2016 SEC Players Potentially Entering the NBA

[jbcarol]

Cecil Hurt ‏@CecilHurt 5h5 hours ago

Ben Simmons on the Alabama crowd: "I heard a bunch of different chants, like the ''76ers' chant."

[jbcarol]

Cheers and Jeer for NBA

Rick Barnes applauded the NCAA move to relax its rules about college players and the NBA Draft. The NCAA will allow players to participate in an invitation-only NBA Combine and try out for one pro team before deciding whether or not to withdraw their names from the draft.

UK Coach John Calipari cheered the move as a way to help players make better-informed decisions about the NBA Draft. Barnes agreed.

"So many kids put their name in with no chance of being drafted," Barnes said. "They should come back (to college) one or two years, maybe three. ...

"Whatever we can do to help them not make those mistakes, I'm all for it."

South Carolina Coach Frank Martin saw the NCAA relaxation of rules about college players and the NBA Draft as inadequate. He said the delay leaves college coaches in a lurch if a talented player leaves college in late May.

"You lose a player you're not replacing in May and June," Martin said.

The South Carolina coach lamented how college baseball, football and women's basketball have worked out ways for players to make draft decisions while coaches have time to recruit replacements. Recruits in those sports commit to college for multiple years.

"We're the only sport where figuring out a common sense solution continues to be an adventure," he said.

Martin offered what he presumably thinks is such a solution.

"I'm all for guys who want to be pros to declare out of high school," he said. "That's where my thought always has been and will continue to be."

[jbcarol]

http://www.nba.com/2016/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/01/23/top-30-draft-board-version-1-for-2016



1. Ben Simmons | LSU | PF-SF | 6-10 | 245

7. Jamal Murray | Kentucky | SG-PG | 6-5 | 200

9. Skal Labissiere | Kentucky | C-PF | 7-0 | 220

14. Wade Baldwin | Vanderbilt | PG | 6-3 | 195

16. Damian Jones | Vanderbilt | C | 7-0 | 250

28. Malik Newman | Mississippi State | PG-SG | 6-4 | 190

29. Isaiah Briscoe | Kentucky | PG-SG | 6-3 | 220

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 7h7 hours ago

NBA scouts are seriously split on the prospects of Vanderbilt PG Wade Baldwin. We broke down his matchup vs Kentucky http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Wade-Baldwin-vs-Kentucky-Video-Breakdown-5353 ...

While Baldwin's stock has surged, his Vanderbilt team is in the midst of a highly disappointing season (3-4 in SEC, 11-8 overall) that has put their NCAA Tournament hopes on thin ice barring significant improvement.

From an NBA scouting perspective, one of the most intriguing games Vanderbilt will play all season came against Kentucky this past weekend at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Baldwin put some of his strengths, but primarily his weaknesses on full display there, scoring 7 points (1/8 2P, 0/1 3P) to go along with 1 rebound, 2 assists and 5 turnovers in 32 minutes.

Via Mike Schmitz, here's a seven minute video breakdown of some of the more notable things NBA scouts were able to see from Baldwin in that game, both good and bad, on either end of the floor. [At link above]

[jbcarol]

 Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 2h2 hours ago

Repeating my stance from earlier. This will be a banner year for int'l draft prospects. I could see 10 guys going first round. Maybe more...

Here are the most productive int'l players thus far this season (PER):

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago Manhattan, NY

ESPN asks Ben Simmons if he's declaring: "I gotta finish this season first, and I have a few classes too...But we'll see what happens."

[jbcarol]

 Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 58m58 minutes ago Manhattan, NY

.@franfraschilla on Skal: "I've talked to teams that have him as low as the mid-20s."
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/the-4-quarters-podcast-fran-fraschilla-lsu-locals-and-recruiting/163189542 ...



Would know.

[jbcarol]

Jerry Meyer ‏@jerrymeyer247  3m3 minutes ago
I don't understand the rankings of Buddy Hield. How is he not around top 5 coming out?

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/TheVertical/status/694293344780992512

Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 18h18 hours ago

Evan Daniels Retweeted The Vertical

Great breakdown by @Mike_Schmitz on Ben Simmons. Much more reasonable & fair comparisons than LeBron/Magic. 

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Vol_Hoops/status/694699144699600900

@GrantRamey ‏@GrantRamey 5h5 hours ago

@GrantRamey Retweeted Tennessee Basketball

I still don't understand what Isaiah Briscoe is doing here. Did he have four fouls at this point? Even so. I mean?

