NBA Draft 2021: 5 players that would benefit from another year at school

4. SG Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech

Mac McClung should’ve considered returning to school as well, but the cat is out of the bag for the former Red Raider, who isn’t coming back to Lubbock. Terrence Shannon Jr. has not committed one way or the other yet, though.

Shannon made some gains as a sophomore, despite coming off the bench much more often than he did as a freshman. The shooting guard averaged 12.9 points per game and improved his three-point shooting dramatically, draining 35.7 percent of his attempts.

The All-Big 12 Third Team performer also made his presence felt on the defensive end. Shannon averaged 1.1 steals per game. He also had a 95.3 defensive rating, eighth in the conference, and his second year placing in the Top 15.

Things are changing at Texas Tech, with McClung gone, along with coach Chris Beard. The change at the top could go either way for Shannon, but the NBA is a place of change, and demonstrating an ability to adapt to adversity could benefit the guard greatly.

Shannon is a great athlete and could test well before scouts. Still, the odds of him being drafted are significantly higher next season according to mock drafts, particularly if he’s hoping to go in the first round.