Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and Jeremiah Fears—all predicted NBA lottery picks—were among the standout rookies in the 2024–25 collegiate basketball season.
However, two more exceptional guards who are also highly regarded NBA prospects have been the talk of the town lately.
Jase Richardson of Michigan State and Tahaad Pettiford of Auburn are currently the most talked-about freshman amid a sea of great ones.
The son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, Jase Richardson, recently made headlines when he announced his intention to enter the 2025 NBA Draft. In response, he wrote a supporting note to fellow freshman Tahaad Pettiford, who similarly made the declaration while still eligible to attend college.
In just one season at East Lansing, Michigan, Richardson quickly emerged as one of the best college basketball players in the country, earning Third Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
Over 36 games, Richardson averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, shooting an incredibly efficient 49.3% from the floor, 41.2% from deep and 83.6% from the free-throw line.
In addition to earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors three consecutive times, he also helped the Spartans clinch the Big Ten regular-season title.
For the 32-6 Auburn Tigers, Pettiford, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Jersey City, New Jersey, was as important.
He was a major driving force behind the Tigers’ journey to the Final Four, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.
The relationship between the two rookie sensations, who have competed against one another in middle school and other youth tournaments, adds to the intrigue. These early encounters helped pave the way for their cordial rivalry at the collegiate level, which they now hope to continue in the NBA.