[jbcarol]

Booger Verified account
‏@SECbooger

This is what happens when Ben Simmons only scores 14 points against Oklahoma......ur welcome @ESPNDari

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 20h20 hours ago Manhattan, NY

Seven of the top 10 projected picks on @DraftExpress are 1-and-dones
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/nba-draft-stock-up-on-stone-hield-while-labissiere-continues-to-drop/163868302 ...

Diamond Stone and Buddy Hield continued to see their draft stock rise in the latest DraftExpress.com Mock Draft for 2016, while Kentucky freshman big man Skal Labissiere continued to see his drop.

Kentucky's Skal Labissiere is now at No. 10 after he was previously at 6. The site had the Haitian sensation at No. 1 in May and at No. 3 in December.

The top five remain LSU's Ben Simmons, Duke's Brandon Ingram, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dragan Bender, Providence's Kris Dunn and Cal's Jaylen Brown.

After that 6-10 includes Marquette's Henry Ellenson, Utah's Jacob Poeltl, Kentucky's Jamal Murray...

Among Kentucky players, in addition to Labissiere and Murray, freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe is at 32 and sophomore guard Tyler Ulis is 51, while junior forward Marcus Lee fell off the board, joining senior forward Alex Poythress.

The Top 10 in 2017 now looks like this:

1. Jayson Tatum (Duke)

2. Harry Giles (Duke)

3. Josh Jackson (TBD)

4. De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)

5. Dennis Smith (N.C. State)

6. Markelle Fultz (Washington)

7. Isaiah Hartenstein (International)

8. Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)

...

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner 4h4 hours ago

Howland on Gavin Ware: He'll have a career after Mississippi State.

Howland: Ware is playing much better with his back to the basket.

Howland said Ware would be at his best at 25 to 26 minutes a game.

[jbcarol]

Mike Schmitz ‏@Mike_Schmitz Feb 7

In his last 5 games Dorian Finney-Smith is averaging 26 PTS, 10.8 REBS, & 2.5 AST per 40. DX Scouting Video + Report http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NBA-Draft-Prospect-of-the-Week-Dorian-Finney-Smith-5364 ...

[jbcarol]

NBA analyst breaks down the current Wildcats and their draft stock for 2016

With another No. 1-ranked recruiting class waiting in the wings, there are still plenty of questions regarding what John Calipari's roster will look like next season at Kentucky.

It's established that five-star recruits Edrice "Bam" Adebayo, De'Aaron Fox, Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones and Malik Monk will all be Wildcats, and there's still a chance that five-star center Marques Bolden will join them.

So, which of the current high-profile Cats will be back for another run?

The latest NBA mock draft from DraftExpress.com was released this week and includes four UK players in the top 60, with two others within striking distance of second-round status.

Newly adopted NBA Draft rules will allow college players more time to make their final stay-or-go decisions, with a deadline of May 25 for players to withdraw their names from consideration.

Skal Labissiere — projected as the No. 1 overall pick coming into the season — is no longer the top UK player on the DraftExpress.com board.

Still, despite Labissiere's lackluster play — 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game — the 6-foot-11 freshman is projected by DraftExpress.com analyst Jonathan Givony as the No. 10 overall pick

Fellow freshman Jamal Murray has supplanted Labissiere as the No. 1 Wildcat in the mock draft, coming in at No. 8 overall.

Freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe is No. 32 on the DraftExpress board — two spots outside of the first round.

"I know for a fact that he's going to at least try to enter the draft," Givony said. "Is he going to stay in? I don't know. Kentucky has an unbelievable class coming in. He might think to himself, are things going to be that much better for me next year with Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox?"

Givony characterized Ulis, currently listed at No. 51 overall, as one of the toughest players to project. He pointed out that each NBA franchise has a handful of personnel dedicated to the draft, and opinions will differ from scout to scout and team to team, especially on a player like Ulis, whose size would make him an outlier in the league.

"Would it shock me if he ended up being a first-round pick? Absolutely not," Givony said. "There's a range that these guys can go in, and his range is a little bit bigger, being a 5-9 guy."

One argument is that — since Ulis is not going to get any taller — he might as well jump to the NBA now.

The draft statuses of Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress are even more uncertain.

