As the basketball world turns its attention to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine set for May 11-18 at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena, a startling list of omissions has left fans and analysts bewildered.
Notable Snubs From the 2025 NBA Combine
While 75 prospects received coveted invitations to showcase their talents before NBA decision makers, several college stars who dominated headlines all season find themselves on the outside.
The absence of decorated seniors like Caleb Love and RJ Davis from the combine invite list serves as a stark reminder of the NBA’s unwavering preference for youth and potential over proven production.
With the combine representing a critical evaluation opportunity before the June 25-26 draft in Brooklyn, these snubs could significantly impact draft positioning for players who must now find alternative paths to impress NBA teams.
Caleb Love’s omission stands out as particularly surprising. The Arizona senior guard showcased three-level scoring ability and spot up shooting throughout his collegiate career.
Despite his All-American pedigree and reputation as a talented scoring guard, Love finds himself without the platform many expected him to use to boost his draft stock before the May 28 deadline for NCAA players to withdraw from the draft process.
Notable College Basketball players that did not receive an invite to the NBA Draft Combine:
Caleb Love
RJ Davis
Kadary Richmond
Will Richard
Jaden Akins
Julian Reese
Cliff Omoruyi
Julian Newman
Curtis Jones
Chase Hunter
Jahmyl Telfort pic.twitter.com/S9zIMwmdYs— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) May 2, 2025
Similarly perplexing is RJ Davis’s absence from the combine list. After transferring to Arkansas for his final season, Davis averaged an impressive 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Ranked as the top player in the transfer portal by CBS Sports and projected as an SEC Player of the Year candidate, Davis’s production apparently wasn’t enough to secure a spot among the 75 official invitees to this year’s event.
The list of notable exclusions extends further with Kadary Richmond, Will Richard and Jaden Akins also missing from the combine invites. Julian Reese and Cliff Omoruyi, both productive big men who showed defensive prowess throughout their collegiate careers, likewise find themselves on the outside.
Julian Newman, Curtis Jones, Chase Hunter and Jahmyl Telfort join several other ESPN top-100 prospects notably absent from the list, creating a surprisingly deep talent pool that NBA scouts won’t evaluate during the prestigious Chicago showcase..
Hunter Dickinson of Kansas, a two-time consensus All-American and Zeke Mayo, one of the nation’s best three-point shooters, both made compelling cases for inclusion.
These experienced players must now hope for standout performances at the G League Elite Camp (May 9-11) to earn late combine invitations, highlighting the difficult path for seniors in a draft process increasingly focused on youth and potential.
The 2025 NBA Draft class headlined by younger prospects like Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Rutgers’ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey will be front and center at the combines’ athletic testing, measurements and scrimmages.
Their anticipated strong performances further underscore the league’s emphasis on youth and developmental ceiling, leaving accomplished seniors on the sidelines despite impressive college careers.
For these talented players, the combine snub doesn’t end their NBA dreams, but it certainly complicates the journey. With the NBA Draft Lottery scheduled for May 12 and teams finalizing their strategies, these prospects face an uphill battle to gain attention.
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Under the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, invited players must participate unless excused, making the exclusion even more significant as these overlooked seniors miss crucial exposure during the weeklong evaluation process that will shape the June 25-26 draft in Brooklyn.
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