Comprehensive NBA early entry thread 2009

[gotham devil]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9...#39;s-leanings

Teague to enter, but not hire agent

[whereinthehellami]

Below is a list of the ESPN/USA mens Top 25 teams with the players that they are losing, either to senior attrition, the draft, or to transfer. Only players who averaged over 10 MPG are included.

I did this last year also, in case anyone wants to compare.

1. UNC (5) - Hansborough 6-9, Green 6-5, Frasor 6-2, Lawson 5-11(NBA?), Ellington 6-4 (NBA?)
2. MSU (2) - Suton 6-10, Walton 6-2
3. UCONN (4) - Adrien 6-7, Austrie 6-3, Price 6-3, Thabeet 7-3 (NBA?)
4. Villanova (3) - Clark 6-7, Anderson 6-6, Cunningham 6-8
5. Louisville (3) - Williams 6-6, McGee 5-10, Clark 6-7 (NBA)
6. Pitt (4) - Fields 5-10, Biggs 6-8, Young 6-8, Blair 6-7 (NBA?)
7. Oklahoma (4) - Johnson 6-3, Griffin 6-7, Griffin 6-10 (NBA), Warren 6-4 (NBA?)
8. Missouri (3) - Carrol 6-8, Lyons 6-9, Lawrence 6-7
9. Memphis (3) - Dozier 6-9, Anderson 6-6, Evans 6-6 (NBA?)
10. Kansas (0)
11. Duke (2) - Paulus 6-0, McClure 6-5
12. Syracuse (1) - Flynn 6-0 (NBA?)
13. Gonzaga (4) - Pargo 6-2, Downs 6-8, Heytvelt 6-11, Daye 6-10 (NBA?)
14. Purdue (2) - Green 6-6, Calasan 6-9
15. Xavier (2) - Raymond 6-6, Anderson 6-6
16. Washington (2) - Dentmon 5-11, Brockman 6-7
17. LSU (4) - Thornton 6-4, Martin 6-6, Temple 6-6, Johnson 6-11
18. UCLA (4) - Collison 6-0, Shipp 6-4, Aboya 6-9, Holliday 6-3 (NBA?)
19. ASU (2) - Pendergraph 6-9, Harden 6-5 (NBA)
20. WFU (3) - Hale 6-3, Johnson 6-8 (NBA), Teague 6-2 (NBA?)
21. Marquette (4) - James 5-11, Burke 6-8, McNeil 6-3, Matthews 6-5
22. FSU (2) - Douglas 6-2, Echefu 6-8
23. Texas (2) - Abrams 5-11, Atchley 6-10
24. Arizona (2) - Budinger 6-6 (NBA), Hill 6-10 (NBA?)
25. Butler (0)

LMAO about Teague staying in the draft if he is in the top 10 (per Draftexpress). That is just crazy talk. Where would he play in the NBA? I'm not sold on him as a PG and he is kind of weak as a SG. I realize alot of these kids are just using the system to get a skills evaluation but some of them are in for a rude awakening.

[ns7]

Devan Downey from South Carolina is gone

Downey is a junior and is not hiring an agent. Right now he wants more information. My guess is that he returns since he's only 5'9".

http://www.thestate.com/gogamecocks/...SS=gogamecocks

[CDu]

I don't see Ellington leaving. He has a chance to be the man next year. If he does leave, UNC will obviously look very different next year. If they don't add Wall and lose Ellington, they will have some serious holes. They would still be talented but not a threat to repeat. Would they put Henson at the 3? They would have some backcourt and outside shooting questions to address. Their lineup could look something like this:

Drew 6-2
Strickland 6-4
Ginyard 6-5
Thompson 6-8
Davis 6-11

And I don't see any way Ellington stays. He may have the chance to be the man next year, but it's extremely unlikely that he'll raise his stock any higher than he could based on his run through March and April. His stock is probably as high as it is going to get. Further, he just experienced a national championship. He's unlikely to get to experience that again. Add to that the fact that his buddies will all be going pro, and you have very little reason to stick around. I'll be SHOCKED if Ellington doesn't announce for the draft along with Lawson.

