Wichita State's Backcourt Passes up NBA

April 16, 2015
by Gabe Akins





(USA Today Sports)

 NBA Draft 2015:
Ron Baker and Fred Van Fleet
to Return For Senior Seasons


     Earlier this week, something that hasn't happened very much this draft season took place. Two NBA prospects, Ron Baker and Fred Van Fleet decided to pass up the pros for another year of college. Both players would have been picked as Baker was projected as a late first-round pick to a second-round pick and Van Fleet was projected as a sure second-round pick. The two Wichita State stars have brought the university some of the best basketball seasons that the school has ever enjoyed. In 2013, Wichita State knocked off number one seed Gonzaga and later beat Ohio State to reach the school's second ever Final Four. In 2014, the Shockers followed up their Final Four season with an undefeated regular season and a number one seed. This past season, Baker and Van Fleet carried the team for most of the season and ended up taking them to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.
     Baker, once a walk-on, turned the heads of many during Wichita State's Final Four run two years ago with his shooting ability and NBA size. Baker is ranked the 47th best prospect by DraftExpress.com which means he still has plenty of work to do in order to get drafted in the first round. It is probable that Baker would have gotten picked in this year's draft but it most likely would not have been until the second round. Coming back for his senior season gives him the chance to become a first-round pick in the 2016 Draft. If Baker can lead the Shockers back to the Final Four like he once did, it will go a long way in helping him when the 2016 Draft comes around.
     Like Baker, Van Fleet isn't highly rated when it comes to the 2015 NBA Draft. DraftExpress.com has Van Fleet as the 80th best prospect in the draft. After receiving input from NBA executives, Van Fleet decided it was best to return. An article from mystatline.com states, "None of the NBA general managers who had input into the evaluation felt that Van Vleet would be a first round draft pick this year. And three of them felt he wouldn't be drafted at all."
     Decisions like these are a rarity in college basketball. It has become very unusual for players that have the chance of getting drafted to come back for another year even if it is the right decision. The fact that players like Van Fleet and Baker decided to pass up the NBA for another year shows that some players really do love the college game. If the NCAA paid their players, there would be more of an incentive for players to come back and develop their games like Van Fleet and Baker.


 



    
   




    
 

Top 10: Worst Draft Entries (5-1)

     



(Zimbio)

April 14, 2015
by Gabe Akins

NBA Draft 2015:
Worst Entries (5-1)

5: Michael Frazier
     The sharpshooter from Florida has decided to end his college career and enter the NBA Draft. Frazier was a key player on the Gators' 2014 Final Four team but couldn't lead Florida back to the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Frazier is a borderline draft pick in this year's loaded draft. ESPN's Chad Ford has him as his 83rd best prospect which means there is a good chance that we won't be picked. Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports said, "He could have improved his stock to where he gave himself a better chance of being drafted." A player as talented as Frazier shouldn't go undrafted in any NBA Draft. Another year at Florida would prepare him for the NBA and increase his chances of getting picked.

4: J.P. Tokoto
     The 6-6 Carolina forward made a surprising decision earlier last week when he decided to forgo his last season with the Tar Heels and instead enter the NBA Draft. This past season, Tokoto was a role player on a Carolina team that made it to the Sweet 16. Tokoto showed glimpses of his freakish athletic ability during the season but lacked consistency. Tokoto still needs to work on his outside shot and ball handling since he will most likely move from his forward position at UNC to a guard in the NBA. An article from News & Record about Tokoto's decision stated, "Another year would likely have improved his draft status and in the long run, earned him a more lucrative contract." Tokoto will leave behind a talented Tar Heel team that has the chance to compete for a National Championship next season. Being a part of a team like that could have helped Tokoto's draft stock for the 2016 Draft.

