Nate Koesel

Once again, the Big Ten Conference will be among one of the top power 5 conferences and the conference has landed some very skilled prospects. Those who follow both high school basketball and NBA Draft talk know about Rutgers snagging Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, two of the top 5 project picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Here, I will highlight a handful of lesser known names that are bound to breakout and have huge freshman campaigns for their teams in the BIG Ten.

1. Derik Queen (2004) 6’10” 246 lbs C Montverde Academy (FL) – Maryland

     5-star     Nat: 12    Pos: 3    St: 3

Derik Queen has been a well-known 5-star prospect coming in as Maryland’s second highest ranked prospect in program history. He attended Montverde Academy (FL) with his former teammate, projected first overall 2025 pick, Cooper Flagg. Queen has a traditional center game, primarily operating out of the post and around the rim. He makes quick decisions and turns angles and corners quickly for his size finishing with strength. He has great hand size which allows him to secure rebounds in traffic. Queen shows a consistent pure stroke on his free throws despite his traditional game. Derik shined in the 2024 McDonald’s All American game dropping 23 points and 8 rebounds earning the game MVP! He has a very polished all-around game and knows how to use his body to create post finishes. The Maryland native will look to have a big future role during his time in college for the Terrapins.

2. Will Riley (2006) 6’8” 180 lbs SF The Phelps School (Malvern, PA) – Illinois

5-star Nat: 20 Pos: 6 St: 2

The 5-star prospect from PA is an electric, high-flying athletic wing with a strong 2-way upside. Riley is elite, attacking off the dribble and creating for himself with a quick pull-up jumper. He comes off screens, getting downhill quickly and contorting his body in the air for difficult finishes. His length helps him be a pest defensively, creating transition opportunities. Riley had an impressive senior AAU season for EYBL UPLAY, including a 41-point game. A top-20 prospect like Riley should have no issue working his way quickly into the rotation for Illinois, making big noise his freshman year. 

3. Bryson Tucker (2006) 6’6” 180 lbs SF Bishop O’Connell (VA) – Indiana

  5-star Nat:30 Pos: 10 St: 2

Bryson Tucker comes into Indiana with all the scoring tools to be a dynamic presence for the Hoosiers. He is a lengthy guard with a long torso and a quick trigger from deep. He exhibits good floor awareness coming off handoffs, finds and fills the opening on the floor, and sets himself up with good looks. He plays under control in transition, using his athleticism for nasty dunks. Tucker has a high release point on his jump, which helps him get off contest shots on the perimeter and on post-faders. Tucker has a quick burst and has a Kevin Durant or Jason Tatum appearance to his game. The confident combo guard can score at all three levels and looks like a star in the making in Bloomington.

4. Morez Johnson (2006) 6’9” 235 lbs Thornton Township (Harvey, IL) – Illinois

4-star Nat: 31      Pos: 6     St:1  

Johnson is a strong athletic forward with elite versatility, scoring in backdowns in the post and transition. His broad frame gives him an advantage in scoring in the paint and in the dunker spot-off feeds in transition. Johnson is a solid option for post-dump-off feeds finishing with force. He competed in 2023 in the NBPA Top 100 Camp versus Cooper Flagg, having a spectacular outing with strong deep post-up finishing and lob threat opportunities. Johnson also won the 2024 USA Men’s FIBA U18 Americup and played on the USA Men’s U18 National team and  USA Men’s Junior National Select team.  The freshman will look to get his college career off to a good start in his hometown state of Illinois. 

5. Trent Perry (2005) 6’4” 175 lbs Harvard Westlake (Studio City, CA) – UCLA

4-star Nat: 35 Pos: 4 St: 4

Perry is a lengthy, strong point guard with solid ball handling and an elite dribble pull game. His height allows him to get his shot off against intense contests on the perimeter and finish over defenders at the rim. Perry also has great vertical bounce for his position. The energetic guard plays tough defense, forcing turnovers and getting on the floor going after 50/50 balls. One of the most underrated parts of his game is his playmaking ability, as he’s able to use his 6’4” height to find cutters and open teammates around the hoop. The young, wiry freshman will look to bring that toughness and playmaking ability to the UCLA Bruins as they join the BIG 10 conference this year.

