The season may be over, but that doesn't mean the excitement is gone. It was a crazy day in the college basketball world as quite a few players made the decision to enter the NBA Draft. Some will sign with an agent, others are just testing the waters.
Here is a quick recap of the players that declared today:
- Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati: We talked about Born Ready earlier today, but Jeff Goodman confirmed that the Big East freshman of the year will be signing with an agent.
- Xavier Henry, Kansas: Henry, as expected, declared for the draft this afternoon, becoming the Jayhawk's first one-and-done player. He averaged 13.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg this season, but his production tailed off towards the end of the year. Henry is projected by both NBADraft.net and DraftExpress as falling somewhere in the back end of the lottery, but there are some question marks about Henry as a prospect. He's not great at creating his own shot, he is a bit of an underwhelming athlete, and there are questions about what position he can play (and defend) at the next level. That said, he is clearly a talented kid that understands how to play within a team-oriented system and has an NBA jumper. Still no word on whether he will sign with an agent, but I'd be surprised if he withdraws.
- Jordan Crawford, Xavier: It isn't much of a surprise that Crawford, a sophomore, is putting his name in the draft. He averaged over 20 ppg last season and had a fantastic NCAA Tournament. His stock may never be higher. What is surprising is that Crawford's announcement was made by his mother. On twitter. Crawford won't be signing with an agent, which may be a good decision. A lot of prospects are expected to declare this year with a possible NBA lockout in 2011, and Crawford is a fringe first round candidate at best right now. He is a bit small for an NBA two guard, won't be an above average athlete at the next level, and is a gunner.
- Chris Wright, Dayton: Wright is a junior, and is thus taking advantage of the rule that allows him to test the NBA Draft waters without signing with an agent. Wright is a physical specimen that is slowly, but surely, transitioning into more of a combo forward. His ball skills and jumper need improvement, and another year of development might be able to boost him into the first round.
- Hassan Whiteside, Marshall: Whiteside has made it official that he will be entering the NBA Draft and will sign with an agent. This has been pretty much assumed since well before the season ended, although it appears that it was sealed when Marshall's coaching staff decided to head to Central Florida. Whiteside is projected all over the board, ranging from the late lottery to the late first round. He has a lot of potential -- scouts have been drooling over his aggressive nature on the offensive end and on the glass, as well as his length and athleticism in regards to blocking shots, where he was the best in the country -- but it is quite apparent he is still very immature, both physically and emotionally. His work ethic, intensity, and passion for the game, as well as his underdeveloped frame, have earned him the label of a potential bust.
- Evan Turner, Ohio State: No surprise here. He will be a top five pick.
Like Turner, there really is no surprise here. Wall is expected to go No. 1. Cousins will be at the upper end of the lottery, while Patterson is expected to be towards the back of the lottery. Bledsoe and Orton are both also expected to be selected in the first round, although they could go anywhere from the back of the lottery to late in the first round.
UPDATE II: Florida junior Alex Tyus is also putting his name in the mix for the NBA Draft. I'm not sure there is much interest in Tyus as a prospect, but there is absolutely no harm in putting your name in the mix as a junior. In fact, it is probably a smart decision, as you get a chance to see what NBA scouts want to see you work on.
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