2009 NBA Draft early entry analysis
The NBA announced that 55 underclassmen who had declared as early entry candidates for the June 25 NBA Draft have withdrawn their names from consideration. There are 39 U.S. prospects that remain in the draft pool as early entry candidates. Commentary provided by CBSSports.com senior writer Gary Parrish.
U.S. underclassmen early entry list • International
Updated June 16
| Final official list of underclassmen who declared for NBA Draft | |||||
| Player | School | Year | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. |
| DeJuan Blair | Pittsburgh | So. | F | 6-7 | 265 |
| Concerns about Blair's knees are causing his stock to drop. But that doesn't mean his decision to leave Pitt was a bad one, because his knees would've been the same or worse this time next year, and in a deeper draft. | |||||
| Derrick Brown | Xavier | Jr. | F | 6-8 | 225 |
| Brown's decision to leave Xavier came as no surprise, but time will tell if it was wise. If he gets guaranteed money, good for him. If not, he made a mistake. | |||||
| Chase Budinger | Arizona | Jr. | F | 6-7 | 220 |
| Somebody will select Budinger late in the first round, and what they'll have is a 21-year-old Californian who loves to shoot jumpers, but not much else. Perhaps that's good enough to last in the NBA. But wings who don't drive the ball or guard particularly well are usually a source of concern. | |||||
| Nick Calathes | Florida | So. | G/F | 6-6 | 195 |
| Oddly, it might be better for Calathes to go in the second round rather than the first so that he's not bound by any salary structure. And the good news for him is that the second round is probably where he'll be picked before turning his attention to Greece. | |||||
| Earl Clark | Louisville | Jr. | G/F | 6-9 | 225 |
| Clark is one of those guys who just looks like an NBA player when he walks in the gym. If he can consistently play like one, he'll have a long and profitable career. | |||||
| Kareem Cooper | Texas-El Paso | Jr. | C | 7-0 | 285 |
| If the draft was 70 rounds, Cooper would not be selected. What he's thinking, I have no idea. | |||||
| Brandon Costner | NC State | Jr. | F | 6-9 | 230 |
| Costner has said he'd rather play overseas than sit on an NBA bench. My question: Does he really think he's good enough to sit on an NBA bench? | |||||
| Stephen Curry | Davidson | Jr. | G | 6-3 | 185 |
| A franchise is going to take Curry higher than most thought he'd initially go, and it's going to be a good move. Outside of Blake Griffin, the Davidson star might be the safest pick in this draft. | |||||
| Austin Daye | Gonzaga | So. | F | 6-11 | 200 |
| Somebody will pick Daye because of his potential. But he's a long way -- and about 20 pounds -- from being able to contribute in the NBA. | |||||
| DeMar DeRozan | USC | Fr. | F | 6-7 | 200 |
| DeRozan has elite-level athleticism and loads of potential. It should surprise nobody if he ends up being one of the best players to come out of this draft. | |||||
| Eric Devendorf | Syracuse | Jr. | G | 6-4 | 180 |
| Devendorf has no place in the NBA, but he wasn't wanted at Syracuse, either. Thus, overseas or the NBDL is where you'll find him, if you care to find him at all. | |||||
| Wayne Ellington | North Carolina | Jr. | G | 6-4 | 200 |
| Ellington will make an NBA roster because of his ability to shoot. There's no guarantee he'll be a great or even good pro. But there was nothing left for him to do at North Carolina. | |||||
| Chinemelu Elonu | Texas A&M | Jr. | F/C | 6-10 | 235 |
| On the surface, Elonu's departure makes little sense. But he had already graduated, so it's understandable that he wanted to try to make a paycheck some place as long as he understands that place likely won't be the NBA. | |||||
| Tyreke Evans | Memphis | Fr. | G | 6-6 | 220 |
| Evans has an NBA body and the way he ripped apart Missouri's defense in the Sweet 16 enhanced his stock greatly. The Memphis product is a guaranteed top 10 pick, and if the Memphis Grizzlies trade down from the second spot they might try to snatch him up. | |||||
