Ben Howland now gets in an important year in Starkville after going to just one NCAA tournament in his 5 seasons in the program. Woodard was inconsistent as a scorer last season, however hes an effect gamer defensively who could shoot from the boundary.
Washington State
Despite completing next-to-last in the Pac-12 standings last season, Kyle Smiths first year in Pullman showed some pledge. The Cougars went 16-16 and managed wins over likely NCAA competition teams Oregon, Arizona State, Colorado and New Mexico State. Smith will have to do it in year two without forward CJ Elleby, who kept his name in the draft. A first-team All-Pac-12 selection, Elleby balanced 18.4 points and 7.8 rebounds last season– and capped his profession with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 helps versus Colorado.
Other noteworthy deadline departures: Nate Darling, Delaware
Given the unpredictability around the 2020-21 college basketball season, it would have been understandable if several players on the fence selected to remain in the NBA draft or play overseas for a season. There are concerns surrounding the college season, there may be just as many around the NBA draft procedure. The draft isnt up until October, there havent been any agency or group exercises, and many of the NBA is focused on completing the season in the Orlando, Florida, bubble.
If there is a three-team very first tier getting in next season, Virginia leads the second tier for me, and the Cavaliers solidified that position when Jay Huff chose to return to school rather of getting in the NBA draft. Theres going to be a lot of skill on the wood in Tuscaloosa next season, which was validated by John Pettys choice to withdraw from the draft and return to Alabama.
The greatest winner of Monday nights NBA draft early-entry deadline was college basketball in general. Given the uncertainty around the 2020-21 college basketball season, it would have been understandable if several gamers on the fence chose to remain in the NBA draft or play overseas for a season. Gonzagas Filip Petrusev chose to do that, and Texas Techs Davide Moretti signed an expert handle Italy in the spring. Numerous top recruits went the G-League route.
2 RelatedAs youll discover by the size of the “losers” section below, however, most of unsure players are heading back to college, including genuine preseason All-American candidates Luka Garza (Iowa), Jared Butler (Baylor), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois) and Remy Martin (Arizona State). Although there are concerns surrounding the college season, there might be just as numerous around the NBA draft process. The draft isnt up until October, there havent been any firm or team exercises, and the majority of the NBA is concentrated on completing the season in the Orlando, Florida, bubble.
We have no concept how the college season will search in a few months, but if there is a season, there will certainly be star power worth enjoying– and an elite 2021 NBA draft to follow.
Winners
Big Ten
Shortly after Garza announced his plans to go back to Iowa, a Big Ten head coach sent me a text: “Its been a while because Ive seen a league as great as the [Big Ten] on paper. Incredible.” Hes not incorrect. The league had as strong an early-entry deadline as any league in the nation, with Garza going back to Iowa and Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn returning to Illinois. Michigans Isaiah Livers announced a number of weeks ago that he is also coming back. Xavier Tillman decided to remain in the draft, but Michigan State got Aaron Henry back.
Heading into the season, barring any surprise departures, the Big Ten will have three surefire top-10 groups (Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois), another team knocking on the door (Michigan State) and at least 4 other groups (Ohio State, Indiana, Rutgers, Michigan) with an argument to be ranked in the Top 25. No other league will be able to match that on paper– after a season that likely would have seen the Big Ten get 10 of 14 groups into the NCAA tournament. If the 2020-21 season winds up being conference-only, the selection committee might have a ruthless time parsing through Big Ten résumés, particularly when some Top-25-caliber groups could have losing conference records.
The drama behind your 2020-21 preseason No. 1
To me, theres a tier of three groups at the top of college basketball getting in the fall: Baylor, Gonzaga and Villanova. Gonzaga lost Petrusev, however Corey Kispert and Joel Ayayi revealed that they are returning to Spokane. All three groups have genuine cases to be preseason No. 1, and Ill have to sift through it all before next weeks upgraded Way-Too-Early Top 25!
UCLA
For many of the spring and summer season, Chris Smith looked like one of the real 50-50 choices among the gamers to state for the NBA draft. Mick Cronin has all 5 beginners back from a group that won 11 of its last 14 video games– and he added Kentucky move Johnny Juzang, who will be eligible instantly.
LSU
Ja vonte Smart was next to decide and will when again run the show as the groups beginning point guard. Watford appeared legitimately 50-50 for many of the procedure, even appearing to lean towards the NBA draft at specific points. Hes going back to Baton Rouge after an outstanding freshman season that saw him typical 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Arizona State
Although not ranked in ESPNs top 100 NBA draft rankings, Remy Martin might have gone in any case– but he announced Sunday that he was returning to Arizona State, and Bobby Hurley will have one of the nations most explosive border groups. Martin was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, and he will partner with Alonzo Verge (another gamer who withdrew his name from the NBA draft) and luxury guard Joshua Christopher to form an elite trio that will install points against any group in the nation. Martins return also puts the Sun Devils in position to be the Pac-12 favorites going into the season.
Virginia
If there is a three-team very first tier getting in next season, Virginia leads the 2nd tier for me, and the Cavaliers strengthened that position when Jay Huff chose to return to school instead of getting in the NBA draft. Huff wasnt in a lot of mock drafts, hes a competent big guy who will be asked to take on more of the frontcourt scoring load this season. He showed flashes of his offending ability late in the season, averaging 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the final 3 games of the campaign. With Huff back, Tony Bennett returns five gamers who started at least 10 games while bringing in a skilled recruiting class and Marquette transfer Sam Hauser.
