We continue our look at the latest NBA Draft declarations from some of the stars of college basketball. This week, big names out of the SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12 have made their decisions while one ACC prospect is taking his chances despite a torn ACL.
Here’s analyst William Whelan with more:
Jordan Mickey, LSU: With Mickey’s departure, the Tigers have now lost their two most productive players from this season to the Draft. Mickey averaged 15.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game in his sophomore season, all improvements from his freshman campaign. Mickey projects as a late second-round pick, at best, right now.
Chris McCullough, Syracuse: Once seen as a legitimate first-round prospect, McCullough’s season was ruined due to a torn ACL. Despite that injury, he still made the controversial decision to forego his remaining career at Syracuse. At this point, he is likely a second-round stash pick that someone takes a chance on in hopes that he can rehab and produce in the NBA D-League.
Tyler Harvey, Eastern Washington: When you’re the nation’s leading scorer, NBA scouts will notice you. What they’ll also notice, is a lack of defensive capabilities when playing against high level opponents. Harvey is an elite, and I mean elite, scorer. But how his athleticism shows in workouts will determine whether or not someone will give him a shot in the second-round.
D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown: Smith-Rivera is another one of those famous cases where a player has little to gain, from a professional standpoint, by staying in school for another year. While he could sneak into the late second-round, he’s likely headed for a solid career in Europe.
Kelly Oubre, Kansas: No freshman, or anyone for that matter, improved more from opening night to their final game of the season than Oubre. At first, he struggled to see minutes in Lawrence. By the end of the year, he showed why he was a McDonald’s All-American a year ago. Oubre’s length and athleticism should garner him a look in the late lottery.
Kevon Looney, UCLA: Looney is a work horse with an uncanny motor. He’s long, skilled and doesn’t mind putting in some dirty work. While his freshman season at UCLA was overshadowed by fellow Pac-12 Freshman Stanley Johnson, Looney projects as a first-round pick.
Cameron Payne, Murray State: One of the more talked about point guards nationally towards the end of the year, many thought that Payne would return to school for another season. However, with his declaration, Payne could be a late first-round pick.