3: Justin Anderson
     Anderson was having one of the best individual seasons in recent years at Virginia until he broke his finger on February 7 at Louisville. Most had expected Anderson to be named an All-American on a Virginia team that was undefeated at the time. Anderson's great size and athletic ability signal that he will have a pretty good career in the NBA. Before his injury, Anderson's stock was rising as some NBA experts had him projected to be picked as high as number 15 in this years draft. After the injury, Anderson wasn't the same. DraftExpress has Anderson ranked as their 31st prospect in this year's draft. However, they also have ranked as the 6th best junior prospect. With this being true, why not stay another year and be a guaranteed first-round pick and a probable lottery-pick in the 2016 NBA Draft?

2: Chris McCullough
     Ranked as a five-star recruit coming out of high school by ESPN, McCullough was poised to have an instant impact on Syracuse in the 2014-2015 season. McCullough was only able to play in 16 games in his freshman season after suffering a season ending injury when he tore his ACL in January. In a Bleacher Report article about the upcoming NBA draft, Jonathan Wasserman said, "McCullough's decision to declare just might be the most interesting of them all." McCullough will most likely be a second round pick, which is very low for such a talented player. The Bleacher Report article later went on to say that McCullough could have been picked as high as the lottery in next year's NBA Draft if he was able to recover from his devastating knee injury.

1: Cliff Alexander
     Alexander is this years most questionable member in the upcoming NBA Draft. Ranked as the 2nd best high school basketball player in America, Alexander had a disappointing freshman season at Kansas. Alexander averaged 7 points and 5 rebounds per game and didn't see the court after February 23rd as questions were raised about his eligibility. Before the season, Alexander was regarded as a top 5 pick in this year's NBA Draft. Now, Alexander is projected to be picked 30th, which is the last pick in the first-round. A player with the talent and athletic ability that Alexander possesses should be able to be a top 5 pick in any draft year. Because of where Alexander's talent level corresponds with his draft projection, it would be very smart for him to stay another year at school. A top 5 pick in the draft can earn more than $3 million in their first year. By choosing to enter this year's draft,  Alexander is passing up this opportunity. That is why Alexander earns the top spot in the top 10 worst draft entries of the 2015 NBA Draft.

Top 10: Worst Draft Entries (10-6)

April 13, 2015
by Gabe Akins


NBA Draft 2015:
Worst Entries (10-6)


(Review Journal)

     This entry will deal with the ten worst players in the draft. It will list the ten players that could have benefitted most from another year or two in college. Players like these often leave early because of family financial stability and their desire to be paid right now. These players would benefit from the NCAA paying them for the value that they bring to their schools by playing high level college basketball.

10: Montrezl Harrell
     The Louisville star forward had a good year even though he had high expectations placed on him. Harrell averaged over 15 points  and almost 10 rebounds per game for a team that made it to the Elite 8. Harrell was regarded as a sure lottery pick in last year's draft which was significantly weaker. With two of the best pro prospects at Harrell's position in recent history (Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns), Harrell is sort of an after thought in this year's draft. Harrell is now ranked 22nd in DraftExpress' top 100 prospects. It would be smart for Harrell to wait another year as he could probably be a top 10 pick in a weaker draft class.

9: Jarrell Martin
     Martin backed up his All-SEC Freshman season with a selection to the overall All-SEC First Team this past season. Martin averaged nearly 17 points and 9 rebounds per game. One would think that this would be the perfect time for Martin to leave, but he is only projected as a late first-round to early second-round pick. This means he  might not get a guaranteed contract. If Martin could wait one more year, he could see his draft stock rise. However, LSU brings in the number one high school recruit in Ben Simmons next year which could take some of the spotlight away from Martin. Martin is already athletic enough to play in the NBA, and at 6-10 he has the height to play in the league. With the arrival of Simmons next year, it makes a little more sense for Martin to leave which is why he is only ranked at 9.

8: Jordan Mickey
     The other LSU big man, Jordan Mickey, also had a breakout year in 2015 averaging 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds per game. These are pretty good stats for a young big man, however Mickey is a 6-7 forward which is  undersized for the NBA. Mickey is ranked 55th in DraftExpress' top 100 prospects which makes his decision to leave a little bit worse than Jarrell Martin's because it is not even a guarantee that he will be selected by an NBA team.

