Day 3 of my morning link dump to all of the NBA Draft related articles I find each day on the internet. Mostly to keep me informed, but you may as well get something out of it as well! Let me know if you'd like to see anything changed.
Butler's Gordon Hayward decides to remain in NBA draft - SI.com
Butler's Gordon Hayward is expected to announce Friday that he will hire an agent and remain in the NBA draft, SI.com has learned.Hayward, the 6-foot-9 sophomore swingman who helped lead the Bulldogs to the national title game, is projected to be drafted in the 10-25 range of the first round.
Because final exams at Butler kept him from participating in workouts with NBA teams, Hayward reportedly made his decision based on feedback from the NBA advisory committee, scouts and agents.
I think this was pretty much expected anyway since his stock probably couldn't have risen much with another year at Butler, but it is a bit disappointing he wasn't able to participate in any NBA workouts. Pure speculation, but I don't think he'd fare well in individual workouts - would an NBA team telling him that have changed his decision?
Ole Miss guard Terrico White to remain in NBA draft - ESPN
Ole Miss sophomore guard Terrico White will forgo his final two years of eligibility and remain in the NBA draft. White is projected as a likely second-round pick with the potential to play his way into the first as the draft process evolves over the next month."My family and I have decided that it is best for me to stay in the upcoming draft," White said in a statement Wednesday. "This was a very tough decision to make. I would like to thank all of the coaching staff for giving me the chance to play at Ole Miss and for everything they have done for me over the past two years. I really love it at Ole Miss, and I will always be a part of the Ole Miss family. It really hurts for me to go, but this is what's best for my family."
It will be interesting to see if he's able to play himself into the first round. I don't doubt that he'll have the opportunity, but do think it's a bit risky. That said, if he can prove he can play the point in a weak draft for point guards, he could easily sneak into the first round.
Prospects find testing waters isn't working out - CBSSports.com
Dozens of underclassmen wanted to "test the waters." But what do you do when there's no water? "Only a handful of [NBA] teams are working guys out this week," said Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, whose top prospect, Terrico White, declared for the NBA Draft but has not yet hired an agent. "The whole process has not been as 'educational' as was hoped."[...]
"The workouts are in large part for the coaches, and many coaches don't have time or don't want to make time for that now, particularly the coaches in the playoffs," said Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. "Then some teams don't want to spend money to work out idiots who have already broadcasted the fact that they're going back to school. Why would you spend time and money working all these guys out when they're going back to school? It's not a charity service, and these NBA teams are now trying to save money like never before."
As usual, Givony has a point. If you're not serious about actually entering the draft, then why should teams pay the money to scout you? And if you are serious about entering the draft, is a workout with one team really going to make or break that decision?
NBA draft - David Thorpe - Projecting draft-night steals - ESPN (Insider)
So who has a chance to be a steal this year, a player who may get picked after, say, No. 20, but will outperform his draft spot? According to David Thorpe: Dominique Jones, Quincy Pondexter and Solomon Alabi.
Now David Thorpe is an ESPN analyst I can agree with - mostly because I really like Pondexter and Alabi and have heard enough good things about Jones to be highly intrigued.
Jimmer works out for NBA teams | BYU Cougars blog
Rose said Jimmer Fredette worked out on Monday for Oklahoma City and again today for the Boston Celtics. He has another workout scheduled for Thursday and another for Friday, but Rose would not disclose which teams those were for. However, other teams wanted to run Fredette through some drills but there was not enough time for more than four workouts before Saturday's deadline to remain in the NBA draft or return to BYU.Fredette will return to Provo on Friday night and then meet with Rose and family members on Saturday morning to make a decision.
First, I like that they refer to him in the headline as Jimmer, not Fredette. Next, he seems like he could fit right in with the Celtics, but I'm not so sure about the Thunder (he's no Thabo!). I still think he'll return to BYU, proving TAFKAMikeBourn wrong.
Ohio’s Bassett to stay in NBA Draft | Lancaster Eagle Gazette
Ohio guard Armon Bassett will remain in the NBA Draft, university officials announced Wednesday. Bassett, a junior from Terre Haute, Ind., was named the Mid-American Conference Tournament’s most valuable player, and his 32-point performance helped the Bobcats knock off No. 3 Georgetown in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.Bassett was suspended indefinitely Monday by the university after he was accused of assaulting a door man at an off-campus bar on Saturday, according to The Post, the school’s student newspaper.
Those two paragraphs tell very different stories.
Fox Sports > SETON HALL DUO OF HAZELL, ROBINSON TO RETURN TO SCHOOL
According to multiple sources, Hazell and Robinson – who both opted to declare for the NBA draft – are expected to send in the paperwork prior to Saturday’s deadline to withdraw from the draft.The 6-foot-5 Hazell averaged a team-leading 20.4 points per game last season while Robinson, who played his first season with the Pirates after transferring in from Memphis, was second on the team at 12.2 points per game.
A third player, Herb Pope, also declared – and is currently in the hospital after collapsing during a workout last Wednesday. It’s unclear whether Pope will receive special treatment from the NCAA due to the circumstances.
There's that.
Who Should the Wolves Send to the Lottery? - Canis Hoopus
In less than two weeks, the NBA Draft Lottery will be held in Secaucus, NJ - and the Timberwolves have yet to decide who will represent the team on the podium. In past years, they've tried sending Randy Foye and Kevin Love, and once in desperation they sent Fred Hoiberg with a lucky teddy bear. So far, nothing has worked. With the lottery sneaking up, I thought it best to take a look at some of the possibilities and their pros and cons.
I didn't vote, but only because Felton Spencer wasn't an option. If you're wondering who Felton Spencer is, don't ask me. Still, I got his autograph at the mall one day and he's wearing a Wolves jersey in the black and white picture that still hangs above my bed.
Northern Arizona guard Cameron Jones withdraws from NBA draft - ESPN
Northern Arizona University guard Cameron Jones withdrew from the NBA draft on Wednesday and says he will return for his senior season.Jones, who turned 21 on Tuesday, is a two-time all-Big Sky Conference selection. He averaged a team-best 19.3 points last season and was the only Big Sky player to rank among the top 16 in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage.
This is one of those guys Givony was talking about earlier.
Kenny Lawson Jr. Withdraws From NBA Draft, Will Return To Creighton - GoCreighton.com
OMAHA, Neb. -- Kenny Lawson Jr. has withdrawn from the National Basketball Association draft and will return for his senior season as a member of the Creighton University men’s basketball team.A 6-9 center from Oceanside, Calif., Lawson earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a junior after leading Creighton in scoring (13.1 ppg.), rebounding (6.8 rpg.), blocked shots (1.5 bpg.) and field goal percentage (.538). He is a two-time member of the MVC’s All-Defensive Team.
And here's another one.
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