The NBA draft combine has become a hot event in college basketball as well, with college coaches swarming Chicago to watch their players, meet with agents and monitor the statuses of a handful of highly regarded transfers. With the explosion of money on the table for top college players, the calculus for many draftable prospects has changed, with many keeping college on the table as they work toward a potential draft night promise of a guaranteed contract before keeping their name in the draft.
After speaking with most of the top stay-or-go prospects Wednesday, here are the latest updates and intel on which players seem likely to turn pro and which might end up returning to college for another season.
Highest-rated prospects set sights on NBA
The hope that the promise of massive NIL deals might woo even potential first-rounders to continue their development in college over turning pro seems to have been a bit too optimistic, as several of the top players who previously kept the open the option for a return to college are either trending toward or have 100% committed to stay in the draft. It hasn’t helped that in many cases, those have been examples of the biggest risers early in the predraft process.
Earlier in the offseason, it seemed as though Arizona had a real chance to retain freshman Carter Bryant, who came on strong late in his first college season but still averaged fewer than seven points per game. Bryant waited until right before the deadline in April to officially announce he had declared for the draft and was believed to have a significant deal on the table to return to Arizona. But in recent days and weeks, few prospects have earned more buzz than Bryant, whose size, versatility and shooting ability make him an easy translation to the next level. He told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday that he is “completely in” the draft, closing the door on a return to school. He projects now as a likely top-20 pick who could even hear his name called in the late lottery.
Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber was similarly decisive Wednesday. He confirmed to he had closed the door on a return for his sophomore season with the Hoyas, saying he was “100% into the draft.” Sorber kept his options open after a foot injury ended his freshman season prematurely, but seems primed to be drafted in the late teens or early 20s. That type of certainty and guaranteed money is hard to pass up.
While Washington State product and Duke commit Cedric Coward didn’t quite close the door on a return to college, he indicated that right now things are certainly trending toward him staying in the draft. Coward has been one of the most talked-about players in Chicago this week with plenty of buzz that he could land not just in the first round, but as high as the teens or early 20s.
“I’m 100% focusing on the draft,” Coward says. “At the end of the day, the decision I make is going to be based on the information I get. Right now, the information is definitely leaning towards staying in the draft.”
One more player who seems likely to go pro: Houston point guard Milos Uzan. He said he’s “all-in” on the draft right now after a strong junior season that helped the Cougars to the national championship game. He didn’t close the door on a return to the Cougars with one more year of eligibility remaining, but sounded optimistic about turning pro.
“If there’s a path for me to get to the NBA, that’s what I want to do,” Uzan said. “I probably could make just as much money next year in college, but that doesn’t really persuade [me].”
The two best prospects who seem more open to a return to college: Florida’s Alex Condon and Michigan commit Yaxel Lendeborg. Condon, a key part of Florida’s national championship team, has been projected somewhere between picks 20 and 40, but acknowledged he has a “good situation” waiting for him in Gainesville, Fla. Multiple industry sources believe Condon is likely to return to Florida, save a promise from an NBA team (likely in the top 20) that would be hard to pass up. Meanwhile, Lendeborg tells SI he’s 50-50 as it can get in his decision, but a guaranteed contract could make the calculus easier.
Key stay-or-go decisions
Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford was one of the highest-ranked prospects who participated in five-on-five scrimmage action and shined with 23 points and eight assists Wednesday, bolstering his case to rise into the first round. That could spell disaster for Auburn, as Pettiford indicated afterward that a first-round promise would likely be enough for him to keep his name in the draft.
“Probably a guarantee, first round,” Pettiford said on what it would take to turn pro. “If I get there, my decision will be made.”
Another SEC star, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, has a key decision as one of the top returning scorers in high-major basketball. Oweh was solid in his scrimmage action Wednesday, but right now still projects as a likely late second-round pick or undrafted free agent.
“I want to get drafted, I don’t want to get picked up,” Oweh said. “I think I had a solid year, I could get drafted, but you never know until draft night.”
That said, Oweh indicated he thinks he could boost his stock with another year at Kentucky.
“I’m going to work on my game so, so much where it’s not even a question if [I’m] a first-round pick,” he said.
Among the week’s biggest risers: Penn State big Yanic Konan Niederhauser. He was clearly the top prospect at the G League Elite Camp and continued that momentum Wednesday in his first combine scrimmage. The Swiss big man has been on a remarkable trajectory, elevating from a part-time starter at Northern Illinois a year ago to a starter at Penn State and now being discussed as a guy who could get a guaranteed contract in the NBA. He has an NIL deal worth north of a million dollars on the table from Penn State, but it’d be hard to pass up a guaranteed contract in the NBA.
“The whole goal is to go all the way,” Niederhauser said. “The end decision will come at the end of the month, I’ll talk to my people, but of course seeing myself play good here, it’s going to boost my decision to stay [in the draft].”
Transfer portal updates
The true “all options open” players are the ones testing both the draft and the transfer portal. The four such players: RJ Luis Jr., PJ Haggerty, Jamir Watkins and Darrion Williams. All four were rather coy about their recruitments, declining to name individual schools that are involved. That said, Haggerty has been heavily rumored to be headed to NC State should he take his name out of the draft, while Williams has been connected to Kansas and Ohio State among other programs.
Luis, who won Big East Player of the Year at St. John’s, said he’s “still all-in” on turning pro and hasn’t talked to any college coaches.
“I’m not even thinking about [college] right now,” Luis said.
Watkins, who was an 11th-hour draft withdrawal a year ago, is also “100% in” for now, but said that could change by the May 28 deadline and indicated he’s hunting a guaranteed contract rather than just a two-way to stay in.
“Going back to college, there’s a lot of money on the table,” Watkins said.
Confirming some expected moves
Alabama’s Labaron Philon is projected in the 20 to 40 pick range, but he has long indicated his plan to stay in the draft. Wednesday, he confirmed he has closed the door on a return to the Tide and said he had already informed the Alabama coaching staff of the decision. Philon had a strong freshman season in Tuscaloosa, Ala., averaging 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.
North Carolina’s Drake Powell also shut down any chance of a return to Chapel Hill, N.C., to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Powell struggled in his lone college season and won’t play five-on-five this week, but impressed in the athletic testing with an event-high 43-inch max vertical jump.
Duke’s Tyrese Proctor has another year of eligibility, but confirmed his plans to turn pro.
Arkansas wing Adou Thiero didn’t completely shut the door on a return to the Razorbacks, which hadn’t even really been discussed as a viable option for the junior since he declared for the draft. He told Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports that “his circle” was looking for more feedback before 100% confirming he’d stay in the draft.
International names to know
High-priced NIL deals have already lured a number of top international prospects to college, and at least two testing the draft waters could also be headed to the college game should they withdraw from the NBA draft. Greek wing Neoklis Avdalas said he’d “probably” go to college if he withdraws and mentioned Virginia Tech, Baylor and Kansas State as schools involved. Australian guard Ben Henshall was more guarded about his college status, but sources indicate Florida and Texas Tech have been involved in his recruitment.
