Preseason basketball buzz: Inside my trips to Rutgers, Duke, UNC and UConn

The men’s college basketball regular season begins Nov. 4, and teams are already hitting the practice courts in preparation for the 2024-25 season. In looking ahead to how the college basketball season impacts the 2025 NBA draft, I went on the road for a university tour, ultimately hitting four programs that are sure to impact the college season and the draft.

All eyes will be on Duke’s Cooper Flagg, a freshman who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft, as well as two top-five projected prospects in Dylan Harper and Airious “Ace” Bailey at Rutgers. Drake Powell, a 6-foot-6 wing at North Carolina, will undoubtedly be a projected top-10 pick in our next mock draft. And let’s not forget about the defending champions UConn Huskies, who have three potential first-rounders in Liam McNeeley, Jaylin Stewart and Alex Karaban.

I talked to players, coaches, execs and scouts along the way, and here’s what I learned:

Jump to a team’s notes:
Rutgers: NBA eyes on Piscataway
Duke: Lottery picks in Durham
UNC: Scouts are back in Chapel Hill
UConn: Three-peat in Storrs?
2025 NBA mock draft | Way-Too-Early Top 25

Location: Piscataway, New Jersey
Date visited: Friday, Sept. 27

How will the Scarlet Knights be different from last year’s team?

Rutgers will be a significant NBA scouting destination, as it has two of the draft’s top three projected picks in Bailey and Harper. Sporting one of the best defenses in college basketball the past few seasons, but ranking last in offensive efficiency in the Big Ten last year, it seems like something will have to give in both directions for coach Steve Pikiell’s young program — a team whose best two players are 18 years old. The staff emphasized recruiting additional floor spacing this offseason after ranking as one of the sport’s worst outside shooting teams in 2023-24.

The highlights of the visit were …

After a tour of Rutgers’ practice facility, it was great to see the team play competitive 5-on-5 for nearly two hours. As much as scouts love drills, they’ll take a practice like the one me and five NBA team representatives saw with quite a bit of spirited up-and-down play, leaving few questions about the team’s hierarchy, strengths and weaknesses. We watched play from an ideal vantage point that allowed us to see and hear every interaction between players and coaches.

The ball was in Harper’s hands quite a bit, and Bailey operated in isolation and pick-and-roll as well. Both freshmen are going to have huge platforms to showcase their talents this season against high-level competition, which is a big reason they chose Rutgers over other top schools.

Watched Rutgers practice alongside several NBA scouts today. Projected top-3 picks Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper looked just as good as advertised. Going to be a really fun year for Steve Pikiell and co in Piscataway. More coming on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SmcdrE7EgD

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) September 27, 2024

The eyeball test says …

Bailey looks every bit the part of a No. 1 pick candidate and has a case to be considered the most talented prospect in the 2025 NBA draft.

He’s everything you look for in terms of his size (6-foot-10), frame and explosiveness, making several absurd plays on both ends of the floor that only a handful of players outside the NBA can think of executing. He brings character and swagger in everything he does, too.

NBA scouts were shaking their heads at some of Bailey’s sheer outbursts of talent in which he accelerated off long-stride hesitation moves, flushed home ridiculous dunks and flew around for out-of-area offensive rebounds. He made difficult pull-up 3s look easy with his shot-making prowess.

Despite being unpolished and looking like he’s operating at a fraction of his potential, Bailey showed flashes of ability in every facet of the game: as a shot-creator, a shooter, defending all over the floor, grabbing pogo-stick rebounds and having absolutely no off switch in his level of intensity with teammates and coaches.

Bailey is somewhat of a roller-coaster ride from possession-to-possession in terms of his shot selection, decision-making, off-ball defensive awareness, and understanding of concepts for what his team is trying to accomplish at any given moment, doing everything at 120 mph — for better or worse. There are likely going to be some jaw-dropping moments, followed by head-scratching ones as he is asked to play with a different structure than he has experienced before. It’s going to be entertaining and illuminating to see his growth trajectory this season; he’s got quite a few fans in NBA front offices already.

