Almost a month ago—I’m not a professional analyst, yet—I wrote Should I stay or should I go? and proclaimed Jamont Gordon and Bill Walker, among others, would stay in school.

Well, they didn’t.

Walker’s decision wasn’t a big surprise, but Gordon’s was. But even more surprising was the college departures of George Hill and Luc Richard Mbah A Moute and the withdrawing of Ty Lawson, Chase Budinger and the nearly 24 year old Lester Hudson.

The league will have an official list out later on Tuesday.

Below is a list of the guys who were undecided going into Monday, per ESPN.

Staying In Draft
Player School
Joe Alexander, Jr. WVU

Ryan Anderson, So. Cal
Mario Chalmers, Jr. Kansas

Jamont Gordon, Jr. Mississippi St.
Richard Hendrix, Jr. Alabama

J.J. Hickson, Fr. NC State
George Hill, Jr. IUPUI

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Jr. UCLA
Marreese Speights, So. Florida

Bill Walker, RS Fr. Kansas St.

Returning To School
Player School
A.J. Abrams, Jr. Texas

Josh Akognon, Jr. Cal St.-Fullerton
Chase Budinger, So. Arizona

Lee Cummard, Jr. BYU
Robert Dozier, Jr. Memphis

Wayne Ellington, So. UNC
Danny Green, Jr. UNC

Lester Hudson, Jr. Tennessee-Martin
Ty Lawson, So. UNC

Jeremy Pargo, Jr. Gonzaga
Ronald Steele, RS Sr. Alabama

Robert Vaden, Jr. UAB

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Lester Hudson, a guard from Tennessee-Martin, could not ask for any better of a draft stock than he has now, yet he still withdrew from the draft. He more than likely didn’t feel confident in the feedback he received from the teams, so his decision is probably a wise one, except for the fact that by this time next year he will be almost 25 years old. A bit old for a rookie point guard? 1st round pick… no. But 2nd round pick… yes. I would have liked to see him go. How much more can you prove by dominating Ohio Valley Conference competition again?

One of the smartest decisions was made by Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo. The player has a future in the league, but just didn’t fit well in this year’s draft. He needs to improve his ball handling and decision making skills to really reap the benefits of coming back to a very dangerous Gonzaga team. I see him being a mid to late 1st round pick next year.

I don’t believe Hill will be drafted, nor do I believe Moute will be drafted. Unless of course, both have verbal 2nd round guarantees. Could be the case, but things change. Don’t count on anything in the NBA, well, except for questionable refereeing.

Questions, comments and beefs are always appreciated.

And please take a second to vote on the poll question seen on the right hand side of the page regarding who will be the best 08/09 freshman.

Thursday’s Pre-Draft action had its studs and duds. Some of the players I’ve been keeping tabs on are performing well. And some other players I’ve swept aside and neglected mentioning are receiving high praise for their solid play.

Joseph Treutlein from draftexpress.com again categorizes how well certain guys are playing after the action on Thursday concluded.

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Some of the good

Malik Hairston Oregon

An injury to Tywon Lawson forced Hairston to play point guard, something he was clearly uncomfortable doing as evidenced by his four turnovers. The Detroit native did, however, make a number of heady cuts to the basket and knocked down a few jumpers, including a clutch shot late in the game to hold off the opposing team.

Teams will like Malik’s intangibles and versatility the most. His hoop’s IQ is very high and quite frankly I’m not sure if there’s a safer way to go in the 2nd round.

Wayne Ellington UNC

Wayne’s draft stock actually rose after Thursday’s action…

Ellington bounced back from an awful first day by moving off the ball beautifully and doing a great job knocking down shots from 17 to 20 feet by either spotting up, coming off a screen or pulling up off the dribble. Considering how one-dimensional he’s been at the camp, Ellington obviously needs to be stroking the ball well from outside if he is to make any type of impression. His defense, ball handling and finishing at the rim didn’t do him many favors.

Hopefully Wayne will heed the advice of the people that truly care about his future and return to school. Analysts are saying the same types of things about Wayne that I saw much of during the season. Again I’m not in Orlando watching these guys but what’s being said about Wayne seems right on.

