The NCAA Tournament bracket is finally here, and for so many basketball fans, one of the best times of the year is nearly underway.
March Madness will feature a number of high-profile prospects; like Cooper Flagg, Tre Johnson, Asa Newell, Jeremiah Fears, Kasparas Jakučionis and others, but will also have a few under the radar standouts looking to help their team win a national title.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have the opportunity to select someone like the aforementioned players with a pick in the first round, but the team also is set to make a selection in the second round.
Over the past few draft cycles, the Sam Presti and company have found rotation players who are currently occupying important minutes for the Thunder in the second round. Aaron Wiggins, who has been one of the team's best bench players this season, was selected with the 55th overall pick, while Jaylin Williams, a rotational big man who recorded a triple-double earlier this month, was also picked in the second round.
Most recently, OKC's front office picked Ajay Mitchell in the second round, who had a few strong performances for the Thunder before being sidelined for a significant amount of time with an injury.
While there is no guarantee that Oklahoma City's second round pick this year will have the same impact, if the Thunder elect to keep their selection, Presti and company have proven that the team's second round picks can develop into valuable pieces.
Here are a few sleeper prospects set to compete in the NCAA Tournament that could fit well in Oklahoma City.
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Williams has the versatility that the Thunder seem to value in a prospect.
A junior, Williams is averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while helping lead the Red Raiders to a No. 2 seed.
Darrion Williams cashes in from range 🏹#Big12MBB | @Phillips66Gas pic.twitter.com/uOzxoATuIw
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 13, 2025
Williams spent his freshman season at Nevada, where he earned Mountain West Rookie of the Year honors. Since transferring to Texas Tech, Williams has earned All-Big 12 honors in both of his two years in Lubbock.
Playing for head coach Grant McCasland, Williams is a strong defender who can guard multiple positions and reliably knock down shots from the perimeter.
The Red Raiders meet UNC Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 20.
When thinking about Duke prospects in the 2025 draft, James isn't the first name that comes to mind.
He probably isn't the second, or third, either.
While Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have taken much of the limelight for the Blue Devils, fifth-year senior Sion James has also showed that has the traits to be an NBA player.
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, James has a similar frame to Williams, but is surrounded by three former 5-star prospects, and therefore, in a lesser role. Still, the Tulane transfer is averaging 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc.
Sion James caps a 7️⃣-0️⃣ Duke run and forces a timeout!
📺 @DukeMBB x ESPNpic.twitter.com/H0UJ7I4amg
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 16, 2025
In his final year with the Green Wave, James put up 14 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game and shot 38.1% from 3-point range.
Duke faces the winner of American and Mount Saint Mary's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21.
It's hard to be a sleeper prospect while playing for a team that just won the SEC tournament and was awarded a No. 1 seed, but Condon has managed to fly under the radar.
A 6-foot-11, 230-pound sophomore from Perth, Australia, Condon is averaging 11.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in addition to shooting 34% from deep.
Florida big man Alex Condon with a career-high day against No.7 Alabama🔥
27 PTS | 9-16 FG | 10 REB | 2-4 3PT pic.twitter.com/EoRMp9mHYb
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 6, 2025
Even if Condon's shooting doesn't improve much at the next level, the Gators' standout has solid size and passing acumen, making him an intriguing fit for OKC. Multiple mock drafts have seen the Thunder select Khaman Maluach or Asa Newell in the top 10, but if the Thunder elected to pick a player at a different position in the first round and still want to add a center, Condon could be a strong second round option.
Florida will play Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 21.
Just a redshirt freshman, Gwath could elect to return to college basketball, but has a chance to find his way onto NBA draft boards with a strong performance in the NCAA Tournament.
Listed at 7-feet-tall and 205 pounds, Gwath is averaging 8.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the floor and 37.2% from beyond the arc. The Aztecs' standout earned Mountain West Rookie of the Year and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts.
The intriguing flashes have remained a constant from Magoon Gwath: 15.2 PTS, 9.4 REB, 2.2 BLK, and 1.0 3PM over the last 5. Fluid mover at his size with soft touch and impressive defensive range. The 19-year-old broke San Diego State’s freshman blocks record this weekend. https://t.co/ZWWIZoh166 pic.twitter.com/i1d5GCSyFV
— Jacob Myers (@League_Him) February 10, 2025
While Gwath still has plenty of room to grow, the second-year player has a wealth of potential and could be an upside swing for OKC in the second round.
San Diego State meets North Carolina in the 'First Four' of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, March 18.
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