Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe and more - Top 10 college hoopers with green room invite for 2025 NBA draft
This year's NBA draft is turning out to be one of the most star-studded in terms of potential superstars who signed up for the annual event.
To show how significant the draft is for the league, the NBA invited 19 college basketball stars to be in the green room for the June 25 showcase at the Barclays Center in New York City.
They initially handed out invites to 13 aspiring superstars, including National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg of Duke, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper of Rutgers, VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) and Tre Johnson (Texas).
On Monday, the NBA sent green room invitations to six more players led by UConn's Liam NcNeeley, South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles and Illinois' Will Riley.
The last five invitees will be sent later this week, ESPN wrote, citing an NBA source.
Here are the top 10 college basketball players who received a green room invite for the 2025 NBA draft:
Top 10 college basketball players who received a green room invite for the 2025 NBA draft
#10 Egor Demin
Egor Demin demonstrated all-around potential in his freshman season with BYU. The 6-foot-9 Moscow native played point guard, shooting guard and small forward under coach Kevin Young, who prepared him for NBA-style situations during his stint with the Cougars
Last season, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game and shot 41.2% from the field in 27.5 minutes for BYU.
#9 Derik Queen
Maryland's Derik Queen played bigger than his frame during his lone season with the Terrapins. The 6-10 center out of Baltimore led Maryland to a Sweet Sixteen ticket to the 2025 NCAA Tournament when he buried the game-winning fadeaway jumper against Colorado State in the second round.
Queen posted solid numbers of 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 36 games for the Terrapins last season.
#8 Kon Knueppel
Kon Knueppel helped Duke reach the Final Four last season as its second-leading scorer behind Cooper Flagg. The 6-7 Milwaukee native was the Blue Devils' resident sniper, bailing the team out in tough situations with his shooting accuracy and smart plays.
Knueppel averaged 14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.0 spg in 39 games for Duke. He shot 47.9%, including 40.6% from the 3-point range. The forward made 2.2 triples a game and made 91.4% of his free throws last season.
#7 Kasparas Jakucionis
Kasparas Jakucionis made his presence known with an excellent stint for Illinois last season. The 6-6 Vilnius, Lithuania, native combined with center Tomislav Ivisic, forward Will Riley and guard Kylan Boswell in helping the Fighting Illini reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Jakucionis tallied 15.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 5.7 apg in 33 games last season, showing his all-around brilliance that turned the heads of NBA scouts.
#6 Jeremiah Fears
Jeremiah Fears had an excellent freshman season for Oklahoma, leading the team's offense to the NCAA Tournament. Fears teamed up with forward Jalon Moore in keeping the Sooners at the thick of the fight in the tough SEC wars.
The 6-foot-4 guard posted 17.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.1 apg and 1.6 spg last season for Oklahoma.
#5 Tre Johnson
Tre Johnson was a fearsome scorer for Texas last season. The 6-6 Garland, Texas, native scored at least 28 points six times, including a 39-point explosion in an overtime loss to Arkansas in an SEC regular season contest.
Johnson, who averaged 19.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.7 apg, led the Longhorns to the First Four but was knocked out by Xavier. He shot 42.7%, including 39.7% from the 3-point line.
#4 VJ Edgecombe
VJ Edgecombe had a solid stint at Baylor, showing his full potential as a player, particularly his highlight-reel finishes. The 6-5 Bahamas native flashed all-around brilliance despite a disappointing finish for the Bears last season.
Edgecombe put up averages of 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.2 apg and 2.1 spg last season for Baylor. Despite his excellent numbers, the Bears, however, were eliminated by Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
#3. Ace Bailey
Ace Bailey formed a 1-2 punch with Dylan Harper in Rutgers, with the 6-10 guard/forward providing the scoring and defense on the wing. However, the combination didn't pan out well, as the Scarlet Knights were eliminated due to a lack of offensive support.
Nonetheless, Bailey tallied 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.3 bpg in 30 games for Rutgers. The Chattanooga native scored a career-high 39 points in a losing effort against Indiana on Jan. 2.
#2 Dylan Harper
Dylan Harper was efficient for Steve Pikiell's squad, playing the role of a point guard and a scorer for the Scarlet Knights last season. However, the combination of him and Ace Bailey failed to generate wins for Rutgers, booting them out of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite this, the son of former NBA star Ron Harper averaged 19.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.4 spg last season, proving that he's a potential top-three pick in this year's draft.
#1 Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg proved that he's the most sought-after high school prospect in the Class of 2025, putting up National Player of the Year numbers last season for the Duke Blue Devils. The 6-9 forward out of Newport, Maine, provided the glimpse of his greatness, consistently guiding Duke to victories in the ACC and the NCAA Tournament.
Despite falling to Houston in a closely fought game in the Final Four, Flagg finished the season with his head held high. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, showing that he's the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.