Upside and Motor: Thanksgiving stock watch for top NBA Draft prospects

The 2025 NBA Draft class has been as strong as advertised. There is an obvious headliner in Cooper Flagg, but the Duke freshman is far from the only prospect catching scouts' attention in the early portion of the college basketball season.

It's dangerous to get too carried away with first impressions at this point in the season. Most of the top prospects are still awaiting their first real test. We've seen a few blue-blood programs butt heads — the Maui Invitational has supplied glorious hoops — but a lot of these ultra-athletic freshman are getting their feet wet against mediocre competition.

So, don't take anything to the bank yet. That said, there has definitely been a noticeable fluctuation in the stock of several top prospects to date. It's the way of the game. So, let's dive into a few risers and fallers after the first month-ish of college basketball (with a few international prospects getting in on the action, too).

2025 NBA Draft stock up, stock down after one month

Tre Johnson, G, Texas Longhorns — STOCK UP

Tre Johnson is off to a rollicking start for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 21.2 points and 2.0 assists on .478/.463/.833 splits. He's not the most advanced passer, but at 6-foot-6, Johnson offers a compelling blend of advantage creation, tough shot-making, and scrappy defense in an off-guard. He's hitting movement 3s under duress, flourishing as a mid-range shot creator, and finishing with aplomb around the basket when he gets there. In terms of pure scoring chops, few prospects can rival Johnson at this point.

Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane Bullets — STOCK DOWN

Rocco Zikarsky occupies an extremely intriguing physical profile at 7-foot-3 with a purported 7-foot-6 wingspan. He navigates drop coverage effectively and offers tremendous upside as a defensive anchor at the next level. Unfortunately, the 18-year-old just isn't getting consistent playing time for the NBL's Brisbane Bullets right now. With such a loaded collegiate class, it will be hard for Zikarsky to catch scouts' attention if he's barely getting touches. He's averaging 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 11.2 minutes.

Egor Demin, F, BYU — STOCK UP

We've already covered Egor Demin's rapid ascent on Upside and Motor. He's going to start popping up at No. 2 or 3 on a lot of draft boards. The NBA is starving for players in his mold — a 6-foot-8 guard who can create advantages as a driver and deliver difficult, creative passes on the move. Demin has checked every box so far. His defense has been better than advertised, he's hitting 56.5 percent of his 3s, and the passing is tier-one. He's beating up on bad competition, but everything Demin has done looks repeatable.

Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers — STOCK DOWN

Another early Upside and Motor staple, Ace Bailey has drawn lots of attention as the preseason favorite to challenge Cooper Flagg's crown at No. 1 overall. So far, Bailey appears to be slipping, not rising. The numbers are excellent, but he's settling for difficult long 2s against ostensibly undermanned defenses. If he can start attacking the rim more, creating cleaner looks, and passing in the flow of the offense, his stock will shoot right back up. The physical tools and shooting touch are absurd.

Kam Jones, G, Marquette — STOCK UP

Senior Kam Jones has really popped as Marquette's go-to man following the NBA departures of Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro. Jones would've been in the first round mix last season, but now he's proving his mettle as the go-to creator for the Golden Eagles, elevating his passing profile (6.2 assists, compared to 2.4 last season) while scoring with elite efficiency (20.5 points on .628/.429/.684 splits). Those shooting numbers will come back to earth eventually, but Jones is a jittery advantage creator who can bury tough 3s, score with craft around the rim, and set up the offense. There's a lot to like.

V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor — STOCK DOWN

V.J. Edgecombe made waves with the Bahamian national team this summer, but the early returns at Baylor are less than ideal. Edgecombe is an absolutely nuclear athlete, but he's 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, and shooting 28.6 percent from deep. He's not an advanced on-ball weapon, reliant mostly on tough shots or explosions to the rim. The tools are there, but Edgecombe has a lot of polishing to do before scouts are fully convinced on him as a top-10 prospect.

Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina — STOCK UP

Collin Murray-Boyles has made a noticeable sophomore leap for South Carolina. He would've been in the lottery mix last season, but Murray-Boyles made the risky decision to test his luck in a stiffer draft class. He's still not shooting much at all from deep, which is tough for a 6-foot-6 "big," but Murray-Boyles' scoring craft and playmaking chops inside the arc are outlier special. Plus, he's a monster defender, covering tons of ground (1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks). Purchase stock and hold it.

