Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
The Wildcats may be the most stacked team in the country next year and have uber-prospect Julius Randle, who will be penciled into the starting lineup along with Dakari Johnson and others who will get minutes. After Nerlens Noel went down with a torn ACL the Wildcats began to rely on Cauley-Stein to man the post.
As a prospect Cauley-Stein is long, explosive and the type of prospect that will make scouts salivate. Sticking around for his sophomore season, Cauley-Stein might find a logjam in Lexington that could hamper his production.
Glenn Robinson III, SF, Michigan
Robinson III had an outstanding freshman year as the Wolverines fell short of winning a title. With Trey Burke gone, Robinson will have a chance to be the man for the Wolverines but will not have someone like Burke putting him in easy position to score.
Also, Robinson’s decision to return is somewhat surprising considering how thin the small forward position is in this draft. No question Robinson could have been a lottery pick and the second player at his position drafted, but a return to Ann Arbor could vault him into the top-10 next year.
Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
Harris was never a serious threat to bolt from East Lansing after one season, but with the way he played in March and his natural ability, NBA teams were disappointed he opted to return.
Harris will be expected to lead the Spartans next season and could be a very dangerous perimeter scorer in the Big 10. While the 2013 NBA Draft became weaker with Harris’ decision, the 2014 draft got even deeper.
MORE FROM JOE KOTOCH:
Risers and Fallers from 2013 NCAA Tournament
Mock Draft 1.0.1
TOP SCORERS IN THE NCAA; A CLOSER LOOK
Top 20 Picks: Pre-March Madness
Top 2013 Draft Prospects: Centers
Top 2013 Draft Prospects: Power Forwards
Top 2013 Draft Prospects: Small Forwards
Top 2013 Draft Prospects: Point Guards
Top 2013 Draft Prospects: Shooting Guards
Joe Kotoch is the Editor-in-chief of Pro Basketball Draft, a leading scouting service in the world of professional basketball. Before Joe created PBD he served as an NBPA & FIBA certified agent and scouted players all across the world. Born and raised in Cleveland, Joe also contributes to Fox Sports Ohio and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. You can follow Joe on Twitter @Probballdraft.