Lee, listed at No. 74 on the DraftExpress Top 100 list, has gone 11 consecutive games without scoring in double digits. He's fouled out in five of those 11 games and has logged more than five rebounds in only one of the past eight games.

Poythress is No. 86 on the Top 100 list.

"If you look around the NBA, there aren't that many 6-8 power forwards who can't shoot," Givony said.

[jbcarol]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/list/

Non-UK players on the latest draft projection:

1. Ben Simmons, LS

17. Damian Jones, VU

19. Wade Baldwin IV, VU

2nd Round

3. Malik Newman, MS

8. Devin Robinson, UF

14. Dorian Finney-Smith, UF

17. Tim Quarterman, LS

24. Danuel House, AM

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 5h5 hours ago

I have never understood the Isaiah Briscoe one-and-done chatter.

[jbcarol]

The money maker:

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/698733589370925058

[jbcarol]

Rob Dauster ‏@RobDauster 21h21 hours ago

Since the loss to Tennessee, Jamal Murray is averaging 28.3 points and shooting 18-31 (58%) from three...

[jbcarol]

J.A. Adande ‏@jadande Feb 13

Silver: "We'd still like to keep the draft in June...it would be our desire to finish the Finals & the draft in the month of June."

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 5h5 hours ago

One NBA analyst believes LSU's Ben Simmons is shooting with the wrong hand http://sec.news/20C8Qk4

Would know.

SB Nation's Kevin O'Connor discovered that Simmons took 216 of his 265 layups, floaters, runners and hook shots with his right hand, despite being classified as a lefty. Using clips, O'Connor noted that Simmons typically leaps to the rim with his right foot, which is bizarre for a left-handed player.

According to O'Connor, Simmons has made just 12 of his 35 jump shots this season, all with his left hand.

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress  21h21 hours ago
Ben Simmons not in starting five for LSU but in at first media timeout. Johnny Jones trying to send a message? Surely that will teach him...

Watching game, Ben Simmons looks checked out, seems to be going through motions. Has 5 turnovers. Hasn't bent his knees once on defense yet.

Jones: "Academic matter, there are some academic things he needs to take care of. This is how we're dealing with it"

This is going to be a game tape teams study closely. How does Ben Simmons respond to adversity? Not everything always goes your way in NBA.

All you need to know about LSU's current state can be seen as timeouts get called. Bench absolutely lifeless. Ben Simmons by himself on end.

You never want to overreact to one game, so we'll have to see how Ben Simmons responds in the next few weeks. Tonight was just disgraceful.

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/701201700300963840

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 2h2 hours ago

New @DraftExpress mock draft: 7. Jamal Murray, 14. Skal Labissiere, 47. Tyler Ulis, 48. Isaiah Briscoe. (Poythress 88th; Lee not in Top 100)

[jbcarol]

 Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 2h2 hours ago

Rankings day at DX. Updates across the board, including our 2016 Mock Draft: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/ ... and Top-100 http://www.draftexpress.com/rankings/Top-100-Prospects/ ...

SEC in addition to UK

1. Ben Simmons  LS

17. Damian Jones  VU

19. Wade Baldwin IV  VU

37. Malik Newman  MS

45. Finney-Smith  UF

49. Tim Quarterman  LS

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 3h3 hours ago Manhattan, NY

Once-Heralded Freshmen Labissiere, Zimmerman, Diallo, Newman Fall in NBA Mock
Draft https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/once-heralded-freshmen-labissiere-zimmerman-diallo-newman-continue-to-fall-in-nba-mock-draft/165229470 ...

There was a time, not that long ago, when heralded freshmen Skal Labissiere, Stephen Zimmerman, Cheick Diallo, Malik Newman and Isaiah Briscoe were all projected as lottery picks by DraftExpress.com.

The 7-foot Labissiere was No. 1 -- ahead of Ben Simmons -- entering this college basketball season but has fallen ever since and the Kentucky freshman is now No. 14 on the latest Mock Draft for 2016 released Tuesday...

Briscoe, a 6-3 Kentucky freshman originally from Newark, N.J., now lists at No. 48 after ranking at No. 12 entering this season.

Still, six of the projected Top 10 picks are freshmen: No. 1 Simmons, No. 2 Brandon Ingram of Duke, No. 3 Jaylen Brown of Cal, No. 7 Jamal Murray of Kentucky, No. 8 Henry Ellenson of Marquette and No. 9 Diamond Stone of Maryland.