I overheard this …
“Harper is still working himself back to 100 percent after missing time over the summer following a voluntary knee procedure he underwent in June.”

Harper looks terrific physically and will be getting reps at point guard as the primary engine of Rutgers’ offense. Mostly asked to score at the high school and grassroots level, Harper showed court vision and playmaking creativity operating out of pick-and-roll spraying the ball all over the court off a live dribble with high-level reads. He’s got size for a guard with outstanding ballhandling, pace and feel for the game, giving him versatility and a high floor, especially with how instinctual he is on defense.

Harper’s shooting — somewhat on the streaky side — and ability to convert the shots he creates for himself, will be keys in determining his productivity. He’s not as explosive operating in traffic and sometimes needs too many dribbles to get to his spots. He’ll also need to prove his leadership qualities playing the most difficult position in basketball.

More than one NBA scout told ESPN they have Harper ranked No. 1 on their boards going into the season.

Biggest hurdles for Rutgers this season will be … whether it has enough shooting, and scoring in general, around their superstar freshmen? And is its unheralded frontcourt good enough to hang in the Big Ten?

The players they have returned and assembled from the transfer portal looked better than advertised. Princeton transfer Zach Martini (a skilled and competitive stretch big man) and former juco product Emmanuel Ogbole (who boasts a 7-6 wingspan and possibly the best frame in college basketball) both had encouraging moments. Tyson Acuff, who scored 22 points per game at Eastern Michigan, is nearing a return after being out for several months with a foot injury, giving them additional experience.

San Diego wing shooter PJ Hayes will need to be a consistent floor spacer, provided he can hold his own defensively. And Merrimack transfer, NEC defensive player of the year and player of the year Jordan Derkack, looks like a solid rotational player with toughness and hustle. This team is likely short one big man, which might require Bailey to slide to power forward and operate alongside the 6-foot-7 Martini at center.

Projected starting lineup:

PG: Dylan Harper
SG: PJ Hayes
SG/SF/PF: Airious “Ace” Bailey
PF/C: Zach Martini
C: Emmanuel Ogbole

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Location: Durham, North Carolina
Date visited: Saturday, Sept. 28

How will the Blue Devils be different from last year’s team?

Duke’s identity will revolve around defense after adding key veteran players in the portal as well as two of the best defenders in the freshman class in Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach. This will also be the deepest team Jon Scheyer has had as a head coach, with 10 players pushing for minutes (not including the injured Patrick Ngongba). There will be plenty of experience buttressing Duke’s half-dozen highly touted four- and five-star recruits.

The highlights of the visit were … Me and eight NBA scouts lucked into approximately 90 minutes of competitive scrimmaging, with the team electing to play at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium rather than Duke’s practice facility. I was fortunate to sit several rows above the team bench, basically being inside every timeout so I could see and hear every word uttered on the floor and on the bench in what ended up being an intense afternoon of basketball.

For an interview that will appear on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Friday, I interviewed Flagg and Scheyer. They were generous with their thoughts, answering tough questions candidly and providing behind-the-scenes insight.

The eyeball test says …

Kon Knueppel was the best player on the floor for Duke — and it wasn’t particularly close — while helping his team win all three scrimmages. Duke’s staff has been raving about Knueppel since he committed in September 2023, and especially since arriving on campus in June, and their praise seemed understated seeing the impact he made on both ends of the floor.

Knueppel already looks like he might be one of the best shooters in the ACC from Day 1. His NBA intrigue is going to revolve around his ability to spot up and shoot pull-up 3s like he did all afternoon with balance, footwork and confidence.

As defenders tried to slow him down, he showed skill attacking closeouts with both hands, creating space with his frame and hitting difficult short-range pull-ups and turnaround jumpers. He’s also a capable distributor, lifting up Maluach for a lob finish out of pick-and-roll in one instance, and whipping the ball all over with touch and bounce passes to cutters and kickouts after crashing the offensive glass with physicality.

