Final Four ft. Walter Clayton Jr. and Tahaad Pettiford

This year’s Final Four will feature four top-ranked seeds, which should make for one of the highest-quality finishes to an NCAA tournament. These squads feature several notable NBA prospects, many of whom have starred throughout the tournament.

Let’s break down ten of the most prominent NBA prospects playing in the Final Four, discussing their matchups and what they have at stake.

Top 10 prospects for 2025 NBA Draft who can make a mark in the Final Four

#1 Cooper Flagg, Duke

To overcome an elite Houston defense in their Final Four matchup, Duke will need their superstar freshman to play his best basketball yet. He’s had a stellar tournament despite a weaker (by his standard) performance against Alabama in the Elite Eight. Even on his off nights, Flagg has no problems letting his teammates score and create.

Houston will throw big, athletic bodies at Flagg all game on defense. He’ll have to power through and around J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler on the perimeter. If those defenders play off of his drives, Flagg must confidently shoot from the outside to punish them.

An aggressive Houston defense will test Flagg’s handle. If he can handle their traps, hedges, and swarming on-ball defenders, Flagg should thrive on offense. They’ll need him at his best if Duke wants to make their first National Title game since 2015.

#2 Khaman Maluach, Duke

As the season has progressed, Khaman Maluach has looked more comfortable playing on the interior. The 18-year-old big man will face a massive test against a physical Houston defense that will challenge his body and make rebounding and scoring challenging. Maluach isn’t always sturdy against contact, and he’ll see plenty of it on Saturday.

Maluach will have a significant height advantage against Houston; their tallest rotation stands at 6-foot-8, a full six inches shorter than Maluach. He’ll win as he always does as a lob threat with Flagg and Kon Knueppel, weaponizing his sheet size over a shorter, stouter Houston team.

Duke will likely continue to put Maluach on the perimeter, and Houston will test him with LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp. Scouts will keep a sharp eye on Maluach’s ability to control the paint and play his game against a Houston defense that will work their hardest to take him out of the game.

#3 Kon Knueppel, Duke

Knueppel starred against Alabama in Duke’s Elite Eight win, dropping 21 points and 5 assists. He’s coming into his own as a slasher, more comfortable than ever putting his head down and working downhill. Knueppel’s ability to play off two feet helps him play bigger than his size and athletic tools.

He’ll operate as a pick-and-roll initiator, hoping to feed Khaman Maluach on as many easy lobs as possible. Knueppel is a surgical scorer off his shooting, which Houston must key in on.

Similarly to the rest of their freshmen, Houston’s tough veteran team will test Knueppel physically. If they can successfully limit Flagg and Maluach by sending bodies at them, Knueppel could compensate with his secondary creation which makes him a top-10 prospect.

#4 Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn

Pettiford scored 14 points in Auburn’s loss to Florida earlier this season. The Tigers need him to continue his excellent tournament performance, providing a needed offensive spark against a red-hot Florida team. Walter Clayton Jr. will score and produce and we’ll see if Pettiford can match.

At the moment, it’s looking like Pettiford will return to Auburn next season. Despite his height, he’s proven himself as a potent, versatile offensive player capable of scoring at all levels, passing and defending. A nuclear Final Four performance could earn Pettiford enough draft buzz to declare early.

#5 Alex Condon, Florida

This would be an excellent time for Condon to have his first big scoring game of the tournament. He’ll have his hands full matching up with Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell and the rest of Auburn’s frontcourt. He put up 17 points and 10 rebounds against Auburn late in the season, so he’s shown the ability to produce against this team.

Condon’s ancillary offensive skills — connective passing, dribbling and screening — are fantastic. NBA teams will look for him to showcase his scoring ability on the biggest stage, thriving in the paint against Auburn’s defense. They’ll need him at his best to make the National Title game.

#6 Walter Clayton Jr., Florida

Arguably the player of the tournament to this point, Florida will need Clayton to keep shooting the lights out to beat Auburn and push for a National Title. Clayton’s second 30-point game of the season lifted Florida over Texas Tech in the Elite Eight in one of the most clutch performances.

Clayton’s decision-making as a lead guard can sometimes falter, electing to settle for tough shots when easier passes sit on the table. Still, Clayton’s shotmaking might be special enough to help him thrive in the NBA, paired with his excellent vertical pop and defensive upside.

#7 Milos Uzan, Houston

Uzan has come into his own down the stretch for Houston, flourishing as a lead guard with a phenomenal handle and improved shooting ability. He fell back to earth against Tennessee after a career day against Purdue and must bounce back against Duke if Houston wants to make the title game.

Shooting improvement only enhances Uzan’s shifty handle, pick and roll game and floater scoring. Scouts will view Uzan as a real NBA prospect after the second half of the season and tournament performance. If he can carve an elite Duke defense in the pick and roll, he’ll turn even more heads as an offensive prospect.

#8 Tyrese Proctor, Duke

Proctor has been a flamethrower in the Tournament for Duke, burning opposing defenses as an outside shooter. He’s capitalizing off his teammates’ gravity, shooting off of the catch, driving into space and running a few ball screens himself. Flagg and Knueppel’s passing and Maluach’s screening help him find easy looks and score efficiently.

He picked the best possible time to heat up as a shooter, building on his best offensive season as a college player. When Houston’s defense inevitably keys in on Duke’s star freshmen, Proctor must continue to show he can punish tilted defenses with efficient shooting and driving.

#9 Johni Broome, Auburn

Broome left the Michigan State game with an elbow injury in the second half but returned to cap off his best game. He dropped 25 points and 14 boards against the Spartans and will have his hands full with arguably the best frontcourt in the country against Condon and the rest of Florida’s group.

Florida held Broome to under 50% true shooting in their previous matchup, but he’ll need to score more efficiently to vault Auburn to the National Title game. Scouts will key in on how much he can dominate the interior, space the floor and wall off the paint against a dynamic Florida offense.

#10 Thomas Haugh, Florida

Haugh’s breakout tournament campaign continued with a 20-point, 11-rebound performance against Texas Tech. He’s been a critical X Factor for the Gators late in the season, making a season high 4 3-pointers in Florida’s elite eight win.

Though he probably won’t declare for the 2025 NBA Draft, Haugh looks the part of a future first-round pick. Wings with Haugh’s size, explosive athleticism, defensive versatility and scoring flashes will entice NBA teams and keep him on radars throughout next season.