Tywon Lawson UNC

After proving to be the top player in Orlando on Wednesday, Lawson suffered a minor injury and was kept out of action on Thursday. The sophomore playmaker is expected to return to action for Friday’s final day of camp.

Here’s DraftExpress President Jonathan Givony’s thoughts on Lawson as well,

Joining the injured list is Ty Lawson, fresh off a breakout performance last night—with a supposed “hip pointer.” Some NBA people we spoke with wondered whether hip pointer is actually code for “first round promise,” considering how well he played in the first day and how few point guards there are in this draft once you get past D.J. Augustin. Let’s see if he comes out and plays in the final day.

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Those first round promises can be misleading. But I believe Tywon is a first round talent, just not top 20 material. Orlando at #22 would be wise to take him, as well would San Antonio at #25.

Gary Forbes Massachusetts

Forbes had the camp’s most dominant performance so far, finishing with 30 points on only 16 shot attempts. He showed the full repertoire offensively, slashing to the rim, posting up smaller defenders and even hitting an NBA three-pointer. Even more impressive was his ability to get to the line 16 times within the flow of the offense. The UMass senior was easily the player of the day on Thursday and continued to make a case why he should be selected in the second round.

I’ve seen Forbes’s name in the 2nd round of a few mock drafts. After Friday concludes he will likely pop up in many more of them.

DeMarcus Nelson Duke

Played with his typical outstanding intensity on both ends of the court. He brought the ball up and even ran the point at times, initiating the offense but not doing much shot creating for teammates. Where Nelson really excelled was getting out in transition and slashing to the basket. He did a much better job finishing at the rim than he did Wednesday. Nelson’s defense wasn’t as good as it usually is in his matchup with the incredibly quick Mike Taylor, who gave him some problems on dribble drives. Nelson’s limitations with size and ball handling, along with his average athleticism, still make the NBA an uphill climb, but continuing to play with this kind of fire is definitely helping his cause.

Nelson, despite playing well, will not get drafted. Good college player will make a solid overseas player.

Mike Taylor Iowa State (played in the D-League last year)

D-League champion Mike Taylor put all of the professional experience he garnered this season to great use, looking more explosive than anyone else on the floor. He blew by defenders as if they weren’t there, shot the ball well from the perimeter and even showed some decent court vision in finding the open man in the half court. Taylor has been one of the camp’s most impressive players and has helped his NBA stock considerably. The Louis Williams clone will have a lot of buzz going into the final day.

When I saw Mike Taylor’s name on draftexpress.com a few days ago, I thought, who is this guy? Well the craze for Mr. Taylor has continued and I for one do not know what to make of it. He played one year at Iowa St. before getting booted from the team because of multiple arrests. But he had a great year in the D-League and has since then recieved tons of interest. He’ll likely get drafted in the early 2nd round.

Some of the bad

Davon Jefferson USC

Jefferson has yet to show the type of effort or fire you would expect to see from a player who is currently fighting for his professional future after having prematurely hired an agent despite an average freshman season at USC. His conditioning looks poor, he’s dribbling the ball excessively and he has yet to make use of the terrific athletic ability that made him a prospect in the first place.

D-League 2nd team wannabe.

Trent Plaisted BYU

Another underclassman who may have hastily decided to forfeit his college eligibility, Plaisted has struggled to make an impact consistently. He’s just floating up and down aimlessly at times and not using his athleticism to finish strong around the basket. You can’t ignore his physical tools, but at the same time, you’d like to see him make more use of them on the glass or defensively.

In the few times I’ve seen him play, he has always impressed me. I assure you he will not be a repeat of the last recently drafted BYU big man Rafael Araujo. Plaisted will get drafted, but will it be with the right team?

I also want to add a little bit about Kansas big men Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson. I’ve already mentioned that Sasha will get drafted, but didn’t really mention Darnell.

Here’s what Givony said about these two on Thursday

The Kansas duo Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun did a good job in the morning drills as well. Kaun with his feel for the game, agility and scrappiness around the basket, and Jackson with his improved mid-range jumper and the intensity he brings to the floor. It’s not hard to see why Kansas was so good this year with those two manning the post alongside Darrell Arthur. Jackson’s strong play definitely continued in the actual game, as he made some very quick and effective moves in the post, was constantly around the ball, knocked down his only shot and showed a lot of heart.