The exceptions are one international player -- No. 4 Dragan Bender -- and three non-frosh -- No. 5 Kris Dunn of Providence, No. 6 Jakob Poeltl of Utah and No. 10 Buddy Hield of Oklahoma...

All of that raises interesting questions about who will leave and who will come back to campus. The Wildcats already have guards Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox signed for next year, so if Briscoe and/or Ulis were to stay they would complement the incoming freshmen. Fox is projected as the No. 4 pick in 2017, with Monk at No. 15...

[jbcarol]

Sending a message to recruits:

Tyler Ulis' NBA prospects

Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis has been one of the best players in college basketball over the past few weeks, and it sounds like UK fans won't get to watch him in a Wildcats' uniform much longer.

"We're going to have another point guard next year," Coach John Calipari said on his post-game radio show following UK's victory over Alabama in Rupp Arena on Tuesday night, prefacing that statement by saying Ulis is not a "four-year" player.

The 5-foot-9 playmaker is widely projected as a second-round pick if he decides to enter this year's NBA Draft, but it seems increasingly more likely that he'll explore a pro career after this season. Both Calipari and Alabama Coach Avery Johnson spoke more about Ulis' pro prospects in their post-game press conferences Tuesday night.

"He's a pro," said Johnson, a longtime NBA point guard and head coach. "He can play on the professional level. He's probably better than a lot of the guys who are there now. He's good, man. He can do everything. Now when I was playing in the NBA, there was guys like Spud Webb and Muggsy Bogues, but you know he is much better than those guys were offensively. And boy, he's a pure point guard who can hold his own.

"As a coach you don't like playing against him, but I see a lot of the things I did as a player in him. He'll probably have a long, long career."

UK has already signed No. 1 point guard De'Aaron Fox — and five-star combo guard Malik Monk — for its recruiting class of 2016.

[jbcarol]

Jerry Meyer ‏@jerrymeyer247 Feb 25

Took a look at projected NBA fits for Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere, Denzel Valentine, Grayson Allen http://bit.ly/1QIjIgJ

7. NEW ORLEANDS PELICANS SELECT Jamal Murray, Kentucky

Freshman PG/SG; 6-foot-5, 201-pounds; No. 10 in 2015 247Sports Composite

With Eric Gordon being a free agent after this season, New Orleans would have a need for a high level shooter/scorer like Jamal Murray at the two position if Gordon were to move on. Some attractive pieces would be around Murray in Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans. They are quality set-up men and then fellow Wildcat Anthony Davis will attract the bulk of the defense's attention.

14. DETROIT PISTONS select Skal Labissiere, Kentucky

Freshman C; 7-foot, 216-pounds; No. 2 in 2015 247Sports Composite

The Detroit Pistons are expected to bring back Andre Drummond, who's a restricted free agent, and there are other big men signed to the roster including Marcus Morris. The fact of the matter, however, is that Skal Labissiere will not be ready for regular NBA action as a rookie. So joining a roster where he will have no expectations to produce early and have time to develop could be a perfect situation.

[jbcarol]

 Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 11h11 hours ago

Skal Labissiere Tumbles Out of the Lottery in Latest Draft Express Mock https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/skal-labissiere-tumbles-out-of-the-lottery-in-latest-draft-express-mock/165808504?tcid=tw_article_165808504 ...

Skal Labissiere, once the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft according to DraftExpress.com, has now tumbled out of the lottery.

The 7-foot Kentucky freshman fell to No. 19 on the latest Mock Draft for 2016 released late, late Monday.

Haitian Sensation is averaging 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds and has fallen behind Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries in head coach John Calipari's big man rotation. He hasn't scored in double-figures in his last nine games and amassed 1 rebound and no points in 8 minutes in Saturday's loss to Vanderbilt.

"No matter how Skal looked this season, so much of how people valued him in the draft was based on potential and physical ability," NBA Draft analyst Ed Isaacson told Larry Vaught. "Even with the flashes he showed in high school, everyone realized he was very raw, which isn't itself bad, but things took a turn for the worse when he turned out to be timid and slow to pick up on things.

"I still think he could be a good project for an NBA team which has multiple picks this year or doesn't need to count on their pick this year having to play right away."

The Top 10 remained unchanged: No. 1 Ben Simmons of LSU, ... No. 7 Jamal Murray of Kentucky, ... and No. 10 Buddy Hield of Oklahoma.

