News

Ah yes, it’s that magical time of year again—where college basketball players battle for glory, NBA scouts pretend they haven't already made up their minds, and collectors frantically reload eBay like it's the stock market in 1929. Welcome to the Sweet Sixteen, where future millionaires sweat it out under stadium lights while their trading card values skyrocket in real time. Let’s take a walk through the high-stakes circus tent and see who’s lighting up both the court and your PayPal account.

Cooper Flagg, Duke
Because every hobby needs its Chosen One, here comes Cooper Flagg—Duke’s 6'8" basketball unicorn with the smoothest instincts this side of Luka Doncic’s left elbow. Projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg has already made collectors behave like they’ve discovered Bitcoin in 2010.

His McDonald’s All-American Red Refractor Auto /5 just fetched $11,000 (PSA 10, naturally) on March 25. Two days before? Same card, slightly less ridiculous—$9,500. That’s right, Cooper’s playing career hasn’t even left campus, but his cardboard stock is already blue-chip. The hype? Unmanageable. The prices? Unhinged.

Derik Queen, Maryland
Derik Queen has that rare combination of clutch gene and buzzer-beater highlight fodder, and his bank-shot dagger against Colorado State has given him a serious glow-up in hobby circles.

Topps responded with the speed of a PR intern on Adderall, dropping a Bowman U Now card immortalizing the shot. His older Bowman U Now card (from his November double-double demolition of Manhattan) just saw its 1/1 Superfractor go for $599. If you missed that, don’t worry—you’ve got until March 30 to pick up the new Queen card and hope you land one of the low-numbered autographs. Hail to the cardboard.

Kon Knueppel, Duke
No, that’s not a typo. Kon Knueppel is not your barista’s name—it’s Duke’s sharpshooting freshman who might just sneak into the NBA lottery. One-and-done? Possibly. Sleeper prospect for collectors? Already happening.

His 25-point flame show against Miami earned him a Bowman U Now card, and the top sale so far hit $230 on March 19. Another card celebrates his MVP run in the ACC Tournament. If Flagg is the storm, Knueppel might just be the rain—quiet, steady, and messing up brackets and card markets all the same.

Carter Bryant, Arizona
Carter Bryant is that prototypical 3-and-D wing scouts drool over. Athletic, versatile, and surprisingly affordable—at least for now. His Draft Picks cards are sitting in the digital bargain bin, with base versions at a dollar and serial-numbered ones still available for the price of a decent lunch.

But don’t get comfortable. His matchup against Duke’s NBA factory gives him a chance to go full breakout. That $102.50 sale of his Penmanship Auto /5 from back in January? It might start looking like a steal very soon.

Isaiah Demonte Evans, Duke
Isaiah Evans is the classic "has all the tools, just hasn’t used them on national TV yet" guy. A top-15 recruit and a 6'6" wing with real upside—but let’s be honest, 7 minutes against Baylor isn’t exactly resume-building.

Still, Topps has shown him love, including a Drive-Thru Superfractor 1/1 (sold for a suspiciously specific $199.48) and a Jersey Patch Auto /5 that topped out at $275. If he ever gets meaningful minutes and does literally anything, you better believe his market is going to go full moonshot.

As the Sweet Sixteen tips off, the pressure is on—for the players, for the teams, and yes, for the collectors nervously watching box scores while frantically checking Card Ladder. If you’re holding any of these names, it might be time to buckle in. The games are just heating up, and so are those eBay listings.