Four Sophomore Breakout Candidates For the 2025 NBA Draft
While the 2024 NBA Draft is only a few months away and tournament play set to begin soon, it’s still a good time to focus on prospects that aren't in many 2024 NBA Draft conversations, but could be legitimate draft prospects next season.
Let’s take a look at four players that fit this description:
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 7’2”
Weight: 260 pounds
Krivas is a freshman big on Arizona whose mobility at his size immediately stands out. While he hasn't put it all together on a consistent basis yet, he's already making a significant impact as a rebounder. He's recording a 15.5 offensive rebounding percentage, 22 defensive rebounding percentage, while also recording a 5.3 block percentage and 1.5 steal percentage.
His mobility flashes on the offensive end as a roller at times, as he's in the 92nd percentile in Pick-and-Roll Roll Man possessions on only 19 possessions. While the big man’s at-the-rim percentage could increase (59.1%), he's been efficient on hook shots (11 for 18 or 61%) and notably has shot 78% from the free throw line on 59 attempts this season. Originally from Lithuania, Krivas possesses the movement skills required of NBA bigs and already makes an impact as a rebounder at the moment.
Motiejus Krivas doesn't turn 20 years old until this upcoming December.
Silas Demary Jr, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 180 pounds
Playing 27 minutes per game as a freshman in the SEC while being trusted with primary ball-handling responsibilities for most of those minutes is a tall task. Demary has swam through those waters with immense poise, and is averaging 9.5 points, 2.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Bulldogs this season.
Defensively, Demary has the size to be a capable point-of-attack defender and has active hands, recording a 3.2 steal percentage. His active hands were evident in high school, as Demary averaged 1.8 steals per game as a senior at Combine Academy last season.
Offensively, the Georgia freshman is in an in-between archetype between a primary ball-handler and an off-ball guard. While he's not an efficient enough catch-and-shoot player at the moment (21.2% on 33 attempts) to be a secondary ball-handler and play more off-ball minutes, he's also not elite enough as a playmaker or rim pressure-creator to be a primary ball-handler yet. However, if he improves enough in either of these areas, he could be in for an excellent sophomore season that puts him squarely on draft radars.
It should be noted he's converting 42% of his dribble jumpers this season, an area that helps tremendously in the in-between area of the pick-and-roll attacking drop defenders.
Silas Demary Jr also doesn't turn 20 years old until this upcoming June.
Check out this report on him and his former high school teammate and Kansas-commit Rakease Passmore. Additionally, check out an interview I did with Silas Demary Jr back in September.
KJ Lewis, Arizona
Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 205 pounds
KJ Lewis is a 6-foot-4 freshman who is currently playing more of a high-energy, hustle-based role for the Wildcats. He's averaging 5.8 points, 1.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 18.6 minutes per game.
Offensively, he's shown potential as a quality passer and is explosive with the ball in his hands. Lewis is capable of attacking closeouts, is a crafty finisher, and also an active off-ball cutter.
Defensively, he hounds ball-handlers at the point of attack, is laterally quick, has sound technique when navigating screens by tightening the gap between the screener and ball-handler, and has shown flashes of off-ball defensive event creation and effective stunts. It should be noted that he has a tendency to foul (5.2 fouls per 40 minutes), but he also has a knack for drawing fouls at the rim (45.5% free throw rate).
Lewis' catch-and-shoot threes are still developing (32.3% on 31 attempts) but there's potential there, which is evident in his FT% (75 FT% in 56 attempts). Additionally, he has a 5.6 ORB%, 3.3 STL%, and 1.8 BLK%. Lastly, in a small sample size of 51 possessions, Lewis is in the 91st percentile in Pick-and-Roll Ball Handler (Plus Passes) possessions.
While a high-energy, hustle player who makes an impact doing the little things is unlikely to generate true NBA buzz, if he continues to develop his catch-and-shoot threes, as a pick-and-roll playmaker, and/or as a guard who can create consistent rim pressure, then he could be a prospect to watch for in 2025.
Lewis doesn't turn 20 years old until this upcoming August.
Sean Stewart, Duke
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 227 pounds
Ranked as the No. 22 overall player in the 2023 high school class, Stewart has undoubtedly been on NBA radars for some time now. However, he's only seen limited minutes this season, averaging 8.5 minutes per game. Luckily, Stewart has begun to see his minutes increase -- playing over 10 minutes in four of his last five games and averaging 13 minutes per game in those five contests.
Stewart has NBA size and mobility, and he made the most of his 26-minute game this past Monday against NC State. In that game, he recorded 12 points, two assists, five rebounds (four of them being on the offensive end), two steals, and three blocks.
If his minutes continue to increase this season, he could even creep onto 2024 NBA Draft radars. If they don't, he's a strong candidate to have a breakout sophomore season.
All play-by-play data referenced is courtesy of Synergy Sports.
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