Indiana big man Cody Zeller shocked everyone by skipping the NBA draft last year to make Indiana the favorite to win the title. However, he has now joined teammate Victor Oladipo, Kansas’ Ben McLemore, and Louisville’s Russ Smith in the exodus of underclassman headed to the NBA. Very few players play all the way to their senior year and then make the NBA–if they are good enough they go early. In fact, no senior is expected to go in the first 12 picks on June 27 (see list of the 35 underclassmen expected to be in the draft and be selected below).
Too often a player who sticks around for an extra year gives up millions of dollars, such as Jared Sullinger who hurt his back at Ohio State last year and went from lottery pick to later in the first round.
Zeller, a seven footer, is a skilled big man who may lack the physical presence to be a dominant big man in the NBA at this stage. Nevertheless, his talent will land him as a lottery selection.
The Hoosier averaged 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game over the course of his career. He was also a second team All-American selection and was an integral part of Indiana’s success the past two years. The list below is based on the listings on www.draftexpress.com.
Proj | Underclassmen | Year | School |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Nerlens Noel C | Freshman | Kentucky |
2 | Ben McLemore SG | Freshman | Kansas |
3 | Marcus Smart PG | Freshman | Oklahoma State |
4 | Anthony Bennett PF | Freshman | UNLV |
5 | Victor Oladipo SG/SF | Junior | Indiana |
6 | Cody Zeller C | Sophomore | Indiana |
7 | Trey Burke PG | Sophomore | Michigan |
8 | Otto Porter SF | Sophomore | Georgetown |
9 | Shabazz Muhammad SF | Freshman | UCLA |
11 | Alex Len C | Sophomore | Maryland |
12 | Michael Carter-Williams PG | Sophomore | Syracuse |
14 | Kelly Olynyk C | Junior | Gonzaga |
15 | Isaiah Austin C | Freshman | Baylor |
17 | Gorgui Dieng C | Junior | Louisville |
18 | Archie Goodwin SG | Freshman | Kentucky |
19 | James McAdoo PF | Sophomore | North Carolina |
20 | Steven Adams C | Freshman | Pittsburgh |
22 | Jamaal Franklin SG | Junior | San Diego State |
23 | Tony Mitchell PF | Sophomore | North Texas |
27 | Shane Larkin PG | Sophomore | Miami FL |
28 | Lorenzo Brown PG | Junior | N.C. State |
29 | B.J. Young SG | Sophomore | Arkansas |
30 | Allen Crabbe SG | Junior | California |
32 | Reggie Bullock SF | Junior | North Carolina |
34 | Russ Smith PG | Junior | Louisville |
35 | C.J. Leslie SF/PF | Junior | N.C. State |
36 | Adreian Payne PF/C | Junior | Michigan State |
38 | Doug McDermott PF | Junior | Creighton |
39 | LeBryan Nash SF | Sophomore | Oklahoma State |
40 | Myck Kabongo PG | Sophomore | Texas |
44 | C.J. Wilcox SG | Junior | Washington |
46 | Phil Pressey PG | Junior | Missouri |
49 | Deshaun Thomas SF/PF | Junior | Ohio State |
51 | Tim Hardaway Jr SG | Junior | Michigan |
59 | Tony Snell SF | Junior | New Mexico |
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