NBA Draft Pulse Check: Jeremiah Fears, Kasparas Jakucionis, Paul McNeil, Egor Demin and more..

On the latest episode of the Locked On NBA Big Board Podcast, host Rafael Barlowe does a 2025 NBA Draft pulse check, breaking down several prospects who caught his attention over the weekend. He starts with Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears, who had a monster performance against Mississippi State, posting 27 points and 10 assists. Next, he dives into Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis, analyzing his up-and-down showing against Duke and explaining why he is such a difficult evaluation. After that, Barlowe shifts to North Carolina State freshman Paul McNeil, who capitalized on his first opportunity as a starter with a 24-point outing against Wake Forest. From there, he discusses Dylan Harper, whom he currently projects as the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Harper is rounding back into form after dealing with injury and illness, delivering back-to-back strong performances. Barlowe then examines Kentucky big man Amari Williams, explaining why he sees him as a draftable player. Next, he provides an update on Zvonimir Ivisic, a player he was very high on coming into the season. While Ivisic has had a disappointing year overall—including a zero-point performance against Auburn—he has still shown flashes of his potential over the last month. Finally, Barlowe wraps up with Egor Demin, breaking down his play against Arizona and why he believes Demin should strongly consider returning to BYU next season.

Timestamps & Bullet Points:

2:19 – Jeremiah Fears
6:40 – Kasparas Jakucionis
14:30 – Paul McNeil
19:55 – Dylan Harper
22:09 – Amari Williams
24:18 – Zvonimir Ivisic
27:38 – Egor Demin