[revmel53]

So Teague has declared. Thought Gaudio was over his head from the beginning. Wake won big games versus unc and DUKE but when it counted, Wake again was fake. Without Johnson and Teague, what can be expedted from Wake?

[Icarus09]

So Teague has declared. Thought Gaudio was over his head from the beginning. Wake won big games versus unc and DUKE but when it counted, Wake again was fake. Without Johnson and Teague, what can be expedted from Wake?

They won't be able to do anything without Aminu. His presence would totally change the team as well. If all three are gone, they'll be hurting (they'll lose their front court entirely) but if only two leave, they might be able to place in the middle of the ACC. They won't be the same as this year, that's for sure.

[CDu]

So Teague has declared. Thought Gaudio was over his head from the beginning. Wake won big games versus unc and DUKE but when it counted, Wake again was fake. Without Johnson and Teague, what can be expedted from Wake?

Technically, Teague is just testing the waters. He hasn't committed to hiring an agent, so he can still return. Only Johnson is gone for sure. But yes, if Teague goes along with Johnson, that team takes a nosedive next year. They won't have nearly the talent, and they don't have a very good coach to make up for the talent loss.

[Bluedog]

Blair is gone, has "begun hiring representatives [...] and plans to hire an agent within the next several weeks"

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...v=ap&type=lgns

Hill is also gone.

Arizona forward Jordan Hill will forgo his senior year and make himself eligible for the NBA draft.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...v=ap&type=lgns

[geraldsneighbor]

How silly is it that Blair says he based his decision on Internet mock drafts. He said that since no one had him in the second round he is considered a lock first round pick. I'd cry if that is what G based his decision on.

[moonpie23]

sorry if this is a repost, but, johnson from wake is gone.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...ory?id=4055538

[blueprofessor]

according to The Daily Orange.

Best regards--Blueprofessor

[BD80]

America's most hated player declares...

according to The Daily Orange.

Best regards--Blueprofessor

Hansbrough is a senior, he is gone whether he declares or not!

[Bluedog]

They won't be able to do anything without Aminu. His presence would totally change the team as well. If all three are gone, they'll be hurting (they'll lose their front court entirely) but if only two leave, they might be able to place in the middle of the ACC. They won't be the same as this year, that's for sure.

Aminu staying at Wake.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sp...asketball.html

[Matches]

Hansbrough is a senior, he is gone whether he declares or not!

Are we sure *he* realizes that, though?

[brevity]

according to The Daily Orange.

Best regards--Blueprofessor

Here's the link. It says Eric Devendorf, Jonny Flynn, and Paul Harris are all at least testing the waters.

In other news, Jrue Holiday of UCLA and Dwayne Collins of Miami have declared.

[geraldsneighbor]

Here's the link. It says Eric Devendorf, Jonny Flynn, and Paul Harris are all at least testing the waters.

In other news, Jrue Holiday of UCLA and Dwayne Collins of Miami have declared.

I had heard Harris was gone because he needs the money for his family so its definitely understandable. Apparently he is willing to go to Europe if he has to.

Devendorf is a 4th year junior so it isn't very surprising but at the same time I can't see him being drafted.

[NYC Duke Fan]

This maybe be answered in another thread and if so, I apologize for the reduntantcy.

Why is everyone so positive that they are leaving one year early ? What if , Roy convinced them to stay for their senior year ? Are we looking at a possible repeat then in Chapel Hill ?

[KyDevilinIL]

Well, sure. If they stayed, UNC would be the overwhelming favorites next season.

I'm not sure what Lawson and Ellington themselves have said on the topic of leaving, but the conventional wisdom is that they almost left a year ago, came back and got what they wanted (a title), and now are moving on.

[whereinthehellami]

Below is a list of the ESPN/USA mens Top 25 teams with the players that they are losing, either to senior attrition, the draft, or to transfer. Only players who averaged over 10 MPG are included.

