NBA Draft combine 2025 winners and losers, starring Ace Bailey, Duke recruit, and more

CHICAGO — The NBA Draft Combine might never have quite as much star-making power as its NFL counterpart, but make no mistake: a good week of measurements, athletic testing, and interviews can change a young basketball player’s life forever.

It was only a few years ago when Santa Clara senior wing Jalen Williams was participating in the combine scrimmages, typically an event for second rounders and undrafted hopefuls. Williams had already measured with an astounding 7’2 wingspan despite standing a quarter-inch under 6’6 in shoes. When he looked like the best player on the floor in scrimmages, his first-round hype took off and he eventually got drafted in the lottery by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This year, he was named an All-Star in his third pro season.

Is there another Jalen Williams lurking beneath the radar at the combine this year? That’s what NBA evaluators are trying to figure out this week in Chicago. Here are the players who helped themselves the most at the combine, and ones who may have slightly hurt their draft stock. For more on the 2025 NBA Draft, check out our instant mock draft from after the lottery.

Winner: Cedric Coward

Even the biggest diehards may not have known Coward’s name a couple months ago. Coward’s college career started at DIII Willamette in Salem, Oregon. He parlayed a fantastic first year into a DI offer from low-major Eastern Washington, and two years later, he had done enough to transfer up to Washington State. He only played six games for the Cougars this season before suffering a torn labrum that ended his year. In those six games, Coward averaged averaged 17.7 points, seven rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game with 40 percent from three on five attempts per game.

Coward’s big frame for a wing and sweet shooting stroke made him a hot commodity in the college basketball transfer portal. He picked Duke over Alabama. At this point, it feels more likely than not that he never suits up for the Blue Devils.

Coward measured at 6’5.25 barefoot with a 7’2.25 wingspan and an 8’10 standing reach. That’s outstanding size for an NBA wing, and his shooting drill performances were just as impressive. Coward hit 23-of-30 shots off the dribble, 18-of-25 shots spotting up, 17-of-25 shots in the three-point star drill, 14-of-23 corner threes, and 9-of-10 free throws.

Coward was also impressive in interviews. He’s focused on the draft for now:

There are still a few red flags in Coward’s tape. He finished his college career with almost as many turnovers (116) as assists (137). Steal rate is often used as a marker of athleticism, and Coward’s 2.1 career steal rate is disappointing for a player facing low- and mid-major competition. Of his six games this season, the only one against a top-100 team came against Iowa (a team that went 7-13 in the Big Ten), and he finished with only nine points, eight rebounds, and two assists on 3-of-10 shooting in 33 minutes.

Coward’s frame and shooting makes him appealing, but his floor game (dribbling and passing) is a question mark and it’s hard to project his defense. It would be easier to believe in Coward if he hadn’t played so poorly against top competition at Eastern Washington, too. In his seven games against top-100 competition during his second year at EWU, he finished with a -3.2 BPM. There’s a reason Coward was so coveted by the big boys of college basketball, and he’s making the same sales pitch to the NBA. Duke is already recruiting his potential replacement in highly-regarded Italian wing Dame Sarr. At this point, it shouldn’t be surprising he ends up as a first-round pick.

Loser: Ace Bailey

Ace Bailey has been a consensus top-4 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft from the moment he entered Rutgers. He’s also one of the most polarizing prospects in the class for an inefficient play style that didn’t help Rutgers win many games.

Bailey was listed at 6’10 by Rutgers. He measured 2.5 inches shorter than that barefoot.

Bailey clearly looked more athletic than his college teammate, presumed No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, throughout the season. Somehow, Harper put up a better max vertical than he did.

If Bailey was listed at 6’9 instead of 6’10, no one would care about this measurement. College programs exaggerating an inch is nothing new. I’m old enough to remember when Oklahoma State listed Cade Cunningham at 6’8 (he’s been listed at 6’6 by the Pistons his entire pro career). In fairness to Bailey, he lived up to every inch of his presumed wingspan. His combination of length and explosiveness remains top notch on tape, and he still has very good positional size for an NBA wing.

If Bailey falls out of the top-5 on draft night, it’s going to be more because of his play than his measurements. Bailey’s scoring efficiency was below-average with 53.6 percent true shooting, he had way more turnovers (61) than assists (38), and he was basically allergic to getting to the rim, which led a lack of free throw attempts. When Bailey did get to the foul line, he only made 69 percent of his attempts.

I was in the gym to watch Bailey at Northwestern in Jan. in a game that Harper missed with injury. Bailey was spectacular that night, finishing with 37 points on 13-of-20 shooting, and splashing so many ridiculous shots over good contests. That night tends to color my perception of Bailey a little rosier than the stat sheet would say otherwise. Comparisons to Kevin Durant and Paul George — which Bailey named himself at the combine! — do him no favors. A Michael Porter Jr. comparison feels a bit more apt. I still like Bailey for his length, shooting, athletic explosiveness, and defensive recovery tools. The questions about his underdeveloped ball handling and shaky feel for the game aren’t going to go away, though. In a league where every inch matters, coming in a little short during measurements is also less than ideal.

