NCAA Basketball: Breaking down the biggest 2018 NBA Draft decisions
Important players from non-tournament teams:
Yoeli Childs PF SO BYU, Tyler Cook PF SO Iowa, Terrence Davis SG JR Ole Miss, Jarrey Foster SF JR SMU, Melvin Frazier SF JR Tulane, Jessie Govan C JR Georgetown, Dewan Huell C SO Miami, Juwan Morgan PF JR Indiana, Josh Okogie SG SO Georgia Tech, Chris Silva C JR South Carolina, Max Strus SG JR DePaul
These players all are extremely talented, but their departure will not have a huge national impact. Players like Josh Okogie and Melvin Frazier will likely be drafted, but their teams’ are not tournament caliber even with them in the lineup.
Jessie Govan and Chris Silva are also intriguing draft prospects. Govan is a super skilled center while Silva relies more on athleticism and energy. However, both players are fringe second-round picks.
Terrence Davis was seen as a preseason draft sleeper but had a relatively down season. Jarrey Foster would have been a clear second-round pick if he were not hurt. Both of their teams (Ole Miss and SMU) do not look like tournament teams at this point.
Tyler Cook, Dewan Huell, and Juwan Morgan are probably the most impactful because you could reasonably argue that their return could make their teams relevant bubble squads. All three are possible draft picks, but most likely undrafted.
No Draft Stock yet: Nojel Eastern PG SO Purdue, Codie Riley PF FR UCLA, Christian Vital SG SO UConn, Lamar Peters PG SO Mississippi State
I would be absolutely shocked if any of these players were selected. Eastern should start at PG for Purdue next season but played a limited role this season. Riley was suspended this season and was only a top 50 recruit. Vital was a solid starter on a bad UConn team. Peters had a down season for Mississippi State but played better towards the end of the season.
Mid Major Standouts: Tookie Brown, Kam Chatman, Chris Clemons, Jon Davis, Jon Elmore, Tyler Hall, Tramaine Isabell, Justin James, Christian Keeling, Fletcher Magee, Elijah Minnie, Deshon Taylor, Jaylin Walker, Andrein White, Demajeo Wiggins, Justin Wright-Foreman
These players are wisely testing the waters, but are unlikely to be drafted. Tyler Hall has the best chance to get drafted out of these players. He is a talented SG from Montana State who has produced at a high level each year of his career. Sharpshooter Jon Elmore from Marshall and former Michigan forward Kam Chatman are the other notable names.
This is the impact that each player’s NBA Draft decision will have on college basketball. As you can see, this list cannot be limited to 10-15 players as there will be widespread effects to the national landscape. It will be an excruciating month for fans of these teams as they await their favorite players’ decisions.