I did this last year also, in case anyone wants to compare.

1. UNC (5) - Hansborough 6-9, Green 6-5, Frasor 6-2, Lawson 5-11(NBA?), Ellington 6-4 (NBA?)
2. MSU (2) - Suton 6-10, Walton 6-2
3. UCONN (4) - Adrien 6-7, Austrie 6-3, Price 6-3, Thabeet 7-3 (NBA?)
4. Villanova (3) - Clark 6-7, Anderson 6-6, Cunningham 6-8
5. Louisville (3) - Williams 6-6, McGee 5-10, Clark 6-7 (NBA)
6. Pitt (4) - Fields 5-10, Biggs 6-8, Young 6-8, Blair 6-7 (NBA)
7. Oklahoma (4) - Johnson 6-3, Griffin 6-7, Griffin 6-10 (NBA), Warren 6-4 (NBA?)
8. Missouri (3) - Carrol 6-8, Lyons 6-9, Lawrence 6-7
9. Memphis (3) - Dozier 6-9, Anderson 6-6, Evans 6-6 (NBA?)
10. Kansas (0)
11. Duke (2) - Paulus 6-0, McClure 6-5
12. Syracuse (3) - Flynn 6-0 (NBA?), Harris 6-4 (NBA?), Devendorf 6-4 (NBA?)
13. Gonzaga (4) - Pargo 6-2, Downs 6-8, Heytvelt 6-11, Daye 6-10 (NBA?)
14. Purdue (2) - Green 6-6, Calasan 6-9
15. Xavier (2) - Raymond 6-6, Anderson 6-6
16. Washington (2) - Dentmon 5-11, Brockman 6-7
17. LSU (4) - Thornton 6-4, Martin 6-6, Temple 6-6, Johnson 6-11
18. UCLA (4) - Collison 6-0, Shipp 6-4, Aboya 6-9, Holliday 6-3 (NBA?)
19. ASU (2) - Pendergraph 6-9, Harden 6-5 (NBA)
20. WFU (3) - Hale 6-3, Johnson 6-8 (NBA), Teague 6-2 (NBA?)
21. Marquette (4) - James 5-11, Burke 6-8, McNeil 6-3, Matthews 6-5
22. FSU (2) - Douglas 6-2, Echefu 6-8
23. Texas (2) - Abrams 5-11, Atchley 6-10
24. Arizona (2) - Budinger 6-6 (NBA), Hill 6-10 (NBA?)
25. Butler (0)

Yeah I don't see where Devendorf would go. Even if he is declaring for the the free evaluation, it doesn't make much sense. AT 6-4 he is not that tall, limited athletically, and of questionable attitude. He is not that great of a shooter either. The NBA should give some of these kids a dose of reality upfront. They should have a "europe" evaluation area that is cordoned off from the NBA area with old velvety red ropes.

[CDu]

This maybe be answered in another thread and if so, I apologize for the reduntantcy.

Why is everyone so positive that they are leaving one year early ? What if , Roy convinced them to stay for their senior year ? Are we looking at a possible repeat then in Chapel Hill ?

Those guys REALLY wanted to leave last year. They came back to raise their draft status and maybe win a title. They accomplished both. There's nothing left for them as college players.

Lawson really has nothing left to do as a college player in terms of getting better for the NBA. He's not going to get taller, so he can't fix the biggest liability in his game at the next level (his size). But he improved as a shooter this year, which was the other big knock. Ellington had such a great stretch from the end of February through the championship that sticking around doesn't make sense for him either. He showed he can create his own shot and be a consistent scorer, and he showed more willingness to attack the basket.

Combine the facts that (1) they wanted to go LAST year, (2) their stock can't really get any higher, (3) they won the championship, (4) their bodies Copeland and Green are going, and (5) this is a weak draft class, it's pretty close to a certainty that they're going pro.

Obviously, stranger things have happened. But if I were a betting man, I'd say they're gone.