Brooklyn Nets NBA Draft Notebook: March Madness Approaches

The end of the college season is almost here.

Mar 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) and forward Cooper Flagg (2) defend in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets are 21-42 after seven straight losses, which means that they are currently projected to start the 2025 NBA Draft at No. 6, per Tankathon. The Nets’ three other first-rounders would fall on Nos. 22, 23 and 25.

The Nets’ record after the All-Star break has been befitting of a real tank. There was some concern over whether that might be possible anymore when the team was inching close to the play-in picture, but the recent string of defeats has probably dashed that. 

Still, Brooklyn will be closely watching what the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers do until the end of the season. The Raptors are 4-6 over their last 10, and 21-43 for the season. The Nets are ideally hoping that their Canadian counterparts keep winning. The same goes for the 76ers, although they started their respective season with championship aspirations. 

Now, Philadelphia are in a pickle with a roster consisting of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, but a season that has gone completely off the rails. The Sixers need to end in the NBA’s “bottom six,” so to speak, since their 2025 first-rounder is only protected from No. 1-6. If the pick falls after that, it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Over in the college basketball world, March Madness is heating up with the NCAA tournament around the corner starting on March 18. The game of the weekend was likely Duke vs. North Carolina, with the Blue Devils handily disposing of their rivals. Projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg had a “down” game for his standards, finishing with 15 points (6-of-15 shooting), nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks. He got into foul trouble early, but was still impactful. 

Duke were led by freshman swingman Kon Knueppel, who paced the team with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Sion James and Tyrese Proctor were also impactful with 16 points each. Both Duke playmakers could be second rounders. 

For UNC, draft prospects Ian Jackson and Drake Powell had quiet performances with eight and seven points, respectively. Powell saw more minutes than Jackson (35 compared to 19), but he's arguably shown less during his only season at Carolina so far. Both face important draft decisions since name, image and likeness money might prove more interesting than being a late first or early second round freshman who toils away in the G League. 

Watch List:

Here are two options per day of games to watch for this upcoming week of the 2025 draft cycle, with conference tournaments in college basketball being the focus.

Monday, March 10: Oakland vs. Robert Morris @ 7 PM ET — Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris)

Monday, March 10: San Francisco vs. Gonzaga @ 11:30 PM ET — Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga)

Tuesday, March 11: Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame @ 2 PM ET — Jaland Lowe (Pitt)

Tuesday, March 11: Cal vs. Virginia Tech @ 4:30 PM ET — Andrej Stojakovic (Cal); Toibu Lawal (Virginia Tech)

Wednesday, March 12: South Carolina vs. Arkansas @ 1 PM ET — Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina); DJ Wagner, Karter Knox, Zvonimir Ivisic, Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)

Wednesday, March 12: Baylor vs. TBD @ 7 PM ET — VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)

Thursday, March 13: Duke vs. TBD @ 12 PM ET — Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Sion James, Tyrese Proctor, Isaiah Evans (Duke)

Thursday, March 13: BYU vs. TBD @ 12:30 PM ET — Egor Demin (BYU)

Friday, March 14: Auburn vs. TBD @ 1 PM ET — Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)

Friday, March 14: Maryland vs. TBD @ 6:30 PM ET — Derik Queen (Maryland)

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