Defensively, he’s competitive and strong, fighting over screens and getting back into plays when beat. It was difficult to nitpick with how complete and serious-minded a player he appears to be. We’ll have to see how this translates in games, as the 6-foot-7 Knueppel has questions to answer with his average frame, length and explosiveness, but every scout I talked to coming out of the scrimmage was raving about him.

He looks like he could be firmly in the mix as a top-10 draft pick if what I saw (and have heard) continues once the season starts.

I overheard this …
“Cooper Flagg is a savant. His brain, processing speed, awareness and basketball instincts are ridiculous.”

I was interested to see what the conversation around Duke sounds like as it pertains to Flagg. It’s unprecedented for a 17-year-old to enter the college game and be a dominant two-way player from the start. From everything I saw and heard, no one is shying away from the pressure that comes with the scrutiny and hype Flagg brings.

“I have total belief when we step on the floor that we feel we have the best player on the court right away,” Scheyer told me. “He’s going to have a terrific season, but there’s going to be moments where he has to grow, and that’s what it’s all about. We’ve had 18 year olds, we’ve had 19 year olds. Uh, but being a 17-year-old, it’s going to be a process.”

Flagg didn’t have his best day offensively, turning the ball over more than expected when creating in pick-and-roll or one-on-one, while showing the growth he needs to make as a ball handler. He did everything else at a high level, though, defensively locking up point guards through centers, crashing the glass with purpose, hitting some good-looking jumpers with his feet set or running off curls. He made unselfish passes and was difficult to contain in the open floor.

Hitting important free throws to clinch a win in the first scrimmage, Flagg sealed another win to end the practice with a monster chase-down block followed by a blocked 3-pointer, showing off qualities that have long been his biggest selling point.

On offense especially, there will likely be ups and downs, but Flagg didn’t do anything to diminish his standing as the likely No. 1 pick come June.

Most underrated player or storyline for the Blue Devils?

While the Blue Devils’ three freshman lottery picks (Flagg, Knueppel and Maluach) will get an outsized heaping of attention, it’s the play of their guards, Tyrese Proctor, and to a lesser extent Caleb Foster that will likely determine how far they advance in the NCAA tournament.

Proctor had an encouraging day, looking for jumpers, seeking out contact or finding open teammates and making smart reads against drop defenses with his mid- and short-range pull-up game. Consistent aggressiveness has long been what scouts have wanted to see from Proctor, whose confidence and impact have wavered at times in his first two years at Duke. He was talking quite a bit trying to lead the younger players, but will need to continue to make his presence felt, which would help cement him as a first-round draft pick.

Most (or least) surprised by …

Isaiah Evans‘ strength and defensive limitations might make it hard for him to stay on the court for long stretches as a freshman, but he’s moving in the right direction with his approach to simplify his game. Evans, a 6-foot-6 guard/forward, has a terrific shooting stroke with easy range out to the NBA 3-point line. He also had some nice moments making passes around the perimeter.

He’s probably a year away from being more firmly in the NBA conversation with his lack of physicality, struggles navigating screens and defending off the ball. Evans seems to be making progress, though, as he showed the right attitude and has talent to tap into long term.

Projected starting lineup:

PG: Tyrese Proctor
PG/SG: Caleb Foster
SG/SF: Kon Knueppel
SF/PF: Cooper Flagg
C: Khaman Maluach

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Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Date visited: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29-30

How will the Tar Heels be different from last year’s team?

UNC relied heavily on the size, interior skill and experience of Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram last season, but this year the Tar Heels will be smaller, faster and more explosive offensively. There will be little in the way of proven big men for UNC as it will likely play perimeter players at power forward, opening up the court significantly for its plethora of guards and wings.

One of the oldest teams in college basketball last season, UNC hasn’t had a lottery pick since 2019. The Tar Heels could start two top-15 freshmen in Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, who will be vying to be one-and-done first-rounders.

The highlights of the visit were … Seeing Powell do his best Herb Jones impression defensively for two days.

After highlighting Powell’s defensive impact at the Nike Academy showcase in Portland, I got a chance to see the freshman again display instincts, intensity and versatility during UNC’s practices. Powell put the clamps on two of the best guards in the ACC in RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau, and he had several “holy s—” moments fighting over screens and elevating off the ground to block 3-pointers or rotate to the weak side to protect the rim.

