Six Potential NBA Defections That Could Significantly Impact the 2012-2013 College Basketball Season
It seems like everyone’s going the NBA. Dion Waiters left Syracuse early. Austin Rivers and Mason Plumlee bolted from Duke. Will Barton is the first – and probably won’t be the only – young Memphis star to leave the Tigers. Royce White decided to get paid rather than maybe lead Iowa State to the Final 4. Working under the assumption that stars like Thomas Robinson, Brad Beal, Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger and others are obviously gone, here are five non-Kentucky names to keep an eye on this week:
Cody Zeller, Indiana. Covered him this weekend. Working under the assumption Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are gone, I’d say Zeller’s decision is the most pivotal to next year’s college basketball season. If he stays, you’ll hear more than a few arguments that Indiana should open the season as the Team to Beat.
Trey Burke, Michigan. It was a down year for point guards in college basketball, but Burke was fantastic. He’s only 5-foot-11, but impossible to keep out of the lane and not a bad shooter (34 percent from 3). Obviously the freshman could use another year, but so could have Darius Morris, who left last year and was taken in the 2nd round. He’s currently wallowing on the Lakers’ bench and has scored 37 points this season. Michigan’s losing two seniors – Novak and Douglass – but more importantly bringing in three Top 80 recruits, including Glenn Robinson’s son and backboard-shattering power forward Mitch McGary. With Burke back, Michigan’s a Top 10 team.
James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina. The Tar Heels are losing Zeller (senior) and almost certainly Henson, Barnes and Marshall, too. Could they lose McAdoo, a guy who would be their player to build around next season? McAdoo is already a first round pick. At 6-9, he’s still a developing wing player who doesn’t have a post game or 3-point game. But if he enters the draft, who doesn’t take this kid based on potential? He only averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds a game, but tell me the flashes you’ve seen – he was buried behind Henson and Zeller – are at least as impressive as what Perry Jones has shown in two years?
DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State. Thomas has had a torrid two months and one could argue he’s the Buckeyes’ best player right now. Sullinger didn’t really improve after the loss of Diebler … would Thomas be able to further thrive without one of the top post players in college hoops? I’m not sure. Thomas looks like a prototypical NBA small forward – long, nice inside, much nicer outside. Are there 20 players you’d draft ahead of Thomas, who probably hasn’t come close to his ceiling?
Alex Len, Maryland. The 7-footer from Ukraine is a future pro. After sitting out the first 10 games due to suspension (damn NCAA), he played well early, but struggled down the stretch. However, with three other pretty good players returning (PG Terrell Stoglin, G Pe’Shon Howard and wing Nick Faust) and 2011-2012 ACC powers Duke, UNC and Florida State losing a lot, the Terps should be back in the NCAA tourney mix if Len returns. Contending for the ACC title isn’t out of the question.*
CJ Leslie, NC State. As chronicled here, the Wolfpack have a lot of talented underclassmen returning, and perhaps the strongest class of recruits in the country (well, so far). They could be the favorites in the ACC with Leslie as the centerpiece. He’s a 1st round pick, but as the talent exodus continues, Leslie gets pushed further down the list.
* I’m assuming Stoglin doesn’t do something foolish like Jordan Williams did last year.

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32 Responses to “Six Potential NBA Defections That Could Significantly Impact the 2012-2013 College Basketball Season”
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March 27th, 2012 at 4:53 PM
You’d think McAdoo would stay, dominate next year and then leave.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:53 PM
It will be such a Warriors move to miss out on this draft class.
My guess is that Utah selects a HOF player.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:53 PM
I don’t see anything about my boy Kevin Young.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:56 PM
I hope, hope Will Barton stays in the draft. His maddening inconsistency made it tough to root for the Tigers.
Some have claimed he’d be a lottery pick. I don’t see it. He’s too frail and too “me first” to be worth lottery money.
And, OBTW – if Joe Jackson declares, it would be a horrible mistake. He ain’t ready for the NBA. He needs at least one more full year in college.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:56 PM
He is so far from being an NBA player right now.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:57 PM
He’s 6-7 which is a wasteland in the NBA unless you have some sort of plus skill. I suppose he could really concentrate on his shooting and turn out like Jared Dudley but I’m not sure that’s worth a high pick.
