NBA draft prospects who were unranked high school recruits - ESPN

Every NBA team is searching for a superstar — or, at the very least, a future starter in the draft. Those players are often lottery picks or late first-round finds. Perhaps even a second-round steal.

Most of those prospects have been tracked for years, their names familiar to anyone who follows the ESPN 100 recruiting rankings, such as Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe this year.

But every year, a handful of draftees break the mold.

They weren't household names in high school. They didn't dominate the grassroots circuit or earn prominent placement in recruiting rankings. Maybe they were late-bloomers, mentally or physically. Perhaps they transferred. Maybe they spent countless hours in the gym with a coaching staff that finally helped unlock their potential. Whatever their path, they've now developed into NBA prospects.

In many cases, character traits will prove just as important. Resilience, work ethic, coachability and competitiveness are all qualities that elevate good players into great ones. The reverse can also be true.

The five players below were not ranked coming out of high school. While some had star ratings, they were all a long way from the NBA discussion. Now, they could hear their names called at the 2025 NBA draft (June 25-26, 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN).

Here's how they got there.

Note: Projected ranges based on ESPN's latest NBA mock draft.

Check out some of the highlights that have made Cedric Coward a top NBA draft prospect.

Projected range: Middle of first round |SG | Washington State

College career: Coward is the biggest unknown among domestic prospects in this year's draft class, and arguably the most unconventional.

Another example of a recruit navigating limited exposure