Katz: Players' return to college would be big boost to teams

[snakesinthesnoilet]

Should be an interesting weekend/Monday:

The deadline to withdraw from the June 28 NBA draft is Monday at 5 p.m. But Saturday, maybe more than Monday, will be the decision day for a number of key players who are still waffling about whether to return to school.

Georgetown coach John Thompson III told ESPN.com on Thursday that he is expecting to meet with Big East Player of the Year Jeff Green on Saturday, after Green talks with his family, to discuss his plans.


Jim Rogash/WireImage.com

If Jeff Green returns, the Hoyas are a national-title contender.
Marquette coach Tom Crean said on Thursday night that he expects to have a similar meeting with sophomore point guard Dominic James.
Nevada coach Mark Fox was scheduled to talk with his two junior guards, Ramon Sessions and Marcelus Kemp, on Friday and Saturday before they make their decisions.

So you can see exactly what's at stake over the weekend.

Fourteen players are still on the fence after Utah State junior guard Jaycee Carroll, according to his coach Stew Morrill, withdrew from the draft Friday morning.

Mike Conley Jr., Fr., G., Ohio State: Conley is staying in the draft but hadn't signed with his father, agent Mike Conley Sr., just in case there was an injury. So expect Conley to sign with him after Monday.

Daequan Cook, Fr., G, Ohio State: Cook is doing the same thing as his teammate and good friend, so expect Cook to be on the list of players staying in the draft. He said in Orlando that he was doing so. Ohio State expects both Conley and Cook to be gone.

JamesOn Curry, Jr., G, Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State still isn't sure what Curry will do even though Curry isn't a hot commodity. This is a clearly a case of whether Curry wants to be in college another year. The Cowboys aren't going to beg him to stay. He needs to make the decision and stick with it, but as of Thursday they had no idea which way he is leaning. Curry could be a second-round pick or could easily go undrafted.

Jeff Green, Jr., F, Georgetown: Thompson said he doesn't know which way Green is leaning.


"There was a stretch where I thought he was definitely gone," Thompson said. "Then, more recently, there was a stretch when I thought he was coming back. I don't think he knows."


Green worked out for Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Boston at Georgetown. Sacramento, Minnesota and Charlotte are all waiting to work him out if he stays in the draft.


"He's very methodical, like his coach in that regard, and I think he's going to really think this through," Thompson said.


It's quite simple for Green: He's likely a Nos. 5-12 pick this year or next. So it comes down to whether he wants to get paid now or in a year, and whether he wants to help lead the Hoyas to a possible national title.


John Medina/WireImage.com

DeVon Hardin appears to be staying in the draft, making Ben Braun's job that much tougher next season.
DeVon Hardin, Jr., C, Cal: Cal coach Ben Braun hopes to hear from Hardin over the weekend about his decision, but Hardin is certainly acting as if he's staying in the draft. And he may have a good case.
There is definite interest from New Jersey at No. 17 and Golden State at No. 18. If either team can assure Hardin that he's not going below them, he may stay in the draft. Hardin's original goal was top-20, and he may just have that within his reach at this point. Hardin was limited last season with injuries but has always been an NBA talent.


If he returns, the Bears have a shot to be a formidable foe in the Pac-10, with Hardin and Ryan Anderson as two of the top scoring forwards in the West. If he doesn't, a huge burden will be put on Anderson to produce with some likely double teams.

Spencer Hawes, Fr., C, Washington: There doesn't seem to be one NBA team that seriously believes Hawes will go back to Washington. But he has yet to give any real indication that he has made up his mind. He worked out in Minnesota, Chicago and Philadelphia and was scheduled to go to Sacramento, with Atlanta possibly on the docket after the Monday's deadline.


Boston caught a look at Hawes during the Sixers' workout this week. He is a lock for the lottery and likely wouldn't go below Philadelphia's pick at No. 12. If he can get that assurance and is comfortable with any of the previous stops, he'll likely stay in the draft.

If he returns to line up with Jon Brockman and Quincy Pondexter again, the Huskies should be a postseason team (they missed the NCAA and the NIT last season) and a thorn throughout the Pac-10. Hawes has a chance to move up in the draft next season but likely won't be a top-three pick. So he could move up a few spots by returning, but maybe not enough to make it worth his while.

