2025 NBA Draft: 7 questions heading into the Sweet 16

[ad_1]

March Madness is pure chaos, and that’s why we love it. But it’s also a goldmine for NBA Draft scouting. With the Sweet 16 tipping off, here are seven questions I’m looking to answer about some of the top prospects still dancing:

1. Can Texas Tech steal the spotlight from Coach Cal?

Somehow John Calipari can paint his Razorbacks as some sort of a Cinderella story following upsets over Kansas and St. John’s to reach the Sweet 16. Every team remaining is a top six seed, other than Arkansas, a 10-seed. And all eyes will be on this game, in part because the shock factor of Cal bolting from Kentucky to Arkansas still hasn’t fully worn off.

Advertisement

But Texas Tech has a far superior offense than what they’ve faced so far with two NBA Draft prospects that have a chance to hijack the spotlight. Sophomore big man JT Toppin (rank 36th) and junior forward Darrion Williams (rank 43rd) could end up first-round picks on my board down the line because of their tremendous versatility. Toppin is an excellent interior scorer who shows soft touch from outside, while Williams plays virtually every role for the Red Raiders running point one play to setting screens the next. And both of them bring comparable versatility on defense.

The Red Raiders haven’t faced much resistance on their way to this point. But now they’ll get an Arkansas team playing its best basketball of the season. If Toppin and Williams shine under the lights, their stock could soar.

2. Does Derik Queen pass his toughest test of the season?

We know that Queen can fill it up. He’s a polished, crafty scorer who can get buckets from the post, the midrange, or the 3-point line. And as he showed in the round of 32, he’s clutch. But his skeptics have concerns about his defense because at 6-foot-10, he isn’t overly big. And he’s a limited athlete that doesn’t block a ton of shots. In a way, he’s a bit of a modern tweener: Not quite quick enough to defend on the perimeter full-time, and not quite big enough to be a…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/2025-nba-draft-7-questions-heading-into-the-sweet-16-194505897.html

Author : Kevin O'Connor

Publish date : 2025-03-26 19:45:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.