Arizona Basketball will surely be hoping star point guard Nico Mannion returns to the program for his sophomore season in 2020-21.
Nico Mannion’s freshman season with Arizona Basketball is not yet over. Nevertheless, it’s time for everybody to ask if he’ll be back for his sophomore season in 2020-21.
As one of the top ten recruits in the Class of 2019, the guard has done everything in his power to live up to the expectations. Entering the Pac-12 Tournament, he’s averaging 14.0 points and 5.5 assists per game. He’s also shooting 32.5 percent from 3-point range.
His Wildcats haven’t quite lived up to the same expectations. Sean Miller’s team was expected to be very good with a strong freshmen class, but they’ve been just plain old good. They’ll make the NCAA Tournament, but a run to the Final Four seems improbable and a run to the second weekend seems unlikely.
With the end of the season nigh, the discussion has turned to Mannion’s future. When the floor general arrived in Tucson, he was often thought to be a one-and-done type player and a potential lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Miller furthered that discussion after Saturday’s game, declaring Mannion was gone (h/t ESPN).
It didn’t take long for Mannion’ father to refute his son’s head coach. Pace Mannion said the decision hasn’t been made yet and will come after the season comes to a conclusion.
Just reached out to Pace Mannion, Nico Mannion’s father.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 8, 2020
He says the reports of Nico Mannion declaring for the draft are false. No decision has been made. "He will make that decision after the season,” Mannion said.
There’s no benefit to declaring for the draft with at least a game or two left on the schedule. In fact, there may be a deterrent, as teammates may become distant if they think they’re losing a teammate prematurely. Besides, the Mannions should want to keep their options on the table, just in case there’s a change in circumstances over the coming month.
But could Mannion actually return to the Wildcats? Arizona fans shouldn’t count on it.
In our most recent mock draft, Mannion is projected to go in the middle of the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks (who own the Indiana Pacers’ pick) at 18. Other mock drafts have Mannion as a late lottery selection. Prospects projected to be drafted that high simply don’t return to school very often, even if their star status in the NBA is questionable, which is the case for Mannion.
That being said, the Wildcats would take Mannion back in a heartbeat. He’s the leading assist-getter and second-leading scorer on Arizona, trailing fellow freshman Zeke Nnaji in the latter category. If Nnaji, Mannion and Josh Green come back next season – obviously a big question mark, since all three have first-round potential – the Wildcats could enter next season as the Pac-12’s best team.
They might need the help, too. The 2020 recruiting class is not a strong one for the Wildcats, as they rank 41st in the country and fourth in the Pac-12, per 247 Sports. They should be getting former Georgetown Hoya James Akinjo as a midseason transfer, but the only recruit who has signed a letter of intent is three-star small forward Dalen Terry.
For now, Nico Mannion’s focus will be on the Pac-12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday afternoon against the Washington Huskies. Due to some ill-timed comments, however, the pressure of the future will be on the point guard as well.