Dominic James, So., G, Marquette: James worked out in Orlando but didn't impress. He worked out for Houston in Orlando and then for New York/New Jersey. He wasn't getting any kind of guarantee that he would be selected. Still, he was holding out this week before making a decision.
It's quite simple for him: He can withdraw from the draft, or he can return to Marquette for a chance to win the Big East, go far in the NCAAs and at least raise his profile so he could be a second-round lock in 2008.

Marcelus Kemp, Jr., G, Nevada: The interesting thing with Kemp's case is that if he returns to Nevada, he would be entering his sixth year in college. That alone could mean he won't go back to school. He's got a shot at the second round, but it's not a lock.

Kemp worked out for Seattle, and coach Fox said Kemp is trying to gather as much information as possible before a final decision. The Wolf Pack need Kemp to be a bridge as Fox brings in a new group of players.

Maureece Rice, Jr., George Washington: GW coach Karl Hobbs said Thursday that Rice is expected to send in his paperwork and withdraw from the draft.


"As far as I know, he's coming back," Hobbs said.


Rice had worked out for the Washington Wizards but wasn't getting good vibes about being selected. So it makes sense to withdraw. Getting Rice back means the Colonials should be able to be a competitor in the Atlantic 10 once again.


"I'm not sure how good we'll be, but we'll be competitive," Hobbs said.


Kevin C. Cox/WireImage.com

Thaddeus Young may choose to join classmate Javaris Crittenton in the draft.
Charles Rhodes Jr., F, Mississippi State: Rhodes was never expected to be selected in the second round, let alone the first. So the expectation in Starkville throughout the process has been that Rhodes will return to school. Getting Rhodes back is critical for the Bulldogs if they want to be a contender for the SEC West title.
Ramon Sessions, Jr., Nevada: Sessions worked out for Portland and Phoenix and had other opportunities, but Fox said he put them off to see if he's staying in the draft. In Orlando, Sessions generated much more of a buzz than Kemp, and Sessions is more likely to go in the second round.

There is no guarantee that Sessions and Kemp will do the same thing, but they do seem to be tied together. They were on the same team in Orlando and if they return, they can lead the Wolf Pack back to the NCAAs. If one stays, the other knows it will be tougher to be an NCAA team, let alone carry the burden of being the primary producer.

Sean Singletary, Jr., Virginia: Singletary isn't going in the first round; at least that's what NBA sources are telling ESPN.com. But he has a shot for the second, and that might be enough to stay in the draft. Singletary has been bopping around the country working out and is giving the indication that he's staying in the draft.

He would be returning to Charlottesville without his backcourt mate J.R. Reynolds, who finished his eligibility. If Singletary is gone, coach Dave Leitao has to rebuild the perimeter. With Singletary, Leitao has a shot at returning to the NCAAs since he would have one of the top point guards in the ACC, along with Boston College's Tyrese Rice and North Carolina's Tywon Lawson.

Jason Smith, Jr., Colorado State: Smith has received high marks during his workouts. He hasn't technically signed with an agent yet, but no one in the NBA expects him to be going back to CSU (and new coach Tim Miles). Smith could go in the top-20. Miles knew he likely was facing a rebuilding situation in Fort Collins, one that wouldn't include Smith.

Thaddeus Young, Fr., Georgia Tech: The word on Young is mixed; it depends on what day you speak with Young or Georgia Tech. So everyone will have to wait until Monday. Young's potential range is thought to be in the top 15-20, so if he feels comfortable that he would go in that range, he'll likely stay in the draft.

His departure, along with point guard Javaris Crittenton, would be a hit to the Yellow Jackets but not a fatal blow. There is enough talent remaining for the Yellow Jackets to compete for a postseason berth and a top-six ACC finish.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

[77ncaachamps]

I love how Katz states it so eloquently - and matter of factly: DJ can come back, raise his profile, and secure 2nd Round status in the 2008 NBA draft.

IF you were DJ, would you settle for that statement or take that "same chance" this year?

[ecompt]

There's no guarantee DJ gets drafted this year, and even if he does hear his name he likely won't get guaranteed money. If he comes back to MU and has a decent year, those guarantees will probably both be there. Whether this matters or not, only DJ knows.

