Mar 12, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Javon Small (7) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images William Purnell-Imagn Images

NBA Draft Expert Calls Javon Small a 'Popular Sleeper' with NBA Teams

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated May 13, 2025 7:40 AM ET

After a terrific one season in Morgantown with the West Virginia Mountaineers , guard Javon Small is rising up the draft boards of teams across the NBA. His performance at the NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago can help improve his stock, and so far, he's off to a great start.

During a shooting portion of the combine, Small drained 46 three-pointers, making it look effortless. ESPN NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony is hearing a lot of good things surrounding Small, calling him a "popular sleeper" with NBA teams.

46 straight 3s for West Virginia's Javon Small. Popular sleeper with NBA teams who has a lot of gain with a strong NBA Combine in Chicago this week. pic.twitter.com/zfW9tp19U3
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025

Most mock draft projections have Small being selected within the first 10 picks of the second round. While most second rounders have a difficult time sticking around in the association, some of the league's best players were selected then, such as Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Draymond Green (Golden State Warrios), and Khris Middleton (Washington Wizards) to name a few. Fellow WVU guard Jevon Carter was also picked in the second round and just wrapped up his seventh year in the NBA.

While Carter was a more well-known prospect coming out of college because of his defense, Small may have a higher ceiling at the next level because of his ability to make tough shots all over the floor. His athleticism, ball-handling, and strength are all a few notches higher than those of Carter's coming out of WVU.

The 2025 NBA Draft will begin on June 25th at 8 p.m. ET. Round two will take place the following night, beginning at the same time.