Derik Queen’s Buzzer-Beater & Cooper Flagg’s Return Headline The Opening Weekend of NCAA Tournament

In this episode of the Locked On NBA Big Board podcast, Rafael Barlowe is joined by James Barlowe and Leif Thulin to break down the biggest NBA Draft takeaways from the opening weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The trio opens by comparing where their brackets stand before diving into Derik Queen’s clutch game-winner and how his performance impacts his draft stock. They then shift to Cooper Flagg’s impressive return from injury, noting how comfortable and dominant he looked despite the layoff. The group also discusses VJ Edgecombe’s performance, emphasizing the need for him to be more assertive offensively, and wrap up with thoughts on Jeremiah Fears, whose late-season surge and tournament play may be pushing him up draft boards.

Timestamps

2:05 – Leif and James check in on where their brackets stand
3:12 – Reactions to Derik Queen’s game-winning shot and draft implications
7:26 – Cooper Flagg’s return
14:54 – VJ Edgecombe’s performance: waiting for more aggression
22:05 – Jeremiah Fears’ late-season surge and rising draft stock

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