Chucky Hepburn found what he was looking for in Louisville Cardinals when he left the Wisconsin Badgers in 2024 through the transfer portal.
Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin Badgers
Mar 22, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn (23) attempts to shoot the ball on James Madison Dukes guard Xavier Brown (0) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
The 6’2 guard almost doubled his averages in the 2024-2025 season for his new team. He recorded 16/4 points per game, a far cry from his nine points per game at UW. He also won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and First-team All-ACC in his lone season with the Cardinals.
Now, it is time for him to transfer to the big league but will get there? Hepburn has received invitations to workout with NBA teams. Two of them are the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets.
The mock drafts have not been kind to him since the end of the college season but he is trending upwards. However, they still don’t see him getting picked in the two rounds.
CBS Sports in its NBA Draft Top 100 ranking put him at no. 77.
2025 NBA Draft
May 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, US; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver walk through the audience during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Sports Illustrated wrote last week that he could be a “late second-round pick or a priority undrafted free agent.”
Chucky Hepburn listed as ‘with breakout potential’
Although mock drafts are not bullish on his chances of getting picked, some thought he could be a solid point guard in the NBA.
On3.com even predicts him to be a breakout player from this year’s class and maybe have a long NBA career.
“Chucky Hepburn is one of the best prospects in the class at creating steals on the perimeter. While it is not the top skillset needed for defensive success in the NBA, it is a valuable piece of what could keep him on a roster for years to come,” it wrote.
Chucky Hepburn
Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Chucky Hepburn (24) shoots the ball during the second half against the Creighton Bluejays in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
“While he was able to facilitate offense well across multiple stops, he is not a high-level 3-point shooter and projects to have limited impact scoring the ball. The residual impact on his ability to set up his teammates for open shots will then determine his long-term success.”
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