SEC second-round sleepers in 2025 NBA Draft

Who are some potential steals in round 2?

Feb 22, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) shoots a free-throw during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The SEC has been the best basketball conference this season so far, sporting a good portion of the nation's top 15 and several other teams knocking on the door. In a conference with this much talent, professional scouts are all over these SEC games looking for potential stars, but also potential role players for the next level.

There are the obvious first-round players in this conference, with prospects like Collin Murray-Boyles, Asa Newell, Tre Johnson, Labaron Philon, Boogie Fland, Jeremiah Fears, and Johni Broome, all of whom are elite talents that could be NBA stars. But who are some of the sleeper candidates, guys who will be taken in the second round that could contribute?

Adou Thiero is one such prospect, a twitchy, athletic combo forward from Arkansas who is averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and shooting 54.8% from the field as an athletic slasher and play finisher. Though he has all of the tools to compete defensively, he does occasionally get caught ball watching and misses assignments, but the physical profile at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds combined with his athleticism makes Thiero an intriguing prospect at the end of round one or early in round two.

Another player that fits this profile is Florida power forward Alex Condon, a 6-foot-11 big that averages 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and serves as a rim deterrent to opposing drivers. One of the Gators' most important players, Condon is central to what Florida does on both ends of the floor, including averaging 2.2 stocks per game while shooting 34% from beyond the arc.

A third under-the-radar player would be Tennessee shooting guard Chaz Lanier, a transfer from North Florida who has filled the Dalton Knecht role as perimeter scoring threat. Like Knecht, he is an upperclassman, but the talent he's displayed this season as a scorer makes him an option in the second round for a team in need of microwave scoring. He's the definition of a bucket-getter, though is efficiency has suffered as a result of his volume. Still, Lanier has a translatable skillset to the next level in this category.

Some other second-round prospects are Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., with some guys on the periphery like Missouri's Anthony Robinson and Arkansas' Karter Knox and Zvonomir Ivisic. While these things will change, and players will rise and fall on draft boards, it's safe to say the SEC has no shortage of pro talent.

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