2025 NBA Draft: Three Prospects to Watch During the First Round of March Madness

March is where college basketball's best shine - which of its stars might be an Atlanta Hawk next season?

Mar 15, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) drives to the basket against the Florida Gators during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

With March Madness in full swing, all eyes will be on college basketball as 68 teams compete for the national championship. International prospects have been gaining momentum in recent years as the No. 1 draft prospect has played outside the United States for two straight seasons (Victor Wembenyama and the Hawks' own Zaccharie Risacher). However, that doesn't change the overall numbers of the draft skewing towards NCAA prospects. The odds are that the next Atlanta Hawk will be playing in this tournament. Who might that be?

While it obviously won't be known until draft night, the Hawks could add two players from the NCAA tournament. They currently own the Los Angeles Lakers' unprotected pick right now and the rights to the Kings first-round pick (top-12 protected). If things hold right now, Atlanta will have the No. 14 pick and the No. 24 pick.

There are a variety of players that could be available to Atlanta at those spots, but let's dive into three that are set to play in the tournament.

Labaron Philon (Fr) - G, Alabama

Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) runs the ball up the court against Kentucky during the second half of a Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinal game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 14, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Measureables: 6-4, 177, 19 y/o

2024-25 Stats: 10.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 spg on 45.7/30.1/75.6 shooting splits

Philon has some similarities to Kobe Bufkin, who the Hawks selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Coming out of Michigan, Bufkin was a solid athlete who made plays on defense and found it easy to score due to his excellent handle and skill as a finisher. Philon isn't quite the shooter that Bufkin was, considering that he's only shooting 30.1% on threes and lacks excellent shooting touch. However, he's shown some promise as a catch-and-shoot threat and he makes up for his shooting inconsistencies by being a more explosive athlete than Bufkin. He is arguably a better passer than Bufkin as well. Philon's assist percentage of 24.2% is much higher than Bufkin's 20.3% as a sophomore. On defense, he gets into passing lanes and forces turnovers at a respectable clip. He is also a better defensive playmaker than Bufkin, posting a steal rate of 2.8% while Bufkin never exceeded 2.3%. Bufkin is a much better shooter at this stage, but there's reason to select Philon if Bufkin's development continues to stagnate.

Atlanta Fit: Backup point guard who adds some athleticism to the Hawks' lineups while running units lineups and playing passable defense in Year 1.

Pick Target: 24th overall

Nique Clifford (5th year) - G, Colorado State

Mar 1, 2025; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Nique Clifford (10) grabs a rebound against Utah State Aggies forward Tucker Anderson (2) as forward Kyle Jorgensen (35) defends in the second half at Moby Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Measureables: 6-6, 200, 23 y/o

2024-25 Stats: 19.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.2 spg on 50.7/39.8/77 shooting splits

While Philon is still growing into the player he will ultimately become, Nique Clifford is very close to a polished prospect. He's 23 years old and dominates the competition accordingly. Clifford has averaged 22.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game since February 1st for an excellent Rams team that should be a tough out in the tournament. Clifford's skillset lies in his passing and midrange shot, as well as his excellent help defense. He's a very smart and experienced player who can fill up a stat sheet and does a little bit of everything for his team. Clifford has a gaudy 26.6 assist percentage that shows how he functions as a passer and he is also an excellent shooter on decent volume from deep (5.5 attempts per game). There are concerns about his draft age and level of competition he faced, but a strong tournament performance could put those concerns to rest. He could be an instant contributor for whatever team drafts him even if the ceiling isn't very high.

Atlanta Fit: Backup 3&D wing who grabs rebounds and functions as a complementary playmaker for Hawks' lineups with instant impact as a defender.

Pick Target: 24th overall

Asa Newell (Fr) - F, Georgia

Mar 8, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) dribbles against Vanderbilt Commodores forward JaQualon Roberts (24) during the first half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Measureables: 6-11, 220, 19 y/o

2024-25 Stats: 15.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg on 54.1/29.9/74.4 shooting splits

Newell is a fluid and fast power forward who can also play center. He's a good rim runner and rim protector. He has some legitimate force as a driver to the rim and the fluidity shows up in his perimeter defense. His rebounding effort is not the most consistent, but he has a good sense of where to be when crashing the boards. The concern with his game is that his offense is still a work in progress. The FT shooting is good and the percentage is strong enough to suggest he could become a league-average shooter, but that's a projection. If he can show off some shooting touch in the tournament, he may rise out of Atlanta's range. However, the shooting is enough of a concern to the point where I do not think he's a lock to go before the 14th overall selection.

Atlanta Fit: Possible backup forward to Jalen Johnson who can also play the 5 when Onyeka Okongwu sits. Immediately translatable as a rim runner and defender in the post.

Pick Target: 14th overall

Additional Links

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