Senior Vaughn Otto and his brother Ben Otto at a Dallas Mavericks basketball game in 2023 sitting in a box seat overlooking the court courtesy of senior Vaughn Otto.

  The 2025 NBA draft brought a wave of excitement to basketball fans at SLOHS, with three standout players stepping into the spotlight, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and V.J Edgecomb were the top three overall draft picks in the 2025 draft. Now a month into their rookie seasons, all three are already making headlines and SLOHS students have plenty of opinions about how the rookies are performing so far this season.

  “V.J. Edgecomb is one of the best rookies I’ve ever seen. He’s an African sensation,” said senior Logan Missler.

  Expressions asked SLOHS students what they thought of Cooper Flagg coming into the NBA and how he is doing now, one SLOHS student said-

  “I think people were expecting Cooper Flagg to instantly be a starting, all star level player and generational talent, but when you compare him to V.J. edgecomb, Cooper hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, although he is still very good for a rookie,” sophomore Henry Wilkes.

  Flagg’s season is far from over and has many chances to live up to the first overall pick expectations.

  Lastly Expressions took a look at the third overall pick Dylan Harper on what separates him from other plays in his draft class and what his future can entail.

  “I think Dylan Harper being 6’6” and athletic at the point guard position gives him an advantage over others, also he will be playing alongside Dearron Fox which is someone Dylan could learn a lot from and grow his game,” junior Isaac Burgess.

  As the NBA season continues, these rookies are only beginning to show what they’re capable of. Whether it’s Cooper Flagg’s potential, VJ Edgecomb’s explosive athleticism, or Dylan Harper’s promise as a rising guard, one thing is certain: the future of the NBA is bright and fans at SLOHS will be watching closely.