The decision to stay or go when it comes to the NBA Draft is one of the most challenging that an elite college basketball player will face.
While some players are able to improve their stock and get selected higher than they would have if they had left college sooner, others are not so lucky. Missouri big man Jontay Porter and Syracuse wing Tyus Battle both ranked in the Top 50 of our aggregate mock draft in May 2018 before electing to return to college. Unfortunately, for varying reasons, neither player was drafted last week.
Several other prospects were in a draft-able range on our aggregate mock draft at one point last season and opted for another year of college basketball only to go undrafted as well. This list most notably includes Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s), Charles Matthews (Michigan) and Caleb Martin (Nevada).
Among those who tried to improve their draft stock but ended up on the outside looking in once again were Sagaba Konate (West Virginia), Kris Wilkes (UCLA), Ethan Happ (Wisconsin), Kerwin Roach (Texas) and Robert Franks (Washington State).
It remains to be seen how going back to school will affect players like Devon Dotson (Kansas), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Neemias Queta (Utah State) and AJ Lawson (South Carolina).
It is worth mentioning that international big man Goga Bitadze ranked No. 69 overall before he decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft last season. Last week, he was selected by the Indiana Pacers at No. 18 overall.
For this list, we only looked at NCAA players who were early entries in the 2018 NBA Draft, but withdrew their name from consideration and delayed their process until this season.
PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 63
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 12
Last season, his father told reporters that Washington would have stayed in the draft if a team selecting in the first round gave him a promise that they would select him. His draft stock was certainly not there yet and the decision to play at Kentucky for another season earned him a lottery selection.
He increased his scoring from 22.7 points per 100 possessions to 30.8 points per 100. Washington also improved his rebounding rate from 11.6 percent to 15.3 percent. The forward had the second-most win shares per 40 minutes in the SEC last season and he was a finalist for the Wooden Award, which is given to the most outstanding college basketball player.
His jump shot ranked in the 98th percentile among all college players last season, per Synergy Sports. Washington also ranked in the 93rd percentile off the catch.
Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands
Carsen Edwards, Boston Celtics
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 70
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 33
When the March Madness standout spoke to us, he touched on how he never saw himself as someone who would have been able to leave school early for the NBA Draft (via HoopsHype):
“I just continued to grow and get better every season. That was my main focus. Honestly, coming into college, I did not see myself being able to leave early. But after three years, I gradually got better and won games and we had winning seasons all three years with two conference championships and made it to two Sweet 16s. We also got a run in the tournament all three years I was there. Those were big.”
Perhaps the best thing to happen to Edwards after his remarkable scoring performances in the NCAA Tournament was not getting overhyped to the point where he was one of the Top 20 picks in the draft.
As a more modest selection, the guard is now more likely to be compared to someone like Patty Mills or Fred VanVleet rather than a franchise-changing player like Damian Lillard. While there are elements of his game similar to all three mentioned above, the expectations can now be a bit more fair on his game coming into the NBA.
PJ Washington | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands
Bruno Fernando, Atlanta Hawks
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 57
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 34
The Angolan-born Bruno Fernando has a massive wingspan and standing reach that will immediately help him on both ends of the court. He was also fairly quick for someone his size, finishing with the fastest shuttle run and three-quarter sprint among all big men at the 2019 NBA combine.
He improved his rebounding rate as a sophomore from 17.5 percent to 20.5 percent, the second-best total mark in his conference. The big dramatically increased his assist rate year-over-year from 6.9 percent to 14.4 percent. He had the best effective field goal percentage (61.2 percent) in the Big 10. His defensive box plus-minus ranked Top 20 in the NCAA.
Fernando was a marvelous player near the basket, ranking second among all players in Power 5 conferences in points created out of the post when also including passes. He will be able to play alongside his former Maryland teammate Kevin Huerter on the Atlanta Hawks.
PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands
Cody Martin, Charlotte Hornets
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 75
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 36
His lane agility was third-best among all participants at the 2019 NBA Draft combine, though that was not surprising considering he ranked Top 5 among all participants when he tested the waters the previous year.
After transferring from North Carolina State, the 6-foot-7 forward ranked Top 3 in win shares and Top 5 in box plus-minus among players in his conference during both of his seasons for Nevada. He averaged a personal-best 1.0 three-pointers per game, doubling his connections from the previous year. Martin also averaged 4.8 assists per game during his junior and senior seasons, an impressive mark for someone his size.
Martin is a versatile player on both sides of the floor who, at his age, can potentially have an impact fairly early in his NBA career. If his team allows him to create out of the pick-and-roll as a primary ballhandler, that is likely where he will have the most success.
PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands
Admiral Schofield, Washington Wizards
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 100
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 42
The former Tennessee Vols star tested as the second-best combo forward at the combine, per NBAthlete.com. While he is not particularly tall for his position, his lane agility and shuttle run both ranked in the Top 10 percent among combo forwards in combine history. His bench press reps (15) and standing vertical (30 inches) were both impressive, too.
Schofield was a prolific spot-up shooter last season, whose points per possession ranked in the 86th percentile on this play type. He improved his three-point percentage each year in college, eventually shooting 41.8 percent from downtown as a senior.
He was also one of the most efficient players in transition. The Wizards finished more possessions in transition than all but two teams in the Eastern Conference last year, which can be an immediate way for him to fit in with their offense.
PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Jalen McDaniels | Jaylen Hands
Jalen McDaniels, Charlotte Hornets
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: 80
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 52
The biggest knock on San Diego State’s Jalen McDaniels is that he has a fairly slight frame for his height, but that didn’t stop the forward from pulling down 8.3 rebounds per game last season.
After a relatively exciting freshman campaign, he improved his scoring from 24.1 points per 100 possessions to 29.8 points per 100. He also increased his comfort from three-point range. McDaniels connected on just four shots from beyond the arc in 2017-18 and improved that to 24 (0.7 per game) last year.
Meanwhile, he ranked Top 5 in his conference for defensive win shares in both of his collegiate seasons. For that to translate to the next level, he will need to put on size. Until then, he is a solid project with some legitimate potential.
PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jaylen Hands
Jaylen Hands, Brooklyn Nets
Aggregate Mock Draft Rank in 2018: Unranked
Actual NBA Draft Position in 2019: 55
According to NBAthlete.com, former UCLA standout Jaylen Hands tested better at the combine than all point guards except for former high school star Jalen Lecque. After a disappointing performance in his athletic testing back in 2018, he cut his lane agility time from 12.1 seconds to 10.7 seconds and improved his max vertical from 39.5 inches to 41.5 inches.
The 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard only started half of the games for the Bruins as a freshman. But as a sophomore, he essentially doubled his assist rate from 18.7 percent to 36.5 percent. In fact, his assist percentage led the Pac-12 and ranked Top 15 among all NCAA players.
As a high-volume creator out of the pick-and-roll, the Nets likely view Hands as a player who will most likely develop in the G League with the Long Island Nets until he can eventually enter their backcourt rotation.
PJ Washington | Carsen Edwards | Bruno Fernando | Cody Martin | Admiral Schofield | Jalen McDaniels
