NCAA Basketball: 5 NBA Draft declarers who should return to school

F Jordan Walsh, Arkansas

Jordan Walsh was one of a heralded crop of freshmen to suit up for the Arkansas Razorbacks this season. Unlike a couple of his classmates, the NBA Draft shouldn’t be his next destination.

Walsh was a critical member of a squad that took the Razorbacks to the Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive season. The most memorable moment came the round before when Arkansas sent the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks packing.

The former five-star recruit was decent, though he certainly didn’t set the SEC on fire. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 43.3 percent from the field.

Walsh’s massive wingspan is sure to delight any coach. He’s 6-foot-7, but his wingspan his 7-foot-3. He’s a good defender who is able to troll passing lanes with his long arms, disrupting offenses.

He’s not quite there on the offensive end yet, though. There’s still a lot of development that needs to take place there, likely in the G League if he decides to stick in the draft. A late second-round pick might be the best-case selection for Walsh.

Or, Walsh could do that development in college and stick around with the Razorbacks for another run. He could emerge from the long shadows cast by the presence of fellow star freshmen Anthony Black and Nick Smith, both of whom seem like lottery picks.

If Walsh returns to school and shows improvement as a shooter, he could be back in the first round a year from now.