March 27th, 2012 at 4:58 PM
I wish he was more me first during the last 6 minutes of the St. Louis game when he never got the ball.
/Memphis -2.5
March 27th, 2012 at 5:02 PM
I really don’t think Zeller will go. Even with all the talk about how high he’d be picked this year, I just think he’s not in that big of a hurry. After watching Yogi play the last 3 weeks I can’t wait to see what Zeller can do on a team with someone who can actually see the floor. Watford was the best at feeding the post on the entire team.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:05 PM
WW, I too watched that game, and several others. When Barton’s shot was off, there were times he’d go in the tank. Drove me crazy watching him.
He got the ball early against the Billikens, but was off. When that happens, what else can you do to help me win games?
Yeah, he was 18 pts/8 rebs and C-USA POY. To me, 18 and 8 in C-USA definitely ain’t the same as 18-8 in the B1G or Big East.
And, Jackson still thinks he’s a “shooting point” at 5’10″. He’s gotta become a much better distributor to contribute at the next level.
I’ve been a Tiger fan since ’71, and have seen too many guys like Barton come through the program. Physical tools in abundance, but lacking in the finer points of winning basketball.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Go Kansas?
March 27th, 2012 at 5:07 PM
Len isn’t going anywhere. The dude needs 40 more pounds. Stoglin is the king of bad decisions though so he could think he’s a pro and leave.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:09 PM
Is it generally being assumed that Withey is coming back for another year? I’ve not heard anyone say anything that would lead me to believe otherwise, but I still keep seeing him slotted in the second round of mock drafts.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:10 PM
Dudley has one of the higher basketball IQ’s in the league. Not sure about Thomas.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:12 PM
Yikes.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:13 PM
Also very well spoken.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:15 PM
He speaks tweet well.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:15 PM
what about perry jones?
oh wait, he sucks and should have left last year while he had everyone fooled.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:18 PM
Really wouldn’t shock me to see him come back.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:19 PM
“but tell me the flashes you haven’t seen – he was buried behind Henson and Zeller – are at least as impressive as what Perry Jones has shown in two years?”
I DON’T KNOW – AS YOU STATED, I HAVEN’T SEEN THESE “FLASHES!”
March 27th, 2012 at 5:21 PM
Uh, he’s graduating, so he doesn’t have to go, but he can’t stay here.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:25 PM
Is it odd for the EIC to be the worst proofreader on staff?
March 27th, 2012 at 5:25 PM
“Uh, he’s graduating, so he doesn’t have to go, but he can’t stay here.”
He’s a freshman. So either he’s a genius, or Indiana has some pretty easy classes.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:29 PM
It would be so simple, I get an emailed copy of a post, give it a look and send it back with corrections…not even asking for my name anyone on the site, just want to contribute Skip
March 27th, 2012 at 5:30 PM
“not even asking for my name anyone on the site, just want to contribute Skip”
Not the best of auditions….
March 27th, 2012 at 5:35 PM
Not a good start…
March 27th, 2012 at 5:36 PM
…and I need to refresh more often.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:37 PM
1 of those 3 will be back, and quite possibly 2.
March 27th, 2012 at 5:38 PM
Go Kansas?
convinced me
March 27th, 2012 at 5:43 PM
I hope Marshall and Henson stay. I’m not a UNC fan, although I owned them in a calcutta this year, and I want to see Henson and Marshall get a shot at a national title. I believe I read that Kentucky has 6 McDonald’s All Americans on this year’s team and UNC had 9. We all got shortchanged not getting to see both of these squads at full strength playing for the national title.
March 27th, 2012 at 6:20 PM
Cody Zeller isn’t going anywhere. He will at least stick around one more year to play with the 2012 recruiting class.
March 27th, 2012 at 6:43 PM
Apologies. Mixing up my Zellers.
March 29th, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Me too.
I am.
McAdoo should take a page out of more recent “one and done” forwards such as Ed Davis and Brandan Wright and by “take a page” I of course mean do the opposite and stay at UNC at least one more year.
I realize Davis stayed two years, but he was injured in his second year, so it was essentially one year. Neither of those guys developed a more all around game to be able to do anything more than grab a roster spot in the NBA.