Six of the Top 10 projected picks are college freshmen.

Among Kentucky players, only two (Murray and Labissiere) are projected first-rounders with sophomore Tyler Ulis now at 47 and freshman Isaiah Briscoe at 48.

[jbcarol]

 Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 20h20 hours ago

DX: Skal Labissiere Video Analysis vs UF
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Skal-Labissiere-Video-Analysis-vs-Florida-5382 ... - a flash in the pan, or a sign of things to come?

19 year-old Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere's struggles this season have been well documented, as his transition to the college game has been very disappointing. Coming into college with almost zero high level experience in actual five on five settings, Labissiere has looked ill equipped for the rigors of high major NCAA basketball, both from a physical standpoint and in terms of his own personal and mental toughness. Skal's confidence seems to have been crushed by the "tough love" he's received from Kentucky head coach John Calipari, who has berated his young big men incessantly and been very quick to bench him after the slightest mistake.

Averaging just 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and a troubling 3.1 personal fouls over 15.8 minutes per game, the long, athletic Haitian has faced consistent criticism in recent months after actually starting off the season fairly well in non-conference play.

With great size, terrific mobility, and a budding skill-level on both ends of the floor, Labissiere has plenty still going for him as a NBA prospect, even if his production has been practically non-existent in conference play.

Last night, Kentucky faced off against Florida in the O'Dome on senior night in front of a number of NBA scouts, and Labissiere played perhaps his best game since December. He made a significant impact in just 15 minutes of action as he found himself in foul trouble as he has so often this season. One has to wonder if his solid showing was just a flash in the pan, or if it is a sign of things to come.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 7h7 hours ago Manhattan, NY

Skal Labissiere Back Up to No. 10 in Latest Mock Draft
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/skal-labissiere-back-up-to-no-10-in-latest-mock-draft/166384752?tcid=tw_article_166384752 ...

Kentucky freshman big man Skal Labissiere is now back up to No. 10 on the latest Draft Express Mock Draft for 2016 released Saturday.

The Haitian Sensation is averaging 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds but is coming off back-to-back solid performances, including an 18-point, 9-rebound, 6-block outing in Saturday's win over projected No. 1 pick Ben Simmons and LSU...

One NBA executive said NBA personnel will be scouting Labissiere to see if he can keep it up in the postseason.

"The SEC tournament will be another big step for him," the exec said. "Can he consistently do what he did against LSU in Nashville all next week?"

The rest of the Top 10 looks like this: No. 1 Simmons, No. 2 Brandon Ingram of Duke, No. 3 Jaylen Brown of Cal, No. 4 Dragan Bender of Maccabi Tel Aviv, No. 5 Kris Dunn of Providence, No. 6 Jakob Poeltl of Utah, No. 7 Jamal Murray of Kentucky, No. 8 Henry Ellenson of Marquette and No. 9 Buddy Hield of Oklahoma...

Among Kentucky players, Ulis remains at 47 and freshman Isaiah Briscoe remains at 48.

[jbcarol]

2016 DraftExpress NBA Mock Draft
Team needs have NOT been taken into account NOR WILL THEY BE!!!
Updated on Mon Mar 7th at 04:39:43 PM

SEC players on list:

1. Simmons, LS

7. Murray, UK

10. Skal,  UK

14. Jones, VU

17. Baldwin IV, VU

37. Newman, MS

45. Finney-Smith, UF

47. Ulis, UK

48. Briscoe, UK

49. Quarterman, LS

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 1h1 hour ago Manhattan, NY

Charles Barkley Thinks Projected No. 1 Pick Ben Simmons Should Stay in School   
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/charles-barkley-thinks-projected-no-1-pick-ben-simmons-should-stay-in-school/166629694?tcid=tw_article_166629694 ...

"I do not think Ben Simmons should come out, he's not dominating college," Barkley said Tuesday at the CBS/Turner NCAA Tournament brunch in midtown.

Barkley has long said that most college players aren't ready to play in the NBA, and that anyone projected as a second-round pick should stay in school.

Now he's saying anyone who doesn't make the NCAA Tournament shouldn't come out, either. Simmons looks like he'll be the first No. 1 pick since Michael Olowokandi in 1998 whose team didn't qualify for the Big Dance.

