Ballin' is a Habit

NBA Draft News & Notes: Miami forward Dwayne Collins, a junior, will test the waters of the NBA Draft, but likely will not sign an agent. Collins is strong, athletic, and has excellent length, but he is still very raw offensively and is a bit short to play on the inside in the league. If he left, he would be a second rounder at best.

Shawn Taggart, the 6'10" junior forward from Memphis, will also be entering his name into the draft. He is not expected to sign with an agent either. Everything I said about Collins could be said about Taggart. Josh Pastner should expect him back at Memphis.

So Russ Pennell takes a team with just about zero expectations to the Sweet 16, and what is his reward? A D2 job? Pennell has signed with Grand Canyon University for next season. You would think that there was some D1 school that would have taken a flyer on this guy, no?

UNC is making a late run at John Wall. Wall is from North Carolina and apparently grew up a Tar Heels fan, dreaming of playing in the Dean Dome. With Lawson halfway out the door, it is a perfect fit right? Not if you ask AAU coach Brian Clifton:

I have no desire to talk to, to be involved with, to visit, to contemplate in any shape, form or fashion John Wall going to play for Roy Williams. Zero.

Right now, it looks like Kentucky, Baylor, Duke, and UNC are the four front runners for Wall.

Tasmin Mitchell will put his name into the draft, although he won't sign with an agent. Good move by the junior, because he is not projected to go in the first round and there is a good chance he goes undrafted.

Nic Wise will also be testing the waters. If I'm Wise, I leave regardless. He is probably not an NBA pick at this point, but how much is he going to improve his stock playing for Arizona next season? Would you draft a single person off of Indiana this year? Wise proved how good of a point guard he could be at the end of last season, and while there may not be an NBA team with which he is the right fit, the kid stands to make a good living playing ball in Europe.

Take a guess at who broke the Josh Pastner-Memphis story? Hint: You will never get it right.