Deadlines for underclassmen to drop out or stay in the 2022 NBA draft came and went on Wednesday night, with a lot of noise and big implications for the draft and the 2022-23 college basketball season.
There are a lot of teams benefiting from the deadline, and Kansas could lead the way by acquiring a starter from last season’s national champion team and (officially) adding another star. Soon-to-be conference rivals Houston won on deadline night, with Marcus Souther announcing his college return.
Of course, at the other end of the deadline, there are many more who will be losers. Michigan comes to mind here after losing two players who are testing the waters. Arizona, in addition to Benedict Maturin and Christian Koloko, surprisingly lost Darren Terry late in the game.
This is just a sampling of some of the programs and players affected when the deadline ends Wednesday at midnight. Here’s a full rundown of each — from KU to Gonzaga, from Memphis to Michigan, and everyone in between.
WINNER: Repeat title hopes for Kansas
Kansas may never retire its entire title-winning lineup — Ochai Agbaji is a lottery pick and Christian Braun is expected to stay in the draft because of his good first-round prospect — but it The recovery is as good as expected. KU is back with soon-to-be junior Jalen Wilson, who started 27 games last season after making a pre-draft decision. Wilson led Kansas in rebounding last season.
That alone might have elevated KU into the winner’s circle, but of course, Bill Self and KU dub it again on Deadline Day, as Kevin McCullar Jr. officially announced he was heading to Kansas. A quality glue player and guard, McCuller was Texas Tech’s defensive No. 1 point guard last season, and he’s weighing whether to move to KU or stay in the draft — and he chose the former.
Replacing Agbaji and Braun is a tall order, even for a coach like Self — not to mention big man David McCormack, who is the team’s best player — but the Jayhawks are sure on the right track. If Wilson can improve his shooting ability, he has NBA talent. So does McCall. They will be the old leaders of a very interesting and very talented remake KU team. They won’t be title favorites, but they certainly have talent that shouldn’t be overlooked in that regard.
Winner: Houston as preseason No. 1
Marcus Sasser played just a dozen games for Houston last season before a serious season-ending injury crippled a potential All-American campaign. But he announced on Wednesday that he would return for the 2022-23 season in arguably the most impactful and underrated “stay or go” decision of the week.
Sasser’s sudden appearance at the combine makes his decision more challenging than expected. Upon his return, however, he’ll likely be back as a star for the Cougars, which have made two consecutive Elite Eights (and a Final Four in 2021). This is a team that has a real case to be considered the No. 1 team in the preseason.
Loser: Michigan loses Houston and Diabate
Just over a month ago, Michigan State big man Hunter Dickinson announced that he would be returning to school and suspending his career pursuit, giving the Wolverines a big boost for the 2022-23 season. This is the last good news. Throughout the pre-draft process, most thought Michigan might part ways with Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate — taking one back and possibly losing one in the draft. It’s not like this. Instead, both chose to stay in the draft.
Dickinson gave Michigan a solid foundation for next season, but a tie between Hallstein and Diabate put Juwan Howard into instant rebuild mode. There’s a lot of potential in his upcoming recruiting class, but with Diabate and Hustain gone, it looks like Wolverine won’t be a major factor in the Big Ten next season, barring a surprise.
Winner: Gonzaga gets most of the core
On Tuesday, Gonzaga sharpshooter Russell Bolton announced his decision to return to school next season. Dominoes.
Gonzaga wing Julian Strouser did the same Wednesday night. Bigger dominoes.
On Wednesday night, just minutes before the exit deadline, Gonzaga man Drew Thiem joined them. huge, with a mustache, Curse words domino.
The trio will maintain Gonzaga’s elite status next season after earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. Bolton and Strouser were always seen as more likely to return, but Thiem’s return is a welcome return for college basketball and Gonzaga — even if his draft picks suggest a return would make sense.
The Zags will likely be a preseason top 10 team again next season, with or without Timme and his sweet feet and “stache”, but with him they can again dare to dream big as they look to overcome the odds Pursue the title.
Winner: Memphis
Memphis hasn’t won everything on the draft front — it’s a little surprising that Lester Quinones is still in the draft — but overall it can claim deadline wins. It gets DeAndre Williams, who is big (he’ll be 26 when the season starts!) and adds a star point guard after Kendric Davis moved in from SMU. While neither is likely to be drafted, that doesn’t detract from their status as two of the most experienced and impactful college players at their respective positions. Penny Hardaway’s Tigers will once again be NCAA Tournament quality.
To be sure, Hardaway has done his job filling the rest of the roster, and it won’t be easy — because Jason Munds points out, Memphis has lost nearly 85% of last season’s 3-point production — but still has time and plenty of options. Having Davis and Williams is the starting point that most college coaches can only dream of having right now.
Loser: Arizona lost all its star power
Sophomore guard Benedict Mathurin and junior big man Christian Koloko — breakout stars in his first year at Arizona under Tommy Lloyd last season — have locked in to leave school for the draft , both could be first-round picks. But there is hope, however unrealistic, that the Wildcats may bring back Darren Terry, who spent most of last season out of the spotlight.
No dice.
Terry waived his remaining college eligibility along with Maturin and Koloko. He had a great season as a starter, mostly as a role player. He could have been a mainstay for Lloyds next season, but he was eliminated, possibly because he believed he would be a first-round pick.
For Terry, there’s no guarantee here that he’ll make it to the first round, but it seems clear that that potential will eventually allow him to move on comfortably. His departure makes Lloyd’s rebuilding efforts in Tucson more challenging after a strong start to the season.
Winner: Top 10 prospects in Indiana
Michigan lost Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate in the draft. Purdue lost Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams in the draft. Ohio State lost Malaki Branham and EJ Liddell in the draft.
Could the Big Ten be Indiana now?
I think the situation exists. Trayce Jackson-Davis is back, as are the team’s other top two scorers from last season. Incoming five-star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino will also be a different person. I think returning production and increased star power, combined with the losses suffered by other teams in the Big Ten, should make the Indians a legitimate contender for the Big Ten and beyond.
Losers: Iowa State, Duke miss out on big moves
On the day of the deadline, shockingly, Hall of Fame receiver Northern Iowa guard AJ Green announced he would remain in the draft and not seeking a transfer, a pair of Iowa State (the expected frontrunner landing him as his father was an assistant coach there) and Du Gram University (another plan was also to land him).
On her own, Miss is what you can live with. But Iowa lost star Tyrese Hunt to Texas through a transfer, and Duke lost the draft to Trevor Giles after debating the decision until the last minute on Wednesday. . Missing out on Green is just an extra blow to both programs.