6. Kasparas Jakucionis (2006) 6’6” 200 lbs SG FC Barcelona (Lithuania) – Illinois

4-star Nat: 36 Pos:6 St:1

Jakucionis is a 6’6” Lithuanian guard who had a breakout spring season for U18 FC Barcelona, posting impressive stat lines, averaging 19.0 PPG and 12.7 APG. His most spectacular outing saw him post 31 points, including 3 three-pointers and 12/14 from the charity strike. He has a lengthy frame and quick ball-handling skills, which help him create separation on basket drives and operate through contact at the basket. Despite a lower three-point field goal percentage, he is mechanically robust and uses mature awareness for wise attempts. His early accolades include winning the 2023 Adidas Next Generation Tournament Zadar MVP and All-Tournament Team honors. Jakucionis’s impressive height and playmaking creation have some mocks sliding him late into the first round of the NBA 2025 draft.

7. Jase Richardson (2003) 6’3” 180 CG Columbus (Miami, FL)

 4-star Nat: 37 Pos: 5 St: 7

The son of former NBA veteran and national champion Jason Richardson looks to write his own story in the white and green this coming season for the Spartans. He had a tremendous senior year at Columbus HS in Miami, playing alongside the Boozer twins. Like his father, he has excellent natural bounce and reads the floor at an elite level. He pushes the ball well in and through traffic with his explosive speed and touches on inside finishes. Jase is a loved teammate and well respected as a floor general with his court vision and leadership. Jase is just the kind of guy who will fit perfectly into Coach Izzo’s prestigious Michigan State program for however long he stays in school.

8. Juni Mobley Jr. (2005) 6’1” 175 lbs Wasatch Academy (UT) – Ohio State

4-star Nat:48   Pos:7     St:1 

Mobley Jr. is rated one of best shooters in the country. He has an immediate pull up game that he goes to both in the hall court and in transition. He reads defenders well and understands when to pull up and when to attack the basket. He credits his elite shooting ability to his hard work with the gun all throughout his high school years both during the season and offseason. Mobley Jr. has a very smooth and elite pace to his offensive game. He showcased it well during his time in AAU playing for Vegas Elite in the EYBL circuit. Mobley Jr. may be small but his change of direction and body control while finishing contested shots at the rim is very impressive. The Buckeyes needed to add shooting down their rotation and despite how much time Mobley Jr. sees the floor in 2024-25, he will certainly look to rise and fire at every opportunity that he gets for the scarlet and gray.

9. Vazoumana “Zoom” Diallo (2005) 6’3” 180 SG – Prolific Prep (CA) – Washington

4-star Nat: 53   Pos: 5   St:6

Zoom Diallo decides to stay on the West Coast and return to his home state to play for the Washington Huskies. The Ivorian prospect is considered one of the top point guards in the 2024 class who held multiple Power 5 offers. In 2023, Diallo had an outstanding junior year at Curtis Senior, averaging 20 points, 5.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, earning Washington Gatorade Player of the Year. Zoom transferred to Prolific Prep for his senior year, was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game and played this summer at Nike Hoops Summit. Diallo believes he will immediately impact the Huskies this coming season.

10. Daniel Jacobsen (2006) 7’4” 230 lbs C Brewster Academy (NH) – Purdue

     4-star Nat: 57 Pos:13 St:1

Jacobsen is a force to be reckoned with as a paint presence and mobile 7-footer who operates well as an athletic dunker with great vertical reach to challenge shots. He has also shown he is a capable ball handler and runs the floor well for his size. Coming off the bench behind rising 7’2” sophomore center Will Berg, he should log valuable replacement minutes this year as he gets acclimated to BIG 10 competition. Head coach Matt Painter has shown he can develop young bigs into stars in the past, and Jacobsen looks to be the next on the rise for the Boilermakers.

Until next time when we look at the BIG 10 sophomore breakout candidates…