Three college stars will be keeping their names in the NBA Draft pool

News leaked yesterday that three players will be keeping their names in the NBA Draft pool. One made the right decision, one was easy to predict, and one leaves us college folks scratching our heads.


Avery Bradley, Texas, G: Bradley probably made the right decision here, as reports have him signing with agent Dan Fegan. A consensus top five recruit coming out of Findlay Prep in Nevada, Bradley didn't exactly have the type of freshman season that would make people think he was a potential one-and-done kind of player. He averaged 11.6 ppg, but was inconsistent offensively and, at just 6'2", its unclear if he will ever be able to play point guard.

Avery Bradley's best attribute is his defensive ability.
(photo credit: Flickr)

But there is no questioning his talent. There are few that get after it on the defensive end like Bradley does, as he has quick feet and is a strong and athletic kid. Offensively is where the issue lies. Like the rest of his Texas teammates, he was inconsistent to a fault this past season. He went for 20 five times, but there were also games where he was a complete non-factor on the offensive end. But for a freshman on a team with as big of a question mark at the point as Texas had this past season, isn't that to be expected?

Right now, Bradley still has some potential that he can capitalize on, but if he came back for his sophomore season and had the same problems, his stock might drop. He looks like he will be a late first rounder, possibly sneaking into the back end of the lottery, which isn't bad for an undersized two guard that isn't a big time scorer. He likely won't ever be a star at the next level, but if he can land in the right situation -- i.e. playing alongside a big playmaker (Brandon Roy, Tyreke Evans, Dwayne Wade) that can defend the two, he should have a solid career in the pros.


Devin Ebanks, West Virginia, F: We've already touched on the problems with Ebanks as a pro prospect. He has some intriguing tools, but right now there is more talk about his weaknesses than hype about his strengths.

Ebanks is long and fairly athletic. He can rebound the ball, is developing as a scorer, and has the tools to make him a decent defender. But it seems as if Ebanks has a long way to go towards understanding how to play basketball. Everyone in the NBA has tools. Length and athleticism will only get you so far. To be honest, I'd be surprised if a team used a first round pick on Ebanks, which is saying a lot considering that he was a potential lottery pick coming into the season.

Ebanks could have benefited from another season of learning the game, but sometimes a player just wants to go pro.


Samardo Samuels, Louisville, F: This is the decision that leaves me scratching my head. Simply put, Samuels is not a great pro prospect. His skill set is that of a center. He is a strong post player with a nice back-to-the-basket that understands how to use his body to hold a seal and create angles in the paint.

The problem is that he just doesn't have the size to be an NBA center, as Samuels is listed at just 6'8". Players his size have had success in recent drafts -- Paul Millsap ad DeJuan Blair immediately come to mind -- but Samuels doesn't have near the athleticism of Millsap and is not a rebounding machine or nearly as strong and aggressive as Blair (Blair also has the wingspan of a pterodactyl).

Samuels could have come back and been a favorite to win Big East player of the year. But even with a season of averaging 20 and 10, I doubt his draft stock would improve all that much. I wouldn't be surprised if he went undrafted this year.