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I’m stiil saying that Kaun will get drafted but Darnell seems too mediocre and pedestrian to play at the NBA level. But I’m sure people said the same thing about Malik Rose too.

I will have more player reviews and reaction from Friday’s happenings soon.

Jerel McNeal and Antonio Anderson, both defensive minded senior-to-be guards, recently decided to return to their respective universities.

McNeal says he’s pulling out of NBA Draft

Both players were not expected to be drafted, especially McNeal, a feisty off guard who led the team in scoring (14.9) but doesn’t have a prototypical NBA type frame for a shooting guard (6’3). However McNeal could benefit greatly from a deep run into the NCAA tourney next year alongside another NBA hopeful Dominic James. But Marquette will have its hands full because of Tom Crean’s departure and the perceived lack of talent of the incoming freshman class. Although folks shouldn’t feel too bad for them considering they return all four leading scorers from last year’s team.

Tigers’ Anderson withdraws from draft

Antonio Anderson, a lanky two guard, will have a good opportunity to become one of the Tiger’s go to players in 08/09. Not only are Rose and Douglas–Roberts departing early, but Robert Dozier might also decide to stay in the draft. That would leave Anderson as the leading returning scorer on the team.

I really don’t see either player ever making a NBA roster, but another year of trying to improve their draft stock can’t hurt much.

But as for their respective squads both are important cogs worth mentioning.

Do you love to listen and read about what is being said regarding your school’s player(s) who stayed for all four years? All too often these guys who stay until they’re seniors are not going to be lottery picks, and most will not even be first rounders. It’s almost as if these players have become boring and predictable. But many fans and alumni of the school enjoy seeing their guys get drafted despite not getting tons of attention.

Here are some seniors I believe will be drafted higher than expected and will carve out respectable careers in the NBA.

SF Pat Calathes St. Joes (Sr)- A very good performance in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last month gave 6’10 Calathes some extra publicity. According to Draft Express.com, some of the scouts in attendance had never seen Calathes play before. Most scouts came away impressed with Calathe’s effortless ability to shoot three pointers and seemingly solid know how of the fundamentals of the game. Strength and quickness will be obstacles Pat will need to overcome if he is to be drafted. Many mock draft boards I’ve looked at are void of any “Pat Calathes”. But how many 6’10 guys can shoot from downtown as well as Pat? I believe that strength alone will propel him to be a late 2nd round pick. A ten year career in the league would not surprise me.

PF D.J. White Indiana (Sr)- Being from Big Ten country, I’ve seen White play many games. His all around game is what has always impressed me. He has improved his jump shot enough to where he can be a legitimate threat from outside of ten feet, something he had trouble doing early in his Hoosier career. He blocks shots well and positions himself well on rebounds, but will not Wow you with athleticism or determination. Averaging a double-double as he did his senior year is no easy task in the rough and tumble Big Ten. He’s projected to be anywhere from an early to late 2nd round pick. My feeling is that a late first round team will take a chance on him, knowing what he already brings to the table is quite sufficient for an already good team.

C Sasha Kaun Kansas (Sr)- Sasha has the ability to be much better than a handful of current backup centers in the league. Kaun’s stats will never jump out because of the limited minutes he logged throughout his career. Statistically his best season was his sophomore year, but I believe his consistency he displayed during this year’s Jayhawk title run will go a long way in impressing NBA teams. He is deceptively athletic, fundamentally sound and able to put the ball in the basket forcefully. Active is a word I think of when I see Kaun lumbering up and down the court. Remember Chris Richard’s career at Florida? Well that college sixth man is now playing for an NBA team. Sasha can too.