As for Kentucky's Skal Labissiere, once the projected No. 1 pick and now at No. 10 by DraftExpress, Barkley dismissed the idea that he was ready for the NBA.

"You think that kid ready for the NBA?" he asked.

When a reporter said no, Barkley said, "Thank you."

Both Preseason All-SEC First Team selections

[jbcarol]

What is Tyler Ulis' draft stock?

First off, it's a pretty safe assumption he's leaving. The only thing teams could have against Ulis at this point is his height, and it's unlikely he's going to suddenly shoot up from 5-9 (or to actually being 5-9, which I'm almost certain he is not). He cannot play better than he's playing now and next year's draft will be far deeper than this one, which should be fairly weak. DraftExpress.com has him going 47th (mid-second round) in its latest mock. I think his ceiling is to sneak into the late first round to a team that needs a point guard. Philadelphia at No. 27 maybe? But early second round seems like a reasonable goal for Ulis as he heads to the combine and team workouts.

2016 SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year

[MountieDawg]

Ben Simmons has issues... Against UK Cal let him shoot any shots more feet out than his grade point and he didn't make any of the wide open shots over 1.8 feet out from the basket.

[jbcarol]

Calipari says Ulis to turn pro after season

"I'm happy for him," Calipari said of the 5-foot-9 Ulis, who has earned first-team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and USA TODAY while also winning SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. "When he came here, you had everybody tell me, 'You've got a four-year point guard. Now this is how you should do it.' And, 'He doesn't need to have all pros.' Welp, you were wrong again. I mean, here's this kid that's going to be a pro. He'll be drafted this year, after two years."

Ulis is rated the 39th-best prospect in the next draft by ESPN.com and is projected to go 47th overall by DraftExpress.com.

Ulis averaged 16.6 points and 7.4 assists during the regular season and is on pace to shatter John Wall's single-season school record for assists.

[jbcarol]

Adrian Wojnarowski Verified account
‏@WojVerticalNBA

Why LSU's Ben Simmons is no longer the No. 1 prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft. @DraftExpress on @TheVertical. http://yhoo.it/1WlvzzM

Long before some of the loudest but most uninformed voices anointed Ben Simmons the next LeBron James or Magic Johnson, there was already a significant debate within NBA front offices about whether Simmons was even the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. As the flaws in Simmons' game became more apparent for LSU this season, the question has never changed: Who's No. 1 in June?

For several reasons, Simmons' candidacy as the No. 1 overall prospect is in peril.

1. Simmons' lack of competitiveness in some crucial games has raised questions about his character as a basketball player...

[jbcarol]

Vanderbilt star Damian Jones to enter NBA Draft

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 6h6 hours ago

FWIW - I think there's a greater chance that Wade Baldwin enters the draft than Damian Jones.

[jbcarol]

Seth Davis ‏@SethDavisHoops 12h12 hours ago

I honestly do not understand the fascination over whether Ben Simmons will be the No. 1 pick or not. Is there a huge difference bt 1 and 2?

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 11h11 hours ago

No player has been drafted in top-50 with a 2-point percentage under 38% in 25+ years. Isaiah Whitehead is well below that. Back to school?

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago

Whitehead to test NBA Draft waters

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 3h3 hours ago

NCAA Tournament NBA Prospect TV Schedule: Friday
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/NCAA-Tournament-NBA-Draft-Prospect-TV-Schedule-Friday-5395 ... Full Breakdown of Today's 16-Game Slate

7:20 PM – TBS – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
#3 Texas A&M #85 Danuel House, Jalen Jones, Tyler Davis, Tony Trocha-Morales, Alex Caruso, D.J. Hogg
vs.
#14 UW-Green Bay

This is an opportunity for Texas A&M's older players, Alex Caruso, Danuel House and Jalen Jones, to continue to generate positive reviews from NBA scouts after a very successful SEC Tournament showing. Caruso in particular has endeared himself with his excellent size and playmaking ability at the point guard position, coupled with his strong feel for the game, competitiveness defensively and budding shot-making ability. His game doesn't pop the way some guards in this draft do, but he has a number of intriguing characteristics that could very well help him earn a spot on an NBA roster when it's all said and done.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 11h11 hours ago Manhattan, NY

After Kentucky Loses, NBA Decisions Looming
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/after-kentucky-loses-nba-decisions-looming/168208002?tcid=tw_article_168208002 ...

