Top 5 Big East prospects that raised their NBA draft stock during March Madness ft. Ryan Kalkbrenner
After back-to-back title victories for UConn, the Big East couldn't quite keep up with that pace in 2025. But the Big East improved all around last season and the league featured its fair share of impressive NBA prospects. Here's a rundown on five Big East players who used the NCAA Tournament to boost their NBA Draft stock.
Top 5 Big East NBA Draft prospects who raised stock in March Madness
RJ Luis, St. John's
For RJ Luis, the NCAA Tournament showed off the ups and downs of his game. Many will recall his poor performance in St. John's second round matchup with Arkansas. Luis shot just 3-for-17 and found himself benched in the closing minutes.
But NBA execs also got another look at Luis. In St. John's first round game, the 6-foot-7 wing scored 22 points and shot 8-for-14, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Luis is trying to decide whether to go pro or return to school, but he showed off the good as well as the bad in March.
Liam McNeeley, UConn
Similarly, the Huskies' draft star, Liam McNeeley, showed off the ups and downs of his game. McNeeley had a poor shooting game in UConn's first-round win over Oklahoma. He shot just 2-for-13 that day.
But in UConn's battle with eventual national champion Florida, McNeeley scored 22 points, and knocked down 8-for-8 free throws in a 77-75 loss. McNeeley had an impressive game in UConn's biggest moment, and the potential he showed helped lift him to likely first round pick status.
Samson Johnson, UConn
Johnson is a 6-foot-10 forward who is a fringe NBA prospect. But in the Huskies' NCAA battles, he showed off the solid, low-risk nature of his game. Johnson averaged 9 points and 8 boards per game while shooting 70%. He also added three assists, two blocks, a steal and just one turnover.
Johnson used March Madness to show NBA teams that he's a capable bench addition who can defend, rebound and utilize minimal resources for an NBA team that takes a shot on him.
Kam Jones, Marquette
Jones, a 6-foot-4 guard, only had one NCAA Tournament game to show off his game, but Jones was typically solid. Jones played all 40 minutes in Marquette's season-ending loss to New Mexico. He managed 15 points, five boards and five assists in the defeat.
Jones is a likely second-round pick, but his capable veteran leadership got one more Big East display in Marquette's NCAA Touranment performance.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton
The 7-foot center showed an impressive skill set in Creighton's pair of NCAA Tournament games. Kalkbrenner averaged 16 points and 6.5 boards in those games, also blocking four shots. It's worth noting that Kalkbrenner made a 3-pointer in each game.
Kalkbrenner's size and solid work have him listed as a borderline first round pick. He's certainly going to get an NBA shot and his solid March Madness play helped show off his skills.
What do you think of the Big East's NBA Draft prospects? Share your take below in our comments section!