By editor 
The Second-Round Surge: Veteran College Stars Reshape the 2025 NBA Draft
The 2025 NBA Draft marked a significant shift in how teams approach the second round, with veteran college stars taking center stage. Unlike previous drafts where raw potential often dominated the conversation, this year’s second round was defined by players who had honed their skills over multiple college seasons. Veteran big men like Johni Broome (Auburn) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), along with dynamic guard Kam Jones (Marquette), set a new standard for what it means to be a second-round pick. Their success underscores a growing trend in the NBA: experience and production are becoming just as valuable as raw potential.
The early picks in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft read like a tribute to NCAA All-American teams. Ryan Kalkbrenner, the 7’1” Creighton anchor, was selected at No. 34 by the Charlotte Hornets. Despite his impressive résumé—including All-American honors and a strong NBA Combine performance—his slip out of the first round surprised many. Johni Broome, Auburn’s do-everything big man and conference defensive player of the year, followed at No. 35, chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers. His selection highlighted the value teams place on seasoned bigs with two-way productivity. Kam Jones, a proven scorer and crafty creator from Marquette, was picked at No. 38 by the Memphis Grizzlies. His ability to score at all three levels and his high basketball IQ made him an attractive option for teams needing immediate backcourt help.
This year’s second round didn’t just reward stats; it rewarded reliability and adaptability. Teams drawing from the bottom half of the draft board no longer see the second round as scratch-off lottery tickets but as a place to mine rotational value and locker room presence. General managers love talking about “ceiling,” but by the 30s, the hit rate on teenage mystery men plummets. It’s easier to bet on a player like Kalkbrenner, who spent four years refining post moves, defensive timing, and pick-and-roll reads against high-major competition. The same holds for Broome, a 6’10” bruiser who morphed from OVC Defensive Player of the Year into a versatile SEC star. These players represent a shift in thinking: When roster spots are scarce and the difference between fringe-contender and also-ran comes down to the 8th, 9th, and 10th men, coaches want reliability, not just raw athleticism.
Kam Jones rarely wowed with vertical leap, but his feel for the game, mastery of pace, and positional flexibility resonate. He can take over a possession or quietly space the floor. Both Broome and Kalkbrenner already fit NBA defensive schemes as drop-coverage bigs—protecting the rim, anchoring the interior, and communicating reads. Front offices increasingly value this “plug-and-play” capacity. It’s no accident that contenders and upstart playoff hopefuls—Memphis, Philadelphia, Charlotte—pounced on these names. The road to NBA minutes is less daunting for players with 100+ college starts under their belts.
While the early second round focused on polished, multi-year college players, several names with tantalizing skill sets or international pedigree found themselves sliding. The calculus was clear: many teams weren’t willing to roll the dice on developmental projects with so much ready-to-contribute talent on the board. The narrative that used to dominate the second round—wild swings at “high-upside” freshmen or overseas teenagers—never materialized at the same clip this year. The pool of remaining prospects only highlighted this: most teams chased experienced assets, not distant dreams.
The prioritization of veteran college stars represents a broader progression in NBA draft philosophy. For years, draft discourse often penalized older college players out of fear their growth had plateaued. Multiple recent draft classes, however, have shown that age can be underrated—and maturity, adaptability, and coachability offer a premium, especially for teams stocking the back end of their bench. Teams want to hit doubles rather than always swing for home runs. Broome and Kalkbrenner aren’t going to be offensive focal points in the NBA, but both project as scheme-independent contributors who can step into backup roles or find minutes with versatile skill sets. That’s especially attractive amid the relentless churn of modern NBA rotations.
Veteran college players entering the league have a unique confidence forged by deep NCAA tournament runs and high-stakes matchups. They fill leadership voids, understand game planning, and take pride in small roles—the kinds of intangibles that rarely show up on a scouting report but often define playoff rotations. Ryan Kalkbrenner, a three-time conference defensive player of the year at Creighton, boasts elite shot-blocking instincts, touch around the rim, and underrated passing. His combine performance reaffirmed what scouts had seen all year: a mobile big who can defend in space and finish pick-and-rolls. Falling out of the first round may have lit a fire under him—and made Charlotte look shrewd.
Johni Broome earned every possible college accolade: first team all-conference, defensive player of the year, and a statistical profile bursting with blocks, boards, and efficiency. He helped Auburn rack up wins in March and combines a 7-foot wingspan with nimble footwork. NBA coaches see him as an immediate backup five—think Brandon Clarke with a little extra size and edge. Kam Jones leaves school with a reputation as the kind of creator who can score at all three levels. His poise with the ball, experience running NBA-style sets, and savvy off screens suggest he’ll thrive in a modern pace-and-space system. For Memphis, he looks like an instant contributor off the bench, capable of sparking offense in second units.
The 2025 NBA Draft spotlighted a subtle but significant evolution in roster-building logic. As lottery swings keep trending younger, the second round now belongs to the seasoned, the skilled, the proven—the players whose college arcs shaped them for the grind of NBA realities. Johni Broome, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Kam Jones embodied that shift as they heard their names called early in Round 2, a sign that in today’s league, winning teams know there’s gold in experience. The days of dismissing age are headed for extinction. In a league desperate for dependable role players and immediate production, the 2025 draft just put a stake in the ground: sometimes, the best bet is on who’s already done it. The NBA is listening—and the league may never look at the second round the same way again.