NBA Draft: Seniors Shine in Earliest Games of Saturday, Feb. 22

In today’s earliest group of games, several NBA prospects shined with impressive performances. Regardless of whether these players are projected to hear their names called in the upcoming draft or have a chance to break into the league as undrafted players, strong performances like these have created interesting storylines around their potential.

Let’s take a closer look at three of the top-performing players so far today and how their play has impacted their differing draft values.

Chucky Hepburn | Guard | Louisville | 6’2” | 190 lbs | Senior

Chucky Hepburn has impressed for Louisvill — Feb 22, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) celebrates with Louisville Cardinals guard Reyne Smith (6) during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Florida State 89-81. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Chucky Hepburn has been one of the best floor generals in the nation this year, and while his passing did not directly translate into assists today, he still did a great job of running the show. He finished Louisville’s 89-81 win over Florida State with 29 points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals while knocking down a career-high 17-of-19 from the free-throw line. Hepburn used his great change of speed and patience inside the perimeter to control the game and continued showcasing how elite of a defender he is.

Chaz Lanier | Wing | Tennessee | 6’4” | 199 lbs | Senior

Chaz Lanier has impressed for Tennesse — Feb 11, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Chaz Lanier (2) looks on during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Chaz Lanier is one of the best three-point shooters in the nation and showcased his high-scoring potential in No. 6 Tennessee’s 77-69 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M. He finished with 30 points and five rebounds while connecting on a season-high 8-of-13 from three. He looked great getting to his spots off the ball before quickly getting shots up. Entering today, Lanier led the SEC in made threes per game at 3.3 and should remain an effective shooter early in his NBA career. He is projected to land somewhere in the late-first to early-second round in the upcoming draft. His mature feel on both sides of the ball and dangerous outside shooting will undoubtedly hold value to teams.

Nate Bittle | Center | Oregon | 7’0” | 220 lbs | Senior

Nate Bittle has impressed for Orego — Feb 19, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) shoots the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Nate Bittle stood out on both ends of the floor for Oregon as they upset No. 11 Wisconsin in overtime. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, one assist and three blocks on encouraging shooting splits of 52.9%/50%/80%. Bittle is a strong big man with good footwork and a solid offensive feel. This was his second straight game scoring 20 or more points and while he has the Duck's second-leading rebounder today, he had grabben ten in each of his last two showings. Bittle has decent mobility, which allows him to space the floor consistently and could help him continue developing into a more well-rounded defender.

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