Expect to see more players like Travis Leslie and Malcolm Lee stay in the draft

Georgia's Travis Leslie and UCLA's Malcolm Lee are the latest underclassmen to make a decision on their basketball playing future.

But unlike lottery locks Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger, Leslie and Lee, both juniors, signed with agents on Tuesday. They are, for better or for worse, no longer college basketball players.

"After talking it over with my family, I have decided that I will forgo my senior year and enter into the NBA Draft," Leslie said in a statement. "I would like to thank UGA for giving me the opportunity, as well as Coach Fox and the staff in helping me to improve my game. Last but not least, I'd like to thank the Georgia fans for their support over the past three years."

The 6'4" wing forward, who averaged 14.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg as a junior, is currently considered a borderline first round pick. He's one of the best athletes in the draft, but he's a bit undersized for his natural position as a small forward and he lacks the perimeter skills to be a two-guard.

Lee's statement was much of the same: "After speaking to my family, I have carefully weighed all of my options, and at this time, I have decided to hire an agent and withdraw from my classes. My three years at UCLA were the best time of my life. I will miss my teammates, coaches, faculty, friends and all of the great fans at UCLA. I have had a lot of fun being a Bruin and I appreciate everything Coach [Ben] Howland has done for me. I am very proud to be a Bruin and I will always call this place home. My dream has always been to play in the NBA and I think that this is the best time for me to try and make that a reality."

The difference, however, lies in Lee's potential as a professional.

He's an excellent defensive player and has the size (6'5") and the frame (210 lb) to matchup with NBA two-guards and the quickness to defend point guards. The questions lie is his skill set and understanding of the game. He can score, but he's not an NBA level penetrator or spot-up shooter. Lee lacks a position on the offensive end of the floor, and his lack of production doesn't bode well. (To be fair, those were the same knocks that Jrue Holiday and Russell Westbrook had coming out of UCLA.)

Leslie's decision to hire an agent was much less of a surprise than Lee's, and as such, Lee's decision was questioned by folks on twitter.

And while we can all question the intelligence in squandering a final year of collegiate eligibility to chase an NBA dream, we should get used to it. Because over the coming two weeks, there will likely be a number of other "questionable" draft decisions.

The 2011 draft is one of the weakest in recent memory, especially when looking at the players coming from the college ranks. Five of the top ten in the Draft Express mock draft never played any college basketball. With the number of lottery picks and first rounders that are returning to school, it only strengthens what already appeared to be a loaded 2012 draft class.

For prospects that have borderline first round pick kind of talent, leaving this year ends up being the better option. While they may get a chunk of their 2011 guaranteed salary eaten up by the NBA's lockout, at least they will have that guaranteed contract. That may not be the case next season.

A strong draft means more talent will be available late in the first round and into the second round. But it also means that kids that would have had a chance to make some guaranteed money if they left this season will be stuck trying to play their way onto a team.

You can question the decisions that Leslie and Lee made if you like.

But be prepared to see more "questionable" decisions made before the May 8th deadline to withdraw from the draft.