8 NBA Draft Prospects Who Should Stay In School

Maybe it's not right that the NCAA doesn't pay its players.

Regardless of your stance on this issue, the players at top-tier Division I schools are getting a free education—and that’s not a bad deal. And when you’re playing for an organization (the NCAA) that touts its ability to launch careers in areas other than sports, sometimes it might not be a bad idea to take your school up on that whole education thing. Especially if you’re not going to be the next Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, or heck, even the next Matt Barnes.

This is especially true if you’re in a DI program at a top-tier academic school, and even more true if you’re someone who would otherwise have no business being in a top-tier school. That’s a pretty good opportunity.

Not every player is the next Markelle Fultz or even John Collins, a big man from Wake Forest who will be a late first-round pick.

Now, some of the players listed on here have not hired an agent, which means that they are eligible to return to college if they are not drafted. But there’s no turning back for the guys who have hired agents. We certainly hope it works out for them, and everyone has their own reasons for leaving school early, whether because it's just not for them or they need to support their family. We respect that. But we're a little skeptical that it's truly the right decision for everyone.

With that said, here are eight guys in this year’s draft we'd rather see balling in college than in the Gatorade League or overseas next season, in no particular order:

Year: Sophomore

School: Kentucky

Projected Draft Position: Undrafted

Hired Agent: Yes

Not that it’s surprising to see someone from Kentucky leave as an underclassman—there were just three upperclassmen on the 15-man roster this year. But it is kind of surprising to see a sophomore who averaged 2.8 points per game leave school two years early—despite his heroics in the NCAA Tournament last season.

But he’s also someone who is an elite talent in his native Australia, and a professional career Down Under could also be in the cards for him. Regardless, the 7-foot big man still has a major hurdle he’ll have to climb if he wants to suit up in the NBA.

Year: Sophomore

School: LSU

Projected Draft Position: Undrafted

Hired Agent: Yes

Despite the fact that NBADraft.net and CBSSports.com both have him going undrafted, Blakeney has hired an agent. So his college career is over regardless of whether he is drafted or not.

Blakeney is someone who could, however, make sense for a team as an undrafted free agent; he averaged 17.2 points per game for the Tigers this season and could latch on with someone’s D-League team. But G-League players can make as little as $19,500 a year—Blakeney could probably make about as much waiting tables while he’s at school.

Year: Junior

School: Louisville

Projected Draft Position: Undrafted

Hired Agent: Yes

DraftExpress has Johnson rated as its 48th-best prospect. Rumor has it Johnson worked out for the Knicks, who think he'll still be available at pick No. 58. There are only 60 picks in the draft.

Obviously these projections aren’t ironclad, but you don’t have to be a math genius to see that the odds of Johnson being drafted are a bit of a stretch, which is why it makes little sense for the Louisville junior to leave school at this point in time. He could presumably just enter the draft again next season, graduate, and improve his chances provided he has a decent year.

Johnson was a starter last season, but was hardly dominant enough to justify leaving school early, averaging 8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Johnson will likely end up playing overseas or in the Gatorade League next season, barring something unforeseen.

Year: Sophomore

School: Arizona

Projected Draft Position: Late second round to undrafted

Hired Agent: No

Best-case scenario for Comanche is a late second-round selection. And we’re talking last five picks of the second round late.

Comanche might have potential as a long-term project—he was a four-star recruit in high school. But the sophomore center averaged just 6.3 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game with Arizona this season. He would be far better suited returning for a junior year and moving into the draft again as a junior or senior. Having him leave school two years early to pursue a professional career doesn’t make much sense with this body of work and the chances he has of being chosen.

Year: Freshman

School: Arizona

Projected Draft Position: Late second round to undrafted

Hired agent: Yes

Simmons was a five-star recruit last season—20th overall in the Class of 2016, according to ESPN. So this is definitely someone who could wind up in the NBA if he plays his cards right.

Simmons is ranked 56th overall by CBS Sports and 62nd overall by DraftExpress. If he does get drafted, he could latch on at the back of somebody’s bench—that’s the absolute best-case scenario for him. That kind of best case is difficult to justify a “one-and-done” draft entrance.

He’s already hired an agent, so there’s no turning back for Simmons. The former five-star recruit has a lot of potential, and it could eventually be realized playing in the NBA—but he is definitely rolling the dice by going into the draft prematurely.

Year: Sophomore

School: Kentucky

Projected Draft Position: Late second round

Hired Agent: Yes

Briscoe was the top point guard in the Class of 2015, according to ESPN, and a top 20 overall recruit. He put up 12.1 points, 5.4 rebound, and 4.2 assists as Kentucky’s point guard this season. He could be a speculative selection in the second round since he was an elite recruit from a big school, but he models as someone who would be far better suited for college.

In the old days, Briscoe could have been a four-year college legend, in the model of a Christian Laettner or a Chris Webber. But those days are over—at least for big-time college basketball programs. He signed with an agent too, so he’s done with school and is going to have to hope for a best-case scenario in the draft.

Year: Junior

School: Michigan

Projected Draft Position: Late second round

Hired Agent: No

Wilson broke out in a big way for Michigan in his junior season; he became a regular starter after spending most of his first two seasons coming off of the bench. But his breakout doesn’t seem big enough to put him over the top into a solid draft position—in fact, he might not get drafted at all. Wilson did little at the NBA draft combine thanks to a quad injury, which didn’t help his already marginal case to get into the first round.

He still hasn’t hired an agent, so a fourth year of school might be in order for Wilson. And that might not be a bad thing in the long run.

Year: Junior

School: Georgetown

Projected Draft Position: Late second round

Hired Agent: Yes

Leaving school early for a potential late second-round selection is really a risky proposition—especially when you go to a school as prestigious as Georgetown. The current NBA minimum salary is over $800,000, so if you end up getting a spot on a roster the move is well worth it from an economic standpoint. But if you don’t, it’ll be an uphill battle.

That’s the situation Peak finds himself in. He was a pivotal part of Georgetown's backcourt last year, averaging 16.3 points and 3.5 assists a night. DraftExpress.com currently has Peak as the last overall pick on its mock draft, so he better hope this prediction holds true.