Five players Raptors fans should be watching during March Madness

When Toronto Raptors fans look back at the 2024-25 season, none of their 20-something wins will stand out. Instead, the most important win fans will look back on is the one they (hopefully) earn on draft night.

It hasn't been the prettiest season: the losses are ugly and at this point in the year, for certain fans, the wins are even worse. But if the lottery balls fall in their favour in June, it might be worth it.

As of Wednesday, the Raptors find themselves as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 24-45 record — the seventh-worst league-wide. The Raptors find themselves neck-and-neck with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets for the fifth-worst record and a 42.1 per cent chance at a top-four pick.

With the seventh-worst record, the Raptors have a 31.9 per cent chance at a top-four pick and only a 7.5 per cent chance at first overall, according to Tankathon. But that doesn't mean all hope for a top prospect should be lost.

If you're tired of cheering for a Raptors loss, it might be time to tune into some March Madness and cheer for some potential future Raptors wins. Plenty of the guys that will hear their names called in the 4-10 range will be lacing up for the best tournament in sports, and for many, that means a first look at some of the game's next greats. Legends are made in March, and how the tournament plays out will have a huge impact on what happens come June.

Here are the top players (not named Cooper Flagg) Raptors fans should be keeping an eye on as March Madness tips off.

V.J. Edgecombe — SG, Baylor

Early season concerns about Edgecombe's offensive efficiency have been thrown out the window in Big 12 play, as the high-flying freak of nature upped his field goal percentage from 43.5 to 45.4 per cent and his three-point percentage from 34.5 to 39.1 per cent while looking like the best athlete on the court at any given time.

Couple his evened-out efficiency with some vicious point-of-attack defence, and Edgecombe looks like the next backcourt hound to come out of Baylor — a school that has seen the likes of Davion Mitchell and Ja'Kobe Walter make noise on the Raptors just this year.

Edgecombe is a higher-level prospect than either player mentioned above, and a strong showing against Mississippi State in the first round and a duel against Duke in the second could further propel his stock. He fits the mould of disruptive defender the Raptors have liked in years past, and he'd add a level of athleticism and driving ability the team has needed on offence. If he can continue to find rhythm in his pull-up game, the 19-year-old's ceiling is one of the highest in his class.

Khaman Maluach — C, Duke

Though he hasn't been able to fully shine playing alongside the likes of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Maluach has flexed his strength as a play-finisher at the rim and has shown flashes of potential shooting touch — he's only knocking down 20 per cent of his three-point looks, but his 74.6 free-throw percentage is a good sign.

However, if Maluach ends up on the Raptors, the team would be focusing on his defensive upside, as the seven-foot-two South Sudanese big man comes with a ridiculous seven-foot-six wingspan, instantly fitting in as the team's backup big behind Jakob Poeltl and future starter.

Duke is poised to make a long run in March, so look for Maluach to excel in potential matchups against guys like Nathan Bittle of Oregon, Henri Veesar of Arizona and Clifford Omoruyi at Alabama.

Derik Queen — C, Maryland

If the Raptors instead want to look at a more offensive-minded big man, Queen is the one to watch in this draft class. As the centrepiece of Maryland's offence, Queen has shouldered the biggest load of any five-man in this class and has excelled to the tune of 16.3 points per game.

At six-foot-10, Queen has some serious guard skills. He has an affinity for putting the ball on the floor, creating his own looks on drives, and showing some playmaking upside. There's no such thing as a Nikola Jokic comparison, but Queen could play a similar role at the centre of an offence to someone like Alperen Sengun — a more face-up style, using high-level footwork to get to the rim and finding teammates on open looks around the play.

His defence will continue to be a concern, but teams could see it as Queen simply needing to shift his mindset, as he often just doesn't try hard enough on that end. With the pressure ramping up at the Tourney and potential games against Memphis, UConn and Florida on the docket, scouts will look for a bit more urgency from Queen.

Kasparas Jakucionis — PG, Illinois

The jury is still out on whether the Raptors have their long-term solution at the one in Immanuel Quickley, so betting on the upside of the best pure point guard in this class could be a worthwhile gamble.

Jakucionis, standing at six-foot-six, would bring size to the position in the way the Raptors have been trying to replicate through Scottie Barnes. He's a gifted playmaker who uses his high-level feel for the game and creativity to create looks for himself and others.

Though he's not the most athletic player in the class, rarely showing enough speed or burst to get past his defenders, he's a clever manipulator with pull-up shooting upside, and his positional size is something he should be able to leverage even in the NBA.

Illinois has a loaded path in the bracket, with a first-round matchup against either Texas or Xavier, then a potential matchup against No. 3 Kentucky in the second. Should they advance, a possible duel against the pesky defence of Zakai Ziegler and the Tennessee Volunteers awaits in the Sweet 16.

Jase Richardson — SG, Michigan State

Richardson is the late bloomer of this class, as the freshman has averaged an electric 17.2 points while shooting 50 per cent from the field and 42.3 per cent from three-point range over his last 11 games — all of which he started. He averaged only 9.2 a game over his first 21 when he came off the bench for the Spartans.

Perhaps the best off-ball player in his class, Richardson played well in a smaller role for Michigan State at the start of the year, scoring off cuts and catch-and-shoot looks. Though he's still gotten those looks since being inserted into the starting lineup, the 19-year-old has also shown a propensity for pull-up scoring coming off screens.

The concern at the next level, however, is that Richardson stands only six-foot-three. And though he's crafty enough to score amongst the trees, scouts want to see his playmaking and slashing develop to give him the best chance of success in the NBA. Potential games against Curtis Jones and Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and Miles Kelly and Auburn in the Elite 8 should prove good tests for the emerging scoring guard.