Freshman guard Jamal Murray and freshman big man Skal Labissiere are both projected as lottery picks by DraftExpress.com, with the 6-foot-5 Murray at No. 7 and the 7-foot Labissiere at No. 10.

Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis is projected at No. 26, but also told [UK beat writer Kyle] Tucker he hasn't given the NBA any thought.

Freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe was recently moved to No. 39 on the 2017 Mock by DraftExpress.com, while junior Marcus Lee and senior Alex Poythress aren't on the board.

The new rules will allow college players to enter their names in the NBA Draft without risking future college eligibility. Once a player declares for the draft, he can participate in the NBA combine - if invited - and work out individually for NBA teams for feedback.

For what it's worth, the same NBA scout who told me last year that all seven Kentucky guys would declare says this year he expects Murray, Labissiere and Ulis to declare, and for Briscoe tor remain on campus.

Kentucky, meantime, brings in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation per Scout.com with guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk and bigs Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha-Killeya Jones.

[jbcarol]

Who stays? Who goes? Since John Calipari came to town, that's the annual game Kentucky basketball fans play the moment the season ends.

Players have longer than they've had in the past to decide this season because of a new rule allowing them to declare for the NBA draft, participate in the scouting combine and workout for teams – all to get concrete feedback – then return to school if they choose. The new deadline is 10 days after the NBA Combine, which this year is May 25.

That's good for the players, but bad for coaches and fans...

JAMAL MURRAY – The 6-foot-4 guard set UK freshman records for points (720) and made 3-pointers (113). He averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and shot 40.8 percent beyond the arc. He's rated the No. 4 prospect in the 2016 draft by ESPN, No. 7 by DraftExpress.com. Early prediction: Gone.

SKAL LABISSIERE – The 6-foot-11 freshman, once considered a possibility for the No. 1 pick, had a disappointing season by any measure. He averaged just 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. But he flashed just enough moments – 18 points, nine rebounds, six blocks against Ben Simmons and LSU, for instance – that someone will likely still roll the dice on him high in the draft. He's rated the No. 10 prospect by DraftExpress.com and No. 16 by ESPN. Early prediction: Gone.

TYLER ULIS – The 5-foot-9 sophomore point guard can't play better than he did this season, when he became a first-team All-American, SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 17.3 points, 7.0 assists and just 1.9 turnovers. He broke John Wall's single-season assist record with 246. A guy his size is only going to climb so high in the NBA draft, and No. 22 in ESPN's rankings, No. 26 in DraftExpress.com's is approaching his ceiling. Early prediction: Gone.

ISAIAH BRISCOE – Here's where it gets interesting. The 6-foot-3 former McDonald's All-American was a key cog for the Cats, averaging 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a freshman. His work on the glass and as a lockdown defender were impressive, but ... he shot 13.5 percent from 3-point range and 46 percent at the free-throw line. Early prediction: Staying.

MARCUS LEE – The 6-foot-9 junior forward's NBA stock plummeted during this wildly inconsistent, foul-plagued season. Lee started 20 games for Kentucky and averaged 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 21.8 minutes per game. His offense is largely limited to dunks and his rebounding too often left something to be desired.
Early prediction: Staying.

DEREK WILLIS – Early prediction: Staying.

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Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 1h1 hour ago

Hardly earth-shattering -- Ben Simmons told ESPN he is headed to the NBA: http://es.pn/25fomHL

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Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 10m10 minutes ago

ESPN's @chadfordinsider says Tyler Ulis may have played his way into the lottery: http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/chad-ford-says-tyler-ulis-may-sneak-into-the-lottery/ ...

Would know.

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 Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 1h1 hour ago

NEW: @DraftExpress talks to us about Murray, Skal, Ulis, Briscoe, Lee and Poythress. What's next for the Wildcats? http://bit.ly/1XHPKbB

Jamal Murray is almost certain to leave Lexington after setting the school's freshman scoring record — and logging the program's eighth-highest scoring season ever — in his first year as a Wildcat.

DraftExpress.com currently projects Murray as the No. 7 overall pick in the June 23 draft.

Givony said Duke's Brandon Ingram and Louisiana State's Ben Simmons are likely to be the first two picks —

DraftExpress.com has Skal Labissiere as the No. 10 overall pick in its latest mock draft. A former No. 1 recruit...

Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis is now projected as a first-round pick — DraftExpress has him at No. 19 —

The biggest question mark among UK players is Isaiah Briscoe, who excelled as a perimeter defender and rebounded well for his position but struggled mightily with his shot during his freshman season.

Briscoe made just five of 37 three-point attempts (13.5 percent) and was an abysmal 46.0 percent from the free-throw line.

DraftExpress.com does not have Marcus Lee among the Top 100 prospects for this year's draft. "Everybody saw how he finished the year," Givony said. "So I don't think there's really anything to talk about right now with him, in regard to the NBA Draft."

Senior Alex Poythress is ranked as the No. 90 overall player by DraftExpress.

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South Carolina's

David Cloninger ‏@DCTheState 9h9 hours ago

Sin Thornwell says he hasn't thought about testing the NBA waters. Will look at it later.

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Daniel Paulling ‏@DanielPaulling 13m13 minutes ago

From @MikeBBonner, Malik Newman to pursue NBA draft, won't hire an agent, could possibly return to MSU: http://on.thec-l.com/1RiwmhG

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Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 1h1 hour ago

ESPN's Chad Ford on Isaiah Briscoe's NBA draft hopes: "It's tough when you can't shoot" http://bit.ly/1ZpvxJh  #BBN

"Briscoe, man, he's tough. It's tough when you can't shoot."

    "There are guards in the league that can't shoot — Russell Westbrook can't shoot — and so they're there, but all of them do something else that is so incredibly special that it makes up for that. While Briscoe is physical, and I think he was one of Kentucky's best defenders at times, and you definitely see the NBA body and size, he hasn't developed a three-point shot, and I don't think anyone believes he is a point guard at the next level. If he can't convince me of that, then he's an undersized two-guard who can't shoot and it becomes really tough."

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Hugh Kellenberger ‏@HKellenbergerCL 11h11 hours ago

I wrote about Malik Newman's decision to test the NBA Draft waters, and what's next for the former Callaway star. http://on.thec-l.com/1Rj3jKF

Malik Newman has never been afraid to bet on himself. He stayed at Callaway and won four state titles when there were some saying he should go to a prep school far away from Mississippi. He turned down Kansas and Kentucky to go to Mississippi State, believing he could change a program instead of just being another top-rated recruit.

One of those things worked. The other did not. But the courage of his conviction is why Newman should go ahead and leave Mississippi State for the NBA, as he announced were his intentions Tuesday (while not hiring an agent, leaving open the possibility of his return to Starkville).

Newman is a basketball player. He should spend the next two to three years of his life figuring out where that is going to take him, because we already know what happened at Mississippi State.

It just did not work. It's no one's fault, really, or rather not one single person's fault. Newman was a five-star talent that was supposed to learn how to play point guard under famed NBA prospect whisperer Ben Howland, and in the process lift up a program out of the doldrums and into national relevance.

Well, I.J. Ready was the point guard. Craig Sword was the two guard. Newman? He hung out in the corner a lot, shooting 3s and spacing the floor for everyone else. Injuries (turf toe, knees, back) all played a role in Newman's descent down the priority chart, but facts are facts: Newman finished fourth on the team in minutes (27.7 per game), fourth in scoring (11.3) and was second in three-point percentage (37.9). And Mississippi State was not any better for his presence, still among the worst teams in the SEC.

All-American? All-SEC? Newman didn't make All-Freshman; that was Quinndary Weatherspoon, the latest point of contention in a rising argument in Starkville over who was actually the better basketball player between the two.

Some people will read all that and think that it's patently absurd that Newman would even consider going pro, much less actually do so. I get that. Bust is too strong of a word for Newman's college career to date, but not by all that much.

But you have to remember that entering the NBA draft is not necessarily saying that you believe you're ready to go play on a NBA team next season. It means that you're ready to get paid to play basketball, and that your goal is to do so in the league.

What if Newman goes through with this, gets picked somewhere in the second round (where DraftExpress.com and ESPN.com's Chad Ford both still have him) and spends the next one to two years of his life playing in the D-League? Is that so bad?

Courtney Cronin ‏@CourtneyRCronin 19h19 hours ago California, USA

Just landed from AZ & seeing my timeline blow up with news related to a certain combo guard from MSU. I, too, can confirm Malik Newman will test the waters with the NBA Draft.

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Jonathan Givony
‏@DraftExpress

NBA GM on phone today regarding new NCAA early-entry draft rules "wake me up on May 25th with the final list of who's actually staying in."