The three college teams most impacted by the impending NBA Draft deadline
With so much action on the court (yes, we're looking at you, Draymond Green) it's easy to forget that off the court, this is a huge week for both the NBA and college hoops as it pertains to next season. That's because Wednesday is the NBA Draft deadline, the day where underclassmen without agents have to make a final decision on whether or not they will remain in the NBA Draft.
Plenty of big names have already made their decisions --- expected lottery picks like Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, etc. --- but at the same time, there are still lots of guys who haven't made their announcements and whose decisions could shake-up the 2016-2017 college basketball season as we know it.
Here are three college teams who will be most impacted by Wednesday's decisions.
Lost in the revolving-door of spectacular freshmen John Calipari has had during his time in Lexington (three No. 1 overall picks and counting) is that his best teams have had strong veteran leadership. Patrick Patterson helped John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins along in 2010, Darius Miller was key during the 2012 season (even if Anthony Davis was the star), and the 2015 squad had Willie Cauley-Stein and the Harrison twins to help Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker.
That's also why the decisions of Isaiah Briscoe and Marcus Lee are so important over the next couple days.
On the court, their impact could be felt immediately; Briscoe specifically could become a star next year (after averaging just under 10 points per game last season), while Lee could add some much needed depth to the front court.
But beyond just a purely basketball perspective, they could (along with fellow returnees Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins) provide a much needed buffer between Calipari and another heralded recruiting class. Calipari is never easy on any of his players, let alone freshmen, which is why having a few guys who've "been there before" always helps the transition for young players.
It also means that if Briscoe and Lee return, Kentucky could potentially top Duke in early season polls next year.
Without them the Wildcats will still be talented, but it will be an uphill climb for a team so young.
With Kris Jenkins announcing his return to Villanova a few weeks back, Hart is the only remaining player on the fence for the defending champions. But in terms of pure impact on his college team, he might be the single biggest name left with a decision to make.
On the court, Hart was (bad pun intended) the heart and soul of the Wildcats last year, a guy with no set position, no easy to define role, but a dude who just went out and produced every single night. Not only was he the team's leading scorer (15.6 ppg), but also finished second rebounding (at nearly seven a game) despite standing just 6'5. His versatility led to mismatches on both ends of the floor all season long, which played a big role in the Wildcats' first title in 31 years.
But while Villanova fans see that versatility as a plus, it's a big question mark for front office personnel, who aren't sure what position he will play at the next level. And because of it, Hart is projected at best a second round pick, while many outlet don't have him being drafted at all.
It also leaves Hart with a tough decision to make: Does he return to school knowing that the things he "needs to work on" aren't really things (specifically his height) he can actually work on at all?
Only time will tell.
But if Hart leaves Villanova, the Wildcats' chances of repeating leave with him.
Indiana isn't an obvious title contender even if Williams and Blackmon return. But their decisions could leave the Hoosiers as an early Big Ten favorite.
Looking ahead to next year, Indiana already has Thomas Bryant, Robert Johnson and OG Anunoby in the fold. But while all three are important pieces (Bryant could potentially be a star) they would still lack the offensive firepower to keep up with some of the better teams in college basketball. That's also where Blackmon (who averaged 15.8 points per game before a season-ending injury) and Williams come in. With those two, Indiana is much more of a complete team.
Considering that neither Blackmon nor Williams is projected as anything close to a first round pick both should come back.
But whether they do or not, is another question altogether.
(Other notable teams waiting on draft decisions: Louisville (Chinanu Onuaku); Oregon (Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey); Purdue (Caleb Swanigan); Wisconsin (Nigel Hayes))