[mufan924]

i concur w elock here hes just sayin hes a lock for 2nd rd next yr, though im not even sure i agree with that, whatever he chooses to do i wish him the best of luck, hell if he comes back, he'll have a chip on his shoulder and hopefully tear it up, hopefully that wont disrupt the team chemistry if hes tryin to showcase his game all year, but he needs to show that he can work within the system, who knows, i am fine either way with what he chooses, but think hes foolish if he stays in.

[77ncaachamps]

i concur w elock here hes just sayin hes a lock for 2nd rd next yr, though im not even sure i agree with that, whatever he chooses to do i wish him the best of luck, hell if he comes back, he'll have a chip on his shoulder and hopefully tear it up, hopefully that wont disrupt the team chemistry if hes tryin to showcase his game all year, but he needs to show that he can work within the system, who knows, i am fine either way with what he chooses, but think hes foolish if he stays in.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. Last year, he was "showcasing" a bit for the NBA by shooting - albeit horribly - and look how MU did last year as a team.

I say cut loose DJ. He's going to be a spurned player who feels like he has to prove the NBA wrong...which is bad because he doesn't have long to improve his shot. He's going to mess up the team concept bad.

[LastWarrior]

I say cut loose DJ. He's going to be a spurned player who feels like he has to prove the NBA wrong...which is bad because he doesn't have long to improve his shot. He's going to mess up the team concept bad.

That's pretty harsh criticism for a big east rookie of the year & honorable all conference as a freshemen followed by a first team all big east player at the PG spot! 

I'll be anybody on the board that if DJ comes back to MU, he'll again be first team big east and be a first round pick.

[ozmetal71]

I've been one of the harshest critics of DJ on this board, but to cut him loose would be madness.

He is one of the most talented players on our roster, and we need an experienced PG to contend for the Big East title next year.

That being said, if DJ comes back, he better come back with the right type of chip on his shoulder and realize that if the team does better, his stock should go up.

There are ways to showcase yourself for the NBA that don't involve going 5-35 from 3-point land over the course of the most important stretch of the schedule.  DJ should come back and I think he is most capable of adjusting his game and being a much more effective PG and helping MU to possibly make a FF run next year.

[77ncaachamps]

LastWarrior - I think DJ deserves his share of criticism. A lot of what he did his Freshman year was find Novak open...then Novak gave DJ his assist. Since Novak was not around last year, it was much harder for DJ to find the dime. McNeal actually averaged as much as DJ did - and that was as a 2G. Moreover, I think the BE knew DJ was one of their premier players and showcased him much like MU did. I acknowledge DJ's freakishly athletic abilities, but let's put them in perspective:

• The 2008 draft is supposed to be weak in PG yet DJ isn't even a lock for the 2nd round
• Diener lacks DJ's athleticism but he knew how to run a team and fared MUCH BETTER than DJ did in Orlando's Pre-Draft camp
• Diener's 05-06 class must be one of the most talented in recent memory: Marvin Williams, Felton, Deron Williams, Gerald Green, Bynum, Monta Ellis (2nd round)...yet he was able to be drafted
  

All of this supports my belief that DJ will not be that program changing player we thought he could be; when compared to Diener - a NBA draftee - he is not that efficient in running a team. I don't want someone on the team who wants to prove all year round that he's worthy of the NBA, only to take the team down with him. I am bold enough to predict he won't even be 1st or 2nd Team Big East next year...

Ozmetal71 - I don't feel that having a player with a chip on their shoulder would be best for the team. I can only imagine what some other players are thinking: "DJ's coming back. He wants to improve and show he can be a better perimeter shooter. So what about my shots?"

One can only hope what you stated in your last paragraph will come true: DJ sucks it up, penetrates and distributes like he's supposed to, make better decisions, make more of his outside shots, stop cramping up, and defend like the beast he is.

Yes, if he's able to do this, we're going farther than the 2nd round this upcoming season.

But I'm not sold on DJ's ceiling for improvement.

[4everwarriors]

Look, DJ could have a chip anywhere on his body next year including his member. But, if he doesn't shoot better, it don't matter.

[mwbauer7]

That being said, if DJ comes back, he better come back with the right type of chip on his shoulder and realize that if the team does better, his stock should go up.

Bingo. His situation reminds me a bit of Jameer Nelson's. A year or two behind an established player in the NBA AFTER he gets drafted in 2008, wouldn't be bad for him.

Stay in the draft this year and find yourself in the NBDL. What would a year in the NBDL do for you? Lets just say it won't be just one year...