Powell is still finding his footing among a talented group of guards and wings who can all score in bunches. His jumper isn’t as consistent as it needs to be at this stage, and how prolific a scorer he becomes will be a point of interest. Powell showed an ability at changing gears fluidly with both hands attacking closeouts and getting downhill out of pick-and-roll, but don’t be surprised if he has some single-digit scoring performances as his skill level matures.

The eyeball test says …

Jackson, a scorer who looks to have added some bulk to his 6-4 frame this offseason, made shots with consistency (an area he has been streaky with to this point in his career). He has a knack for putting the ball in the basket — a skill you can’t teach. But shot selection, decision-making and turnovers have been issues for him at times, as well as his lack of physicality and off-ball defensive awareness. UNC’s coaching staff say he has been coachable and their best player some days. We’ll learn more about Jackson’s tools and feel for the game this season, but there are certainly things to like from the New York City native.

I overheard this …
“Run! Run! Run!”

Transition scoring and the secondary break were major points of emphasis in both days of practices, which makes sense with an undersized team flush with shooting that includes one of the best ball handlers and passers in college basketball in Cadeau. Belmont transfer Cade Tyson gives UNC an elite floor spacer at the forward spot after making 47% of his 3s last season, and Davis, returning ACC Player of the Year, is a preseason All-American who hit 40% of his 3s on huge volume in 2024.

Biggest hurdle for North Carolina this season will be … Getting stops and rebounding.

With Cadeau and Davis (who are roughly 6-foot and weigh 180 pounds) likely starting at guard, bigger backcourts are certain to relentlessly attack them off the dribble. There are major questions behind the two, with little in the way of size or rim protection anchoring the paint. The Tar Heels are going to need junior Jalen Washington — who played eight minutes per game as a sophomore — to make a major jump.

He showed flashes in practice, and he has all the tools you look for with his 7-3 wingspan and impressive explosiveness, but he is untested and catching up with the speed of the game. This team is undoubtedly going to score a lot of points, but how UNC evolves in the toughness and defensive realms will likely determine its ceiling come March.

Most (or least) surprised by …

Seth Trimble looks primed for a breakout junior campaign. I was high on Trimble after seeing him two years ago with USA Basketball at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. The guard played 10 and then 17 minutes per game as a freshman and sophomore, struggling to put the ball in the basket with any regularity but still establishing himself as one of the ACC’s best defenders. If the two practices I watched were any indication, Trimble could be en route to ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors, as he is playing with confidence and had quite a few showstopping moments.

Trimble changes gears out of hesitation moves and plays above the rim in traffic more frequently than one would expect at 6-foot-2. Having made 14 3-pointers in 68 career games, and 63% of his free throw attempts, he’s making shots from the perimeter more prolifically, even off the dribble. And he’s the same fantastic point-of-attack defender who harasses opposing ball handlers the length of the floor, generates steals in bunches and is hard to score on one-on-one.

He has some questions to answer about his feel for the game, decision-making and skill level, and he is never going to have a big margin for error with his lack of size, but the 20-year-old could establish himself in NBA conversations by the time he graduates.

Projected starting lineup:

PG: Elliot Cadeau
PG/SG: RJ Davis
SG/SF/PF: Drake Powell
SF/PF: Cade Tyson
C: Jalen Washington

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Location: Storrs, Connecticut
Date visited: Monday, Sept. 30

How will the Huskies be different from last year’s team?

Replacing two top-10 picks in Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan and a pair of second-rounders who were first-team All-Big East players in Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer means the defending national champion Huskies will be almost unrecognizable from last season outside of the returning Alex Karaban. There’s not as much top-end talent this season, but there appears to be more depth, with a lot still left to play out regarding the team’s hierarchy, rotations and style of play.

The highlights of the visit were …

In basketball circles, attending a practice run by coach Danny Hurley is a bucket-list experience everyone should witness.