Nolan Traore, G, Saint-Quentin — STOCK DOWN

Nolan Traore began the season in the No. 2 mix for yours truly, but he has struggled shooting the ball for Saint-Quentin. The French 18-year-old has tremendous burst and body control as a ball-handler, not to mention a wicked eye for passing. But, if he's not finishing well in traffic or consistently knocking down 3s, scouts will worry about his ability to helm an offense in the NBA.

Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy!

You're wrong to worry about Collin Murray-Boyles' 3-point shot

Let's talk a little bit more about South Carolina sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles. He is an inherently polarizing prospect due to his unique play style and well-documented shortcomings. CMB has never shot 3s, with the exception of a couple early makes this season against Mercer. There is no believable sample size on him as a shooter, which is naturally off-putting to some. He's 6-foot-6; the list of non-shooting, 6-foot-6 forwards in the NBA is extremely slim.

So, why so much confidence in Murray-Boyles' NBA projection. Because in scouting, my general recommendation is to search for outliers. Murray-Boyles has outlier skills that set him apart from the crowd. His creativity and finishing around the basket is nuts. He's shooting 64.6 percent on 2s, with virtually all of it coming inside the free throw line. He has vintage post moves, tremendous craft as a face-up scorer and passer, and more explosiveness than he gets credit for when a lane to the rim opens up.

Straight up, Murray-Boyles is an elite finisher around the basket. He gets to his spots in multiple ways, his feel is highly advanced for a 19-year-old forward, and the touch is feather-soft. That last bit is promising for long-term projections of Murray-Boyles as a shooter, too. He has at least attempted a few 3s this season, for starters, and he's shooting a respectable 72.7 percent on free throws. It will take time and effort, but as we've seen with Ryan Dunn and others, bad shooters can become good shooters overnight with a diligent work ethic. Murray-Boyles has the reputation of a hard-worker and the rest of his skill set is well-rounded to the point where confidence should be high.

Even if Murray-Boyles doesn't shoot in the NBA, though, he's going to wreak havoc on defense, score in bunches around the rim, and find ways to contribute as a frontcourt connector. A lot of it will ultimately depend on situation, of course. Unconventional prospects who end up in the right spot can flourish. Take, for example, Jaime Jaquez and his nifty post game flourishing in Miami.

Who are the top five point guards in the 2025 NBA Draft class?

The 2025 NBA Draft class is especially strong at point guard right now. Here are the five names most worthy of your attention.

5. Ben Saraf, Ulm

Israeli guard Ben Saraf is a fun evaluation. He's doing cool things in Europe, showcasing expert manipulation skills with the ball in hand. There are screws in need of tightening, but Saraf's ability to shift gears and change directions on a dime allow him to generate driving angles and create advantages on the regular. He's a confident pull-up shooter with a deadly floater and enough 3-point equity to bank on long term. The defense and at-rim finishing are concerns, but size, touch, and craft play in Saraf's favor.

4. Boogie Fland, Arkansas

John Calipari has made a career of developing elite NBA guards. He's no longer on the Kentucky sideline, but there's plenty of future pro talent on the roster at Arkansas. Boogie Fland has been the early standout, hitting 48.1 percent of his 3s and dishing out 5.5 assists compared to just 1.8 turnovers. He's a shifty on-ball generator with tons of confidence pulling up at all three levels. He's only 6-foot-2 with a slight frame, but Fland scraps hard on defense.

3. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

The shooting has been a tad hot or cold to start the season, but Kasparas Jakucionis has entertainment value for days. The 6-foot-6 point guard is a quick, relentless slasher who can read the floor at light speed, delivering all sorts of high-difficulty dimes on the move. He moves smoothly into pull-up jumpers and finishes with touch around the basket. If the 3s fall consistently and he can prove his mettle on defense, Jakucionis is going to rocket up draft boards.

2. Nolan Traore, Saint-Quentin

The early shooting slump is a justifiable point of concern, but it's a little early to jump ship on Nolan Traore. His speed, body control, and passing chops pop and he's a streaky shooter, not an incompetent shooter. Traore's ability to create advantages, collapse the defense, and set up teammates at a high volume keeps him high on draft boards.

1. Dylan Harper, Rutgers

The most impressive of Rutgers' star freshman duo, Dylan Harper is firmly in the No. 2 mix behind Cooper Flagg. He's blessed with positional size at 6-foot-6 and tremendous creativity as a ball-handler, expertly deploying strength and gear shifts to create angles to the rim and pressure a defense. Harper is scoring proficiently inside the arc and hitting enough 3s to maintain confidence in the perimeter scoring long term. Factor is excellent defense, and he's the clear top dog at his position.

Who holds the belt right now? A mini-NBA mock draft