Perry Jones decides to return to Baylor

With names like John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Tristan Thompson, and Jared Sullinger already pulling their names out of the NBA Draft, its hard to believe that we would get a bigger surprise staying school.

Cue Perry Jones III.

Not only is the Baylor freshman a virtual lock to be taken in the top five, but he also will be suspended for the first five games of the 2011-2012 season and will have to repay about $700 in impermissible benefits stemming from a trip to see a football game that was paid for by an AAU coach that also helped out Jones' mother with her rent.


"This is the decision I think is right," Jones told reporters on Monday. "The whole college experience with my teammates. That was a big part of this decision. Having fun with them. Just enjoying everything, just enjoying life with them. I do not want to cut that short and just leave out of nowhere. I want to have another good time like I did this year."

This decision will immediately vault Baylor back into the conversation for the top ten in the preseason. With Jones joining a front court that will also include Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones, and Quincy Miller, the Bears are loaded with length and athleticism. Throw is Deuce Bello in the back court, and their may not be a more athletic team in the country next season.

Baylor's issue this year, however, wasn't their front court. It was that they lacked a point guard. It will be interesting to see how AJ Walton develops, and whether or not Stargell Love and JuCo signee Pierre Jackson can fill the void. Also keep in mind that Gary Franklin, the former top 100 guard that transferred out of Cal during the middle of the season, will become eligible in December.

The bigger issue, however, is how many players actually are returning to college hoops. Most believe that the NBA will, in fact, be locked out starting on July 1st, which means that they players with their name currently in the draft pool will have to survive on endorsements and loans from their agents. How many more players will the lockout scare off?

Will this affect the decision of kids like Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones, and Brandon Knight? Will borderline first rounders like Klay Thompson, CJ Leslie, and Khris Middleton decide to declare because they have a better chance of being taken in the first round? Will a kid like Kawhi Leonard or Jordan Hamilton leave because of the higher likelihood of being taken in the lottery?

By coming back to school, these kids will have a chance to actually play and improve their game by returning to school should the lockout last a significant portion of the season. But by taking a gamble and declaring, some players have a chance of significantly improving the money that they are guaranteed should the lockout end earlier than expected. The fact that next year's draft will be absolutely loaded will also be a serious consideration for the players that aren't guaranteed to be taken in the first round.

It also sets up an interesting situation for college basketball next year. There could end up being a number of very, very good teams at the top.

This process will be fun to follow, but it will be a fluid situation until we have passed the May 8th deadline and know for certain what next year's rosters will look like.