Overview

• Fifty early-entry candidates pulled their names from the 2025 NBA Draft before the May 28 deadline, marking the lowest underclassmen entry numbers in a decade.
• Expanding Name, Image and Likeness deals have become the decisive factor for many borderline first- and second-round prospects, offering guaranteed multi-million-dollar packages to remain in college.
• High-profile underclassmen such as Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Alabama’s Labaron Philon opted to bypass the draft, depriving teams of key late-first-round talent.
• SEC programs including Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Kentucky will retain crucial contributors, positioning the conference for its strongest season in years.
• With late-first and second-round talent thinning out, the draft class now shifts focus toward international prospects and underclassmen who stayed in the pool.