Arkansas
Eric Musselman likes to restore by means of the transfer market, however its a huge plus to bring back some high-level gamers to help the shift. Joe was hindered by a knee injury last season, missing 6 games. All-SEC guard Mason Jones elected to turn pro, Musselman has more than adequate reinforcements to press for a Top 25 ranking going into the season.
Creighton
At the start of the offseason, Creighton had a strong case to be ranked in the leading 5 nationally, as the Bluejays were bringing back almost every crucial piece from last seasons Big East champs. Ty-Shon Alexander– one of the best two-way guards in the nation– decided to leave school and turn professional. But Greg McDermott got great news over the weekend, when forecasted starters Damien Jefferson and Denzel Mahoney revealed that they are heading back to Creighton. With Jefferson and Mahoney back, the Bluejays ought to go into the season as a top-15 team.
Tennessee
The Volunteers lineup grew on me throughout the offseason, and that was solidified when beginning forward Yves Pons chose to go back to Knoxville. Pons wasnt ranked in ESPNs leading 100, but he had interest from some NBA teams since of his elite defensive capability and enhancement from the perimeter. With Pons back in the fold, Rick Barnes has a potential preseason top-10 team. All the ingredients exist: playmakers and scorers in the backcourt, size and depth down low– and now theres an X element in Pons, who can make plays at both ends of the floor. Tennessee may be the SEC favorite, depending on what happens with the waiver request of Kentuckys Olivier Sarr.
Mountain West
It was always clear that the Mountain West wouldnt be as good in 2020-21 as it was the previous season, when San Diego State started 26-0, Utah State won the conference competition, and Malachi Flynn and Sam Merrill were 2 of the very best guards in the nation. But choices by San Diego States Matt Mitchell and Boise States Derrick Alston Jr. to return to school offers the top of the league a boost. Mitchell was a first-team all-conference forward last season, and he ought to take an advance with Flynn gone. Alston is a talented wing and was ranked inside ESPNs leading 100 NBA draft rankings, however hell head back to the Broncos and lead possibly the most talented team in the Mountain West. Neither group will be as great as the Aztecs were last season, but there is still talent in the league.
Alabama
Theres going to be a lot of talent on the hardwood in Tuscaloosa next season, which was confirmed by John Pettys decision to withdraw from the draft and return to Alabama. Point guard Kira Lewis left in the spring, but with him being a prospective lottery choice, it was an expected move. Jaden Shackelford (15.0 PPG) likewise returns.
Northern Iowa
UNI may be the response if youre looking for an early candidate to be this seasons mid-major Cinderella. The Panthers might have been the answer last season, too, but they lost to Drake in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley competition and were likely going to find themselves in the NIT, despite having won 25 regular-season games. Two beginners departed, but AJ Green chose to withdraw from the draft and head back to Northern Iowa. Green, who balanced 19.7 points last season, was the 2020 Missouri Valley Player of the Year.
Makur Maker will give Howard and the MEAC instant presence this season. Gregory Payan/AP PhotoHistorically Black Universities and colleges
Makur Maker sent out shockwaves through the recruiting world in July, when he announced that he was heading to Howard rather of UCLA. The five-star forward is very gifted and might be the first in a growing trend of elite potential customers thinking about HBCUs. Nevertheless, Maker still had his name in the NBA draft. On Monday, he withdrew and now appears like a strong bet to wind up at Howard. It isnt a surprise, as he has actually preserved that he did not wish to play in the G League and would remain in the draft just if he were a first-round pick, however its still a huge boost for Howard specifically and HBCUs in general.
Other noteworthy due date returnees: Jalen Crutcher, Dayton; Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall; Keith Williams and Chris Vogt, Cincinnati; McKinley Wright IV, Colorado; Marcus Carr, Minnesota; AJ Lawson, South Carolina; DJ Funderburk, NC State; Dexter Dennis, Wichita State; Ethan Thompson, Oregon State, Colbey Ross, Pepperdine; Isaiah Miller, UNC Greensboro
Losers
Stanford
That was with Tyrell Terry in the fold, however, and Terry announced a couple of days before the due date that he is keeping his name in the draft. Terry was one of the most unexpected freshmen in the nation last season, and he played himself into a likely second-round pick.
Michigan State
In a crammed Big Ten, theres a case to be made that the Spartans arent a top-three team in the league getting in the fall. Iowa and Illinois received nothing however excellent news at the early-entry due date, and Wisconsin brings everyone back. Michigan State got Aaron Henry back, Xavier Tillman Sr. not surprisingly chose to keep his name in the draft. Integrated with the loss of senior point player Cassius Winston, Tom Izzo needs to change his 2 best gamers from last season– his point guard and his big male. I wouldnt cry for Sparty right now, though. They generate a talented recruiting class, consisting of ESPN 100 prospects Mady Sissoko and A.J. Hoggard– who will be tasked with changing Tillman and Winston, respectively– and Marquette transfer Joey Hauser.
Mississippi State