7: Brandon Ashley
     After being ranked 16th in the nation coming out of high school and being named a McDonalds All-American, there were high expectations for Ashley and the Arizona Wildcats. Playing on a team loaded with talent, Ashley managed to do his part. He averaged double figure points the past two seasons, both on teams that made it to the Elite 8 . However, Ashley has seen his ranking decline as he is listed as the 88th best prospect by DraftExpress. This means it is very likely that he won't get picked. An argument could be made that Ashley doesn't have a very high ceiling and it will be hard for him to improve his draft stock. However, Ashley could not hurt himself by coming back for his senior season and trying to improve his ranking so that he has a better chance of being drafted.

6: Rashad Vaughn
     Another highly talented high school recruit has decided to enter the NBA Draft. In this case, he is leaving after just one season. Vaughn had a pretty good freshman season averaging 17.6 points per game. On February 10th, Vaughn tore cartilage in his knee and missed the rest of the season. Vaughn is projected as a second-round pick which is pretty low for a player of his talent. Vaughn would have been smart if he decided to return to  UNLV for another year or two so that he could show the scouts that he can still play after knee injury. One NBA scout was quoted in the Review Journal as saying, “He was late first round until he got hurt. Now, he’s probably second round.”

Player Profie: Emmanuel Mudiay

April 12, 2015
by Gabe Akins


NBA Draft 2015:
Emmanuel Mudiay

(Dallas News)

     One of the most interesting players coming into this year's draft is 6-5 point guard Emmanuel Mudiay from Dallas, Texas. A star player for Prime Prep High School, Mudiay was ranked the 5th overall prospect in the class of 2014 by ESPN. Short into his senior season, Mudiay surprisingly committed to SMU, a school without much of a basketball history. Mudiay was expected to be the star of a young SMU team that was expected to win their conference after one of their best seasons in recent history. However, Mudiay's future was everything but this.
     In the summer of 2014, Mudiay decided to bypass his college career and chose to sign with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China for a deal worth $1.2 million over one year. Some linked this to Mudiay's academics and his family's financial stability. In an ESPN article written by Jeff Goodman, an insider close to the situation said, "The NCAA is on him. And he's worried." This was a tough loss for the NCAA as they lost one of the most exciting high school prospects in recent years. However, not all was bad for Mudiay as he had a successful stint in the CBA with the Guandong Tigers.
     In Mudiay's one year with the Tigers, he averaged 18 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. This experience for Mudiay was good because he learned how to be a professional, even though it wasn't in the NBA. Mudiay still remains a top 5 draft pick in the upcoming draft but could' have benefitted more from the college game.
     If Mudiay had decided to stay at SMU, he could have been a part of 30 some games, compared to the 12 he played in China. He also would be accustomed to the pressure if he had played in the NCAA tournament with SMU and the pressure that the media puts on special players like Mudiay. But, the college game just isn't what it used to be. Earlier this week, NBA owner Mark Cuban said that college basketball is "Uglier than ugly" and "It is worse than high school basketball". Even Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma has recently criticized the men's game by saying, "Watching it, it's a joke. There's only like 10 teams, you know, out of 25, that actually play the kind of game of basketball that you'd like to watch." Auriemma also said that the game is "behind the times". With college basketball having a hard time adapting to new times, we might be seeing more players choosing to go overseas and get paid instead of going through a season with the same amount of hard work without pay. In order to preserve the college game, it is necessary that the NCAA and schools look into providing more benefits to players or the college game will miss out on more players like Emmanuel Mudiay.

Kentucky Loses Seven Underclassmen to NBA

April 9, 2015
by Gabe Akins

(Tyler Thompson)

NBA Draft 2015:
Kentucky Loses Seven Underclassmen to NBA



     Today, the Kentucky Wildcats lost more than half of their team and their top seven scorers from this past season. The two "no brainers" were the Wildcats two stars, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein. Towns is a lock to be picked in the top 2 of the draft and could very well be the first overall pick after a great showing during the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Cauley-Stein is projected to fall a little bit after Towns as most analysts have him as a guaranteed top 10 pick. After spending three years in Lexington, Cauley-Stein has improved his skills greatly which have increased his appeal to many NBA teams. Another decision that was expected was the departure of freshman forward Trey Lyles. Lyles' ability to shoot and dribble at 6-10 intrigues many teams as he is regarded to be a first round pick as well.
     Twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison decided to forgo the rest of their college careers and enter the draft as well. These two were regarded by many to be top 10 picks out of high school but have seen their draft stocks decline dramatically despite leading the Wildcats to two straight Final Four appearances. However, with their NBA size and leadership qualities, the twins should be able to find new homes in the NBA.

