Indiana will have to move forward without dynamic big man Thomas Bryant. The Hoosiers' outgoing sophomore will keep his name in the candidate pool for the 2017 NBA Draft, sign an agent, and end his college career, a source told CBS Sports.
Bryant, a 6-foot-10 power froward, averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in his two seasons under Tom Crean. He was forecast as a potential lottery pick entering this season, but at this point he's projected as an early second-round pick at best. Bryant, who is still just 19 years old, had the opportunity to return to IU and try to thrive under new coach Archie Miller.
Instead, he's taking his chances on pro money now. He'll absolutely be picked. His performance at the NBA combine in less than two weeks might wind up being pivotal to his positioning. Bryant has a fledgling outside game. He'll be a tempting project as a second-round pick because of his size, willingness to learn, shooting acumen and undeniable physical attributes. It's not out of the question that he breaks into the first round and earns a guaranteed contract. Clearly he must be thinking that is a possibility.
For Miller and Indiana, the loss of Bryant certainly hurts, as he makes for two players gloing to the draft erly and signing with an agent, joining OG Anunoby, who went down with a season-ending right-knee injury in January. The Hoosiers have two other underclassmen currently weighing their options. James Blackmon Jr., who would likely lead IU in scoring next season if he were to come back, and junior guard Robert Johnson are still to-be-determined with their decisions.
The chances of for both Blackmon and Johnson to come back are 50/50, a source told CBS Sports.
Both players have until May 24 to decide whether or not to return to college.
