New rules set out by the NCAA allow underclassmen declared for the NBA Draft to return to school following the NBA Combine, provided that they haven’t hired an agent or accepted any gifts that would compromise their eligibility.
This means the number of underclassmen declared for the NBA Draft is exponentially higher than in years passed. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the names who have made their initial intentions known, moving on to the power forwards:
Tony Anderson, Southeast Missouri State, Fr.
Ben Bentil, Providence, Soph.
Marquese Chriss, Washington, Fr.
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky, Fr.
Marcus Lee, Kentucky, Soph.
Abdul Malik-Abu, N.C. State, Soph.
Ben Simmons, LSU, Fr.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue, Fr.
James Webb III, Boise State, Jr.
Devin Williams, West Virginia, Jr.
Derek Willis, Kentucky, Jr.
Brandon Ingram, Duke, Fr.
This group is highlighted by Simmons and Ingram obviously, but consider Labissiere, Chriss, Webb III, and Swanigan…this group is the deepest in the draft and it doesn’t feel tremendously close. While there may not be a star besides the top two, there are plenty of guys you could see being value pick ups in the late lottery and eventually making a roster.
Want to give your comments about this article? You can either leave them here or you can join us on theGet More Sports Forum and talk about this article and many more! Brag about your favorite team, argue about an athlete’s performance or tell us about a game you saw. Join a new community of sports fans who live and breathe sports and sports entertainment. It’s free! Join now!