(ESPN)

     The two most surprising departures of the day were made by freshman Devin Booker and sophomore Dakari Johnson. Even though Booker is a sure first round pick, some expected the knockdown shooter to come back for another year as he would be the star of the team. Projected
 to go as high as late in the lottery (picks 10-14), Booker could still benefit from another year at Kentucky as he could improve on his rebounding and passing. Dakari Johnson was surprising in a different way because most analysts think that he is not "NBA ready". A talented 7 footer, Johnson still needs to work on his strength and low post moves as he will be going up against guys his size night in and night out in the NBA. With his size, Johnson should not be worried about getting picked, but could have benefitted greatly from another year at Kentucky.
     Even though all of these players are guaranteed to be picked somewhere in the draft, it has to be frustrating to Kentucky fans that all of them decided to leave. Some will question the players leaving the program right after they failed to deliver a national championship and undefeated season. Some would have loved to see Kentucky try to come back next year like the "Fab Five" of Michigan in the 1990s. But times have changed. Players have gotten more greedy as all they see is the money that the NBA has to offer. If the college adapted to the new times and gave these players what they want, money, they might be more prone to staying. This would improve the college game as there would be more upperclassmen and it would translate to the NBA game as there would be more players with first round talent and skills to succeed in the NBA.

Nebraska Surprises

April 8, 2015
by Gabe Akins 

NBA Draft 2015:

(Today's Fastbreak)

Nebraska Surprises



     Nebraska players Terran Petteway and Walter Pitchford recently announced that they will skip their senior seasons in hopes of getting picked in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft. Both of these announcements come as surprises to most experts as neither Petteway nor Pitchford are projected to be taken in the first round where they are guaranteed a contract by an NBA team.                              
     After a breakout sophomore season, where he averaged 18.2 points per game and was named to the Big Ten's First Team, many expected Petteway to grow in his junior season as he was named a Second Team Preseason All-American. Petteway also passed up millions when he was regarded as a late first round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.  Petteway didn't live up to his hype in his junior season as he struggled shooting the ball and saw both his field goal and three point percentages decrease. In a mid-season slump, when he was being criticized by many Nebraska fans, the public learned that Petteway's mom had been battling cancer. Petteway closed the season strong as he received Third Team All Big Ten honors. However, Petteway's draft stock declined as he was ranked the 98th best prospect on ESPN's Chad Ford's Top 100 Prospects.
     The other Nebraska big man's announcement came as more of a shock than Petteway's. After a frustrating season in which he averaged only 7.2 points per game, Walter Pitchford wasn't even thought of as "pro ready". In his declaration statement, Pitchford says, "I have put my past frustration of this past year aside and will do what is in my best interest in life. Basketball is my life. Moving forward, I will be pursuing my life-long goal of playing professional basketball and will be entering into the 2015 NBA Draft." Only one problem. Not only is Pitchford not ranked in ESPN's top 100 prospects, he isn't even found in DraftExpress' top 100 junior players.
     With both of these surprising announcements, it shows that there is a problem with college athletics. Both of these players clearly would benefit from another year of college basketball but have made the choice to end their college careers too soon. If both of these players were being paid by the NCAA, we most likely wouldn't have this problem. Petteway would most likely stay another year as he would have money to help his family. He would also have a chance to return as a first round prospect. Pitchford might not be as frustrated with last years season and the best interest of his life might not to pursue an NBA career a year too soon. But, because these athletes aren't receiving any payment for their contributions to their university, it is hard to blame them for doing what they believe is best for their current life situations.