Winner: Thomas Sorber

It was evident throughout the season that Sorber is a tad short for a big man, but makes up it with long arms. Still, I don’t think anyone realized just how wild his measurements would be: 6’9 barefoot, 262 pounds with a 7’6 wingspan and 9’1”standing reach. The difference between Sorber’s height and wingspan is the biggest of any center in this class, and only ranks behind Cowhard and Rasheer Fleming overall.

A 7’6 wingspan would rank as about the 12th longest in the NBA. A weight of 262 pounds would make him the 8th heaviest player in the NBA. Given his strength and length combination, Sorber no longer feels undersized for a pro center at all.

I like Sorber as a mid first-round pick for his ability to protect the paint defensively, grease the offense with his passing, and solid touch as an interior scorer. He does play a little heavy, failing to get off the ground quickly for rebounds and blocks, and having some trouble defending the perimeter against quicker players. Sober will need to develop a three-point shot like everyone else to truly hit his ceiling (he went 6-of-37 from three at Georgetown), but his no-nonsense style of play will be appealing in some capacity regardless.

Loser: Derik Queen

Derik Queen became an instant star from the second he stepped onto campus at Maryland. The beefy big man was a master at creating shots with the ball in his hands, showing off bruising interior scoring touch, agile Eurosteps through traffic, and a keen understanding of how to gain leverage on his matchup. His NCAA tournament buzzer-beater against Colorado State in the round of 32 was one of the most memorable shots of the season.

At the same time, there were some questions about Queen’s motor, conditioning, and defense. NBA evaluators always knew he was a little undersized for a pro center, and his combine measurements only confirmed that. Queen measured 6’9 barefoot, 247.8 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan and 9’1 standing reach. His athletic testing numbers were pedestrian, and that might be putting it kindly. Compared to various big men who participated in the combine through the years, Queen put together a pretty disappointing profile.

Queen feels like a pure upside bet to me. He doesn’t really have role player skills: he doesn’t offer much rim protection or switchability defensively, he doesn’t currently space the floor by shooting threes, and his effort closing out to shooters often isn’t there. If Queen is going to an NBA success, it’s going to come by putting the ball in his hands and letting him cook as a scorer and playmaker for his teammates. His combination of quickness, power, and aggression is an ultra tough cover in the halfcourt, he’s great at getting to the foul line, and he’s shown some ability to throw passes with both hands.

If teams believe in Queen’s potential star-power, he could be off the board in the first six picks. It’s possible he can fall out of the top-10 if the NBA isn’t quite convinced.

Winner: CMB’s Draymond comps

Collin Murray-Boyles is your favorite draft analyst’s favorite draft prospect this year. The South Carolina sophomore big man might look like a questionable prospect at first blush as an undersized big man without proven three-point shooting ability yet, but the tape shows that he’s one of the smartest and toughest players players in the class.

Murray-Boyles feels like the best defensive prospect in this class. He’s an excellent help defender who always feels a step ahead of the play. He’s able to body up bigger players with his low center of gravity and still contest their shots with his length. He’s a terror when he blitzes opposing ball handlers, with the end result often being two points for his team the other way. I chatted with Murray-Boyles at the combine on Wednesday afternoon and found him to be incredibly self-aware and engaging about his own development.

“I just take a lot of things from successful players. Julius Randle’s aggressiveness, Draymond’s defense, a lot of these young defenders, how they use their hands. I just take a lot of things from other games. Jokic’s connectivity and how they pass the ball and how they draw on defense, just small things like that just to build upon my game and to be the best that I can be.”

Murray-Boyles has been compared to both Draymond Green and Julius Randle by his most ardent supporters, so it was funny to hear him say that himself. His combine measurements won’t do anything to dissuade it.

That chart shows Murray-Boyles’ measurements compared to Green’s coming out of Michigan State. CMB is an inch taller, Draymond has him by a half-inch in wingspan, and Murray-Boyles is four pounds heavier with a little longer standing reach. He’s also almost three years younger than Draymond was entering the NBA.

A Draymond comparison often feels like a kiss of death for a prospect. Green became a Hall of Famer on the Golden State Warriors with one of the most unique skill sets of his generation: he’s an all-time defender who formed a masterful two-man connection with Stephen Curry that showcased his floor game and short roll playmaking. Green’s ability to play bigger than his size is legendary at this point. There aren’t many players who can live up to his legacy, but Murray-Boyles was so impressive on tape and so statistically dominant that it lets the mind run wild a little bit.

Winner: Tahaad Pettiford

Pettiford was the best player on the floor during the first scrimmage, who should come as no surprise to those who watched his electric freshman season at Auburn.

Pettiford was incredible as a shot creator and shot-maker in helping lead Auburn to the Final Four this season. He always just seemed a little too small to be a one-and-done, and his measurements confirmed those concerns: he’s 6-foot barefoot, 168 pounds with a solid 6’5 wingspan.

I was surprised that Pettford posted one of the best vertical jumps at 42-inches.

Pettiford creates space so easily when he attacks his defender on an island. He’s absurdly shifty, fearless going to the basket, and he can pull-up from anywhere. I had Pettiford as the No. 25 pick in my instant mock draft following the lottery. Auburn better backup the NIL brink trucks if they have any hope of getting him back.