The madness of March may be over, but the stars and players of the tournament continue to make headlines. Everyday a new player decides to take their game to the next level, following in the footsteps of others and declaring for the NBA draft. It is been less than two weeks since Duke beat Wisconsin for the championship and yet it is already easy to say some of the biggest teams are going to look quite different next season.
One team known for having its top recruits enter the draft well before their four years are up is Kentucky and this year proves to be no different. After going undefeated all regular season and making a long run in the tournament, the Wildcat stars have decided to take their skills to a bigger stage. With eligibility remaining, seven Kentucky Wildcats have declared for the NBA draft.
Another standout team in the tournament was the Duke Blue Devils. Coach Mike Krzyzewski won his fifth National Championship with a group of talented players. Just as Kentucky, Duke is losing some of its biggest stars to the NBA draft. With decisions continuing to be made, Duke has three of its young athletes declaring for the draft.
Everyone remembers the Wisconsin Badgers from the tournament, the team that ruined Kentucky’s perfect season and knocked them out of the tournament. The team had big name players such as Frank Kaminsky, but the twenty-two year old was playing in his senior season and the Badgers were not getting him back. One player tournament watchers came to know was the Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker. With one-year left to play, Dekker has decided to forfeit his senior year and enter the 2015 draft.
Rick Pitino’s Louisville team made it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament before being knocked out by the Michigan State Spartans. Leading the fourth seeded Cardinals were two star players, a junior forward and a sophomore guard. Both of these athletes just as many others have done, have declared for the NBA.
Many other teams are feeling the effects of young players entering the draft, something that comes along with the territory of playing college basketball. It is a dream these young men are fulfilling to show that the skills they have perfected over the years are good enough to take them to the professional level. Yes, fans and coaches would love to have these athletes stay and play all four years in college, but for some that just is not realistic. It is on to bigger and better things, a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The NBA’s deadline to declare for the draft is April 26 and the 2015 draft will be held Thursday, June 25 in New York.
Players that have declared:
Kentucky:
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Willie Cauley-Stein
- Trey Lyles
- Aaron Harrison
- Dakari Johnson
- Devin Booker
- Andrew Harrison
Duke:
- Tyus Jones
- Jahlil Okafor
- Justise Winslow
Louisville:
- Terry Rozier
- Montrezl Harrell
Arizona:
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
- Brandon Ashley
Florida:
- Michael Frazier II
NC State:
- Trevor Lacey
Georgia State:
- J. Hunter
North Carolina:
- P. Tokoto
Arkansas:
- Bobby Portis
- Michael Qualls
UCLA:
- Kevon Looney
Kansas:
- Cliff Alexander
- Kelly Oubre Jr.
Murray State:
- Cameron Payne
LSU:
- Jarell Martin
- Jordan Mickey
Virginia:
- Justin Anderson
Texas:
- Myles Turner
Nebraska:
- Walter Pitchford
- Terran Petteway
Wisconsin:
- Sam Dekker