In or out? College hoops stars who still have draft decisions

Azubuike is an interesting case. He isn't really ready for the NBA yet, but his potential could cause someone late in the first round to take a chance on him and have him play in the G League, like UNC's Tony Bradley last year. If he comes back to school, he will be a huge piece for Kansas getting back to the Final Four. He'd be the only starter returning to a team that is bringing in yet another solid recruiting class as well as several top transfers. So does he take the money and toil in the G League, or does he come back for a chance to get Kansas another title as well as raise his draft status?

Battle's draft stock is all over the place (late first round to late second round) if he stays in the draft. One thing is for certain if he decides to come back to school: He'll get a lot of run at Syracuse. Battle led the nation in minutes played, averaging 39 minutes per contest, and averaged 19.2 points for an Orange offense that struggled to score. If he bolts for the NBA, a lot will be asked of returnees Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard.

Bowen is a bit of a special case. He declared for the draft without signing an agent, but he really wants to go back to school. What makes his case special is that the NCAA may not allow him to return — Bowen was the Louisville recruit linked in the FBI's probe of college basketball. He transferred to South Carolina, but the NCAA hasn't reinstated him — so he's being forced to go pro. It is doubtful that the NCAA will rule on his eligibility before the deadline to pull his name from the draft pool, so he has a huge decision to make — one that may be made for him. 

Bowman and backcourt mate Jerome Robinson were shining lights in what has been a dark few years for the Boston College program. Both decided to test the waters, but Robinson recently signed with an agent. Bowman's decision is critical for the Eagles as it could determine if Boston College continues to build to a possible tournament team or stays in the bottom tier of the conference standings. The 6-1 guard averaged 17.6 points, 4.7 assists and 6.8 rebounds for BC last season.

Brown had a solid NCAA Tournament during the Wildcats' run to the Elite Eight, hitting the game-winning layup against Kentucky, which gave him the confidence to test the NBA waters this spring. He most likely will come back to school — he wasn't invited to the draft combine — but the experience going through the process should be helpful. Brown is already one of the best defensive combo guards in the country, and his offense is improving yearly. 

Daum has had a fantastic career at South Dakota State. He's won two Summit Player of the Year Awards, averaged 24.5 points the last two seasons and the last time we saw him he dumped 27 on Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament. He's the classic mid-major stud, but will it transfer to the NBA? This is exactly why this process is in place. He will either gather a ton of information from teams about how he needs to improve his game and come back to SDSU as an even more dominant player, or he wows some team(s) with his ability to be a stretch four and gets a promise from someone. Needless to say, Jackrabbit Nation is anxiously waiting.

DiVincenzo certainly had his coming-out party in the NCAA National Championship Game, winning Final Four MOP. With National Player of the Year Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges leaving, DiVincenzo looks to move into the starting lineup and take over a bigger part of the offense. If the prototypical three-and-D player performs well at the NBA combine, however, he could sneak into the first round.

Edwards was outstanding for the Boilermakers this past season, which is why his decision on whether to stay in the draft is huge in West Lafayette. Purdue is already losing a ton of talent, and if Edwards stays in the draft then the Boilermakers' fortunes take a huge hit. If he comes back, he will be asked to shoulder even more of the scoring (he averaged 18.5 points last season) and be the unquestioned leader of a team looking to continue to contend in the Big Ten.

Evans went into the draft fully prepared to leave Cincinnati, but by not signing with an agent, he opens the door for a possible return. Evans led the Bearcats in scoring the last two seasons, and even his coach, Mick Cronin, feels he's ready to make the next step. His draft projection, however, is all over the place. Some have him as a first-round pick while others have him going deep in the second round. If he doesn't like what he hears at the combine, he could come back to Cincinnati to make another run at a Final Four.

Kentucky has yet another stacked freshman class coming in, but any fan can tell you that the Wildcats need a wily veteran or two to help lead the young guys. Gabriel could be that guy. He's not the steadiest of players, scoring 23 points in one game and then just a single point two games later, but he seemed to get more comfortable as the season wound down. He may not be that big-time pro prospect, but he could decide to stay in the draft and work into the league via the G League. It has worked for other Kentucky players, and if Gabriel feels coming back won't help his stock, he could bolt now.

Happ has been one of the best players in Wisconsin history and decided to test the waters after his junior season. He averaged 17.9 points, eight rebounds and 3.7 assists this past season and said he will stay in the draft if he gets assurances he'll go in the first round. The fact that he wasn't invited to the combine suggests he won't be. Happ isn't the best shooter nor is he the most athletic guy around. While that may mean he has no NBA future, it doesn't affect his status a major force in the Big Ten next season if he comes back to Madison.

Konate established himself as one of the best rim protectors in the nation this past year. The NBA loves guys like Konate, who has bulk even though he's only 6-8. If he can become a pick-and-pop guy, he'll find plenty of teams wanting to draft him this summer. West Virginia would sure love for him to come back since the team is already losing its four-year backcourt. Having Konate swatting shots in the paint again would be much desired.

Caleb (18.9 points per game) and his twin brother Cody (14 points per game) declared for the draft without signing with an agent. Cody projects as a second-rounder while Caleb could end up in the first round. You would think if one decides to stay in the draft, the other will too. If they decide to come back, the Martin twins (along with Jordan Caroline, who is also testing the waters) could build on Nevada's magical Sweet 16 run next year. 

Matthews, a transfer from Kentucky, had a solid season for the Wolverines and a sensational NCAA Tournament. He took that momentum and declared for the draft but did not get an invite to the combine. He very well could come back to school for his senior season and lead a still talented group back to the Final Four. Maybe in a more featured role he will improve his draft stock for next year.

Most expect Maye to return to North Carolina for his senior season, but the All-American wants to go through team workouts. If Maye does return, he will be an ACC Player of the Year candidate and a big part of the Heels' push for Roy Williams' fourth national championship. After jumping up to a 17 and 10 player last year, what kind of jump will he make in 2018-2019?

When Jontay arrived at Missouri, he was best known as the brother of top one-and-done prospect Michael Porter Jr. While Michael missed most of the season due to injury, Jontay was a key member (9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds) of the Tigers' tournament team. While his brother is locked in to the draft, Jontay has yet to hire an agent. If he returns, he will get a more featured role and be one of the key players in getting Mizzou back to the tournament. 

Even in Schofield's statement when announcing he was entering the draft, he didn't sound like he was ready to leave school. The junior averaged nearly 14 points and 6.4 boards for the SEC regular-season champs. If he returns and builds on what the NBA teams tell him he need to improve on, the loaded Vols are set up for another run.

Spellman is the kind of big man the NBA loves: a sizable body who is a nice pick-and-pop player. He has range on his jumper, and he's great at rolling to the basket and finishing. He's also a good rim protector who is willing to give his team whatever it needs to win. While the NBA certainly would love to have a guy like that, Villanova would also love to have another season of Spellman's magic.

Vanderbilt is in a weird spot. Injuries limited him to just 14 games this past season so he hasn't really been able to put his best foot forward. Getting exposure at the draft combine will be huge for his draft stock. He wants to go, and the Wildcats have a bunch of bigs either returning or coming in to easily replace him. What if he doesn't have good workouts, though? Will he still make the leap or risk getting lost on the depth chart next year?

Wiley was suspended for the entire 2017-2018 season after his family was linked to the FBI probe, but the NCAA has cleared him to play in 2018-2019. Still, Wiley put his name in the draft to test the waters. His projection is all over the place (late first-rounder to anywhere in the second round), and with him being out for the year, his performance in the combine will be huge to determining his future.