SG/SF Malik Hairston (Sr)- This rather young twenty-one year old four year vet from Oregon U. has huge upside. I would be shocked if he fell down to a late 2nd round pick, but that situation might be the best case scenario for him, considering the last four teams to pick in the 2nd round happen to be the last four teams standing in the NBA playoffs. A very good four year career at Oregon, where he scored in double figures every season, will bode well for him. But the fact remains, can he get a lot better? If he does improve mightily, especially with ball control and defense, Malik could be a lock for a starting role down the line in his career. His 6’6 frame is very appealing, and really, he doesn’t have one glaring weakness to speak of, except maybe his lack of having one exceptional skill. All in all, I’ve always thought Malik’s game was NBA-like. And I wish he would have stayed in Michigan!

Photo Credit Newscom

Some primetime college basketball players are going to be making the most important decisions of their lives come the middle of June. By 5 p.m. June 16, possible NBA draftees will have to make the decision, the decision to hire an agent and officially enter the draft, thus spelling the end of their college careers, or the decision to return to college, which means returning to the grueling practices, the anal retentive professors and to the subtly putrid food of most college cafeterias.

Some players should bolt while their draft status is still Corey Brewer kinda high, and others should step back and realize it would be a benefit to get one more year of coaching and practice under their belt.

There are some locks for both spots, especially for the players who should think twice about entering the draft. However many players perform well at the pre-draft camp ( May 27- June 3rd), thus raising their draft stock considerably. But remember, there’s only 30 first round picks, meaning only 30 players are guaranteed contracts. Again, signing an agent and forgoing further college eligibility is a huge decision many players will make, and unfortunately a good portion will be either 2nd round picks or will go undrafted. Be careful of who you listen to…

SG Wayne Ellington UNC (So)- Smooth shooter from long range, but not in any way a sure bet for the 1st round. Wayne did not have the greatest of NCAA tourney performances, only hitting 17 of 48 field goals during the last 3 rounds and only 3 of 17 three pointers as well. His counterpart Danny Green should also consider coming back to UNC. The Tar Heels would again have a very good oppurtunity to win the title.

SG/SF Jamont Gordon Mississippi State (Jr)- Currently not in the discussion for the 1st round. But strong performances in the pre-draft workouts could jump him up some, maybe even into the 1st round. He needs to work on his outside shot, as he only hit 31% of his three pointers last season. But Jamont has an NBA body and a NBA future, but would be wise to go back and assure himself 1st round status for next year. But maybe his senior year is barred by injuries or bad play? That’s a chance he will have to take.

SF Ryan Anderson California (So)- This guy is an intriguing player because you just don’t know if he’ll improve that much in his Junior year to improve his stock. He’s not athletic and probably will never improve in that area much. So it makes more sense for Ryan to bolt now, considering he just came off a season where he averaged 20 + ppg in a very good conference. He’s also caught in between positions a bit, or so the experts say. I wouldn’t worry too much about him being a tweener because at the end of the day this is basketball, not a puzzle. David West can attest to this.

David West knows what it feels like to be called a tweener.

SG Russell Westbrook UCLA (So)- Russell will not have a better chance to crack the top 15 than he will this year. He’s another candidate for the tweener label. The great upside to Russell is his tenacity and athleticism. He can guard 1’s and 2’s as well as grab rebounds over many taller players. But shooting and ball handling are aspects he will have to improve upon to really draw attention to himself come May 27th. I would compare this guy to a more defensive minded Leandro Barbosa, or maybe even a shorter version of Desmond Mason. The sky is the limit for Russell. UCLA will sorely miss him.

SG /SF Bill Walker Kansas St. (Fr) Bill played very well in both of K State’s tourney games. My reasoning on why he should go pro is simple. After all of the coverage and press Michael Beasley got, Bill is still very much in the minds of the powers that be in the NBA. Also, K State doesn’t have the greatest group of guards, so there’s nobody who’s going to substantially make Bill better. He can already drive to the basket aggressively and has a shooting touch that comes and goes, but is mainly pretty reliable. He may be a little wild and arrogant at times, but it’s not anything worth fretting over. While a lot of folks are saying he should stay, I think he should enter and take his chances. After all, we all know he’s going to get drafted and end up being a solid pro, so why delay the dream just for one more year of college and a sure contract come 09?

My guess will be that Walker, Ellington and Gordon stay, while the other two enter the draft. We will see soon enough.

Photo credit Newscom