When a freshman who averages 11 points and 6 rebounds a game deciding to come back for his sophomore season is noteworthy . . .
Something something, get off my lawn.
Eh I'm more interested in if Bruno is returning or declaring, but here's a hot take: Smith will be the better pro, eventually...
He has a ton of potential and has been projected as a late 1st rounder all season. Why isn't it noteworthy?
He's not saying it's not noteworthy. He's making a comment about the state of the NBA draft that guys who aren't even that productive in college get drafted/interest based primarily on potential.
You know, like rabble rabble, back in my day guys used to have to prove they could play before they got drafted, rabble rabble.
And he's making light of the fact, that yes, he's an old guy shaking his fist at clouds.
OTOH, Cam Reddish is still projected as a top 10 pick despite having a really, really, horrible statistical profile (39% 2pt FG%, 33% 3pt FG%, 20% TO%) while playing along side 2 top 5 picks. He's a good wing defender, I guess, but I don't hear the NBA pounding down Charles Matthews door. So, who the hell knows what the NBA is looking for sometimes?
Reddish is only 19 and the NBA drafts heavily on potential. Matthews still has upside, but is 22, and struggles shooting from the outside. He will most likely be drafted though, based on his athleticism and potential.
I haven't been following the 2nd round draft projections but I'd be surprised if Matthews was drafted.
Exactly. Matthews inability to improve his shooting over the past few years is a big red flag. He's much more likely to be what he is at this point. Not impossible to improve his shot, but it's getting late early.
But Reddish being 19 means he has a lot more time to develop a shot at a time when guys usually do improve their skills.
You should see a plethora of other second round pick projections before being surprised. He’s borderline based on his inconsistency, but Matthews is just as good a defender and shooter as the Chase dude the Bulls blew a first round pick on last year. As a fan, you see all his faults but not those of other entrants.
If Matthews was not a possible draft worthy talent, Michigan wouldn’t have been as good as they were this year with him as a top scorer and defender.
The way Marcus Smart’s career has gone, and plenty of others, like Corey Brewer, Matthews has a good chance of being a second round pick—especially if he’s invited to the NBA combine. He’s a great wing defender with a good midrange shot and athleticism to drive. His game translates well to NBA ball, and he may continue to develop his confidence in an uptempo offense. He’s be a great late rounder for a team like GS or Houston. I’d love him on the Bulls, because most of our guards and SF suck at defense and are not really better shooters.
If Charles Matthews just finished his true freshman year with his RS junior numbers, he’d be a one-and-done as well. Your flaws after freshman year: “Needs to work on his handle a bit...needs a go-to move...needs to work on his shooting, but the potential is there.” Same player after his senior year: “No handle, no go-to move, can’t shoot, is what he is.” Everyone thinks they can hit the one-and-done lottery—pro teams think they can coach the flaws and rawness out of the freshmen; the freshmen think they will blossom quickly in the pros.
DJ Wilson averaged 11 pts and 5 rebs a game his final season at UM... and got drafted in the middle of the first round.
And Wilson has done very little as a pro.
The OP and others are lamenting projection over proven. Wilson was picked because he’s tall and he developed a shot. He’s actually a good comparison to Smith. Smith doesn’t know how to not foul, like early Mo. Smith has a decent outside shot for a big guy. But Smith is a 2-3 year project to be even a decent bench player in the NBA. NBA coaches are not good talent developers, so Smith staying and being a star at UMD for a year or two may up his stock to lottery in a year or two. He’s making a good move either way, but I think his return is a better long term move if he stays healthy and makes a leap next year to consistently realize his talents—and not foul.
This is surprising, this kid really came on and would have been a 1st round pick IMO.
- players not at michigan who would go in the 1st round: i should probably come back.
- players at michigan who might be drafted in the 2nd round: i'm outta here.
i know that for many players college is just a stepping stone to a career in basketball and they don't have time to wait, but i wish we'd get a little better luck with some of these decisions.
I think there's a certain kind of player that is really good, yet decides to come back - the guy who is almost a lottery pick this year, but should be one for sure next year.
Beilein's developmental skills are a double edged sword. He can take guys who have basically no shot at the NBA and then develop them into first and second round players. For those guys, they're just stoked to play pro ball. They're not thinking about coming back and maximizing their rookie contract.
I know it kinda feels that way but is it true? Other than Darius Miles (who wasnt going to get any taller by sticking around) who has left Michigan early and regretted the decision in the past five years or so? Seems to me that all the early departures from Michigan made the right call as they've all been drafted in the first round.
This year might be different with Mathews, Iggy & Poole but I'll bet in the end both Iggy & Poole come back (will probably put their name in and go through the evaluation process but wont sign with an agent) and only Mathews will leave. And Mathews, I think, doesnt have any lofty expectations of going drafted at all - he'll prolly play in Europe and make a nice living doing so.
You mean Darius Morris. Darius Miles wore headbands and dunked crazy on people!
Darius Miles was part of a young Clippers nucleus that was tantalizing. I wish they had kept that group together. If Shaun Livingston’s knee hadn’t asploded, that team had title-winning potential.
Darius Morris's problem wasn't height-related -- at 6'4" he was quite tall for a PG.
He just couldn't shoot worth a damn.
Your example of Darius "Miles" is quite odd considering he didn't play for Michigan, and Darius Morris was really tall for a PG...
GR3 was also drafted in the 2nd round. He's lasting longer than D-Mo, of course.
The complaint was also that the 1st rounders always leave and never stay. But McGary came back (or tried to) when he was possibly a 1st rounder.
And another complaint was that 2nd rounders always left and never came back, but Trey, LeVert, Wagner, Hardaway, and GR3 all came back for a year when they had a chance to get drafted.
Yeah, I think people forget about the guys that did come back.
Good chance Trey would have been late first round had he left after his freshman year and IIRC he was basically gone, so major, MAJOR bonus to get him back.
McGary the following year would have been first round. And he probably made the wrong decision to come back.
The other guys: Levert, Hardaway and GR3 were probably nor considered 1st rounders before they left, but they did all come back after having seasons that could have seen them drafted in the second round.
Maryland offered him a raise
*looks at a few sites talking about Maryland's athletic department financials*
There are a couple families that might back this loan that operate on the East Coast, if Maryland is willing....
Kid has a ton of potential, and the NBA drafts a lot on potential. It’s a risk to come back and not make a huge leap because that potential bubble shrinks and there is a whole class of players a year younger with similar potential. Look at fellow Terp Melo Trimble. He was for sure a late first round pick after his freshman year, and stuck around and eventually went undrafted as a senior.
Interesting, thought he would at least declare without an agent and test the waters. He seems like a guy who has a better skillset for the NBA than college
He'd be great in college if he were playing 1) for a good coach and 2) the right position.
All I care is that both DUKE and MSU lost.
I'll add Kentucky and Kansas.
Since I can’t start a thread: Tre Jones returning to Duke for his Sophomore season.
How Roy Williams and Tom Izzo get their guys to stay junior and senior years consistently is beyond me. I'm excited when our decent players stay for their soph year. I have a friend who is a Tarheels fan and hes doom and gloom about next year because they actually lost 2 freshmen to the draft to go along with all of their seniors. Must be a nice problem to have.
I hope he's a better basketball player than he is a rapper/actor......wait....