It’s easier to understand the way UConn plays, and the success the program has enjoyed the past two years, after seeing the way it trains and the level of intensity displayed by players and staff.

Organized chaos might be the best way to describe it, as UConn’s staff puts pressure on players to simulate Final Four-level intensity in every drill, thus rendering Big East games seem easy in comparison.

“It looks like you’ve taken a hard fall,” Hurley’s Apple Watch informed him after one of his particularly dramatic reactions to a poor closeout.

“Do you want to call for an emergency?” the watch asked. Hurley tapped no.

Hurley then yelled to his team: “You guys are stealing taxpayers’ money” after a missed rotation. The quip came in between one of the thousands of F-words unleashed on his players, who are used to Hurley’s coaching style. UConn staff reiterate Hurley’s demeanor and his practice intensity are the same every day, whether it is June, October or March. Point being, the players, assistant coaches and even team managers run up the stairs of Gampel Pavilion after every mistake, seemingly for the dozenth time, per Hurley’s instructions.

Biggest hurdle for UConn this season will be …

Big East Sixth Man of the Year Hassan Diarra will be moving to point guard for the first time in his college career. The move will be an adjustment even if his experience as a 23-year-old with 133 games under his belt helps.

And, how Hurley manufactures offense will be an ongoing question as there is not a great deal of playmaking on the roster at first glance. Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney will have room to grow on both ends of the floor from what we saw in practice, and the staff will need to get creative with how they move players around in the half court.

Storrs, CT today watching back to back national champions UConn practice. More coming on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/c38nVapXgp

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) September 30, 2024

Most (or least) surprised by …

Solomon Ball, with his 6-foot-10 wingspan and outstanding shooting, looks like a candidate to move into the starting lineup after playing 11 minutes per game last season. He had an excellent practice showing dynamic perimeter shooting ability and versatility on both ends of the floor. The evolution of his shot creation, defensive awareness and feel for the game will determine what kind of NBA prospect he can develop into, but he looks poised to make a jump as a sophomore.

The eyeball test says …

Liam McNeeley is a perfect fit for this Huskies program, and vice versa. UConn staff members have been raving about McNeeley, praising his work ethic, feel for the game and how he approaches film study.

He was their loudest player in practice and seems like he’s going to have quite a bit of offense running through him, similar to how Spencer was utilized last season, as he could very well end up being the team’s leading scorer. His defense, while not yet a strength, is not poor by any means thanks to his mentality. It’s hard to see McNeeley not having a lottery-type campaign, but we’ll have to see how the season goes.

I overheard this …
“We need you to talk, Alex!”

UConn is going to need Karaban, who ranked sixth on the team in usage rate last season, to shoulder a heavier offensive load if it is going to have any chance of returning to the Final Four. Part of that plan will come from how the Huskies move him around the court, asking him to be more than a spot-up shooter and cutter. Karaban will also need to find another gear with his leadership, aggressiveness, shooting off movement, attacking closeouts, and using his excellent feel for the game to create open looks for teammates.

“We need Alex to be our best player. First team All-Big East and a potential Player of the Year candidate for us to have the season we want,” associate head coach Kimani Young said.

This player who could impact the 2025 draft is …

Jaylin Stewart, at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds with a huge wingspan, has the best physical profile of anyone on UConn’s roster, looking the part and then some on first glance. Talent has never been an issue for the 19-year-old, who shows vivid flashes of ability as a ball handler, passer and shooter. He’s likely to see time at shooting guard next to Diarra and McNeeley, possibly in UConn’s starting lineup.

The next steps in Stewart’s evolution will be to find consistency with his focus and toughness on both ends of the floor. Depending on how the season plays out, it’s possible he’ll need another year of experience to maximize his draft stock. Still, there’s little doubt NBA scouts will be monitoring him closely, as he ticks quite a few boxes they are looking for on the wing.

Projected starting lineup:

PG: Hassan Diarra
SG/SF: Solomon Ball or Jaylin Stewart
SG/SF: Liam McNeeley
PF: Alex Karaban
C: Tarris Reed Jr. or Samson Johnson