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It's now the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and Washington Wizards fans will see their potential future star Cooper Flagg and No. 1 Duke play No. 4 Arizona on Thursday night.
There's no doubt that the 6-foot-9-inch, 205-pound freshman will be the top pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, as he has no major weakness in his game and is the best player in the NCAA at just 18 years old. He leads the Blue Devils in all major stats, and they're the favorite to cut the nets in April, via FanDuel.
With that being said, the Wizards only have a 14 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, so their fans must accept that “Capturing the Flagg” isn't guaranteed. Therefore, they must also pay attention to the other talent on display.
However, Washington fans who aren't big college basketball followers may wonder who else is left worth watching. Rutgers didn't make March Madness, which means possible No. 2 and No. 3 picks Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey aren't playing. Potential No. 4 pick VJ Edgecombe is also out after Flagg and Duke disposed of his Baylor squad 89-66 in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
Luckily, there are still several non-Flagg prospects to watch in the Sweet Sixteen and beyond.
C Derik Queen, Maryland
Queen went viral after hitting a buzzer-beater to ice No. 4 Maryland's 72-71 win over No. 12 Colorado State on Sunday, showing off elite touch for a big man with everything on the line.
DERIK QUEEN. MARCH. CINEMA.
MARYLAND BEATS COLORADO ST. AT THE BUZZER TO HEAD TO THE SWEET 16 🍿
(via @MarchMadnessMBB) pic.twitter.com/wpUElsOgqJ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 24, 2025
The 6-foot-10-inch, 246-pounder scored a team-high 17 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3 PT) with six rebounds, two blocks, and one assist in 33 minutes. His stock has risen recently, as his improved three-point shot strengthens his profile. He's 4-of-7 from deep in the past three games after making only two threes the entire season before that.
Queen is a good option for the Wizards if they land the No. 5 pick, as it could pair him next to 2025 Rookie of the Year candidate Alex Sarr in the frontcourt. With the latter player being a seven-footer, it would be tough for teams to score inside against both of them simultaneously.
Queen would also have “hometown hero” potential, as he's from Baltimore and has already entrenched himself in D.C.-area basketball history.
The Terrapins play No. 1 Florida in the West Region on Thursday at 7:39 PM EST. The game will be on TBS/truTV.
G/F Egor Demin, BYU
Demin's versatility was on full display in No. 6 BYU's 91-89 win over No. 3 Wisconsin on Saturday, scoring 11 points (3-10 FG, 2-6 3 PT) with eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and just one turnover in 27 minutes. The Russian international's shooting efficiency leaves something to be desired, as he sports just a 41.1 percent field-goal clip (28.1 percent 3 PT) on the season. However, a freshman flirting with a triple-double against a higher-seeded team in the Round of 32 is not something to take lightly.
Demin also notched 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-7 3 PT) with four rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes in the Cougars' 80-71 first-round win vs. No. 11 VCU. The 6-foot-9-inch, 190-pounder is listed as the fifth-best point guard in this draft class, via Tankathon.
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Demin and every remaining prospect on this list would be a good option for the Wizards with their lottery-protected pick from the Memphis Grizzlies, which they landed in the Marcus Smart trade.
BYU faces No. 2 Alabama in the East Region on Thursday night. The game will be on CBS.
C Alex Condon, Florida
Condon is a finesse big man who could back up Sarr long-term, as he shares similar skills. The 6-foot-11-inch, 230-pounder can stretch the floor and pass, as he's shown with seven assists and two made threes for Florida in March Madness so far.
Condon must clean up his free-throws, as he's shooting just 60.2 percent from the charity stripe this season. However, his skill set aligns with modern NBA centers and he could be a sleeper in the back of the first round.
F Danny Wolf, Michigan
Wolf defines the term “positionless basketball,” as he's a seven-footer who can facilitate the offense and protect the rim. The junior has tallied 23 points (10-23 FG, 1-5 3 PT) with 20 rebounds, six assists, five blocks, and one steal in 68 NCAA Tournament minutes so far.
Wolf has room to grow in the three-point department, as he's shooting just 33 percent from downtown this season. Still, the 20-year-old has enough good qualities to thrive at all positions with the Wizards if he can make teams respect his jumper.
No. 5 Michigan plays No. 1 Auburn on Friday at 9:39 PM EST. The game will be on CBS.
G Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
The Wizards already have plenty of guards, but an abundance of young talent is a good problem to have. Pettiford would provide that, as the Tigers' sixth man has showed off his combination of playmaking, long-range accuracy, and touch with floaters. He scored 23 points (7-14 FG, 2-3 3 PT) with six rebounds and three assists across 32 minutes in Auburn's 82-70 win over No. 9 Creighton on Saturday.
Pettiford lacks size at just 6-foot-1-inch, 175 pounds, but he could be a solid NBA backup with the potential for more if he keeps developing his basketball IQ. Good mechanics and decision-making can make up for physical disadvantages.
