Charles Matthews gets combine invite
Hamidou Diallo
Justin Jackson
Moritz Wagner
EDIT: User Streetchemist below pointed out that I missed Svi Mykhailiuk from Kansas and Thomas Welsh from UCLA on this list. Go give him an upvote please.
Obviously most of us hope that Charles follows in Mo’s footsteps and pulls out of the draft despite his combine invite, but the odds of him leaving this year just significantly increased.
https://247sports.com/Article/Report-Michigan-basketballs-Moe-Wagner-an…
seems to indicate matthews feels confident he can get to upper second round and that would be enough for him to go.
not that he is more likely to go than not, but i think the mindset of "he is testing and will be back" is not where things are at. his camp feels he really can go and make a team this year.
I think this situation is similar to Wagner last year. Getting a Combine invite is a huge step toward being drafted, but how Matthews performs at the Combine and scrimmages is going to determine if it will happen. Wagner got exposed during the scrimmages, and his decision became clearer after that.
Personally, I hope he comes back because next year's draft is weaker which will increase his chance of going in the 1st round. But I can't be down on him if he goes if he gets a 2nd round guarantee as the early 2nd round works out for a lot of players.. One thing that has been a constant so far during most of Beilein's time at Michigan is that almost all of his players have made good decisions on early entry to the NBA Draft.
i think moe is just turning 21, matthews gonna be 22 this year. clock is a ticking
Ranking is different too. Wagner was pretty solidly on most top 100 lists last year. Matthews is not. He may want it based on his age, but if he can't show it on the floor it won't matter what the clock says. He's going to have to prove it just like Wagner last year.
Other withdrawals after participating in Combine:
Rawle Alkins (Arizona)
Andrew Jones (Texas)
Omer Yurtseven (NC State)
That makes about 12% of participants who withdrew after the Combine last year. Only one year so hard to draw too much from that sample size. It also could be skewed because some players pass on participating and that number could have a big effect on withdrawals. 8 of last year's top 10 picks did not participate last year, and I think that number may be higher this year because the draft is deeper.
Last year's Combine list: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/05/05/sixty-seven-players-attend-draft-combine
1. Matthews originally signed with Kentucky. Guys play for Calipari to get to the NBA, quickly. So, I think if Charles believes he has a decent NBA shot, he's going to take it.
2. IMO he's not ready, and could really benefit from another year in college. His FT shooting and handle need work, and he could benefit by improving his shot, especially 3pt. He wouldn't need a dramatic leap in those areas to greatly increase his stock - modest improvement would make him a pretty valuable player. Coach B is one of the elite talent developers in all of basketball. I'm convinced playing at Michigan for Coach B is a better opportunity for improvement than an NBA bench or G-League.
3. I disagree with people who say players - even those who make it in the NBA - wouldn't get better if they stay in college. With the rare exception of the absolute prodigies (LeBrons/Kobes of the world), almost all players are/would be much better when they enter the NBA after more seasoning. Back when guys played 3-4 years in college, they were terrific the minute they joined the league. IMO Wagner was clearly a better player this year; his offensive numbers didn't go up, but he was stronger, smarter, and made his team better.
Even NBA execs know the quality of play in the league isn't helped by all the young guys entering the league drafted on potential, learning on the job.
That said...
4. There's a lot to be said for cashing in ASAP, and maximizing your NBA career. NBA execs often seem to draft potential above production. NBA guys make incredible amounts of money. Hard to blame anyone for making a purely business decision.
without much better outside shooting and FT shooting. Case closed. He needs another year of college to work on that. Wallowing in the NBA's development league for 1-2 years will not help him nearly as much as one more year with Beilein.
I hope he comes back. I love watching him play.