| Jonny Flynn | Syracuse | So. | G | 6-0 | 185 |
| Back when Flynn swore he would return for his junior season, I remember telling people that he'd change his mind once he realized he was a top 10 pick. Shortly thereafter, he changed his mind. And now guess what? He's a top 10 pick. | |||||
| Taj Gibson | USC | Jr. | F | 6-9 | 225 |
| The mess at USC would've likely forced Gibson to remain in the draft even if he didn't have a place. But there's a chance the forward could go late in the first round, especially with Gani Lawal and a few others now out of his way. | |||||
| Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | So. | F | 6-10 | 250 |
| Griffin is the obvious No. 1 pick and would be no matter which franchise was selecting first. He's a physical freak, good kid and hard worker. I can't imagine a scenario (barring injuries) where he isn't a great player for a long time. | |||||
| D'mond Grismore | Huston-Tillotson (TX) | Jr. | C | 6-6 | -- |
| I wouldn't know this dude if he delivered me a pizza. But his name is pretty cool, either way. | |||||
| Rogér Guignard | Texas-Arlington | Jr. | G | 5-11 | 165 |
| Answer: Gary Parrish, Gregg Doyel and Jim Nantz. Question: Can you name three people with a better chance of getting drafted than Roger Guignard? | |||||
| Daniel Hackett | USC | Jr. | G | 6-5 | 205 |
| Hackett isn't an NBA player, but he can probably make a nice living overseas. Or at least he better hope so. | |||||
| James Harden | Arizona State | So. | G | 6-5 | 218 |
| Some are now questioning whether Harden really should go as high as No. 2 in this draft. But those people are forgetting that as high as No. 2 is pretty much where the Arizona State star was projected to go all season. | |||||
| Paul Harris | Syracuse | Jr. | F | 6-4 | 230 |
| Harris is drastically undersized for his position. But you just watch, he'll play in the NBA someday, somehow. | |||||
| Gerald Henderson | Duke | Jr. | G/F | 6-4 | 215 |
| Henderson didn't really flourish as a player until the second half of his junior season. But his athleticism has long been obvious, and that's what'll make him a lottery pick. | |||||
| Jordan Hill | Arizona | Jr. | F | 6-10 | 235 |
| Hill is taking advantage of a weak draft, and he's a virtual lock to go in the top 10. Not bad for a guy who was rated as the 26th-best power forward in the Class of 2006. | |||||
| Jrue Holiday | UCLA | Fr. | G | 6-3 | 180 |
| Holiday is proof that the NBA is more interested in a player's potential than what he's actually done. He averaged 8.5 points at UCLA, but he could go in the top five of this draft. | |||||
| James Johnson | Wake Forest | So. | F | 6-9 | 245 |
| Johnson will be one of two Wake Forest players to go in the first round, which makes that first-round loss in the NCAA tournament even harder to understand. | |||||
| Ty Lawson | North Carolina | Jr. | G | 5-11 | 195 |
| Lawson's track record of injuries is concerning some NBA teams. But he's still a first-round pick thanks to his quickness and performance in the NCAA tournament. | |||||
| Darnell Lindsay | Tennessee Tech | Jr. | F | 6-4 | 205 |
| If he's drafted, I'll change my name to Darnell. | |||||
| Jodie Meeks | Kentucky | Jr. | G | 6-4 | 210 |
| Meeks passed on the opportunity to be a first-team All-American and possibly make a Final Four. To each his own, I guess. But it'll be a silly choice if he's not in the NBA next season. | |||||
| Nate Miles | Southern Idaho | Fr. | G | 6-7 | 170 |
| Isn't it hilarious that the guy who has had an agent for years isn't even going to be drafted? | |||||
| Patrick Mills | Saint Mary's | So. | G | 6-0 | 180 |
| If you're looking for a second-round pick who will stick in the NBA, this is your guy (assuming Mills goes in the second round, of course). | |||||
| B.J. Mullens | Ohio State | Fr. | C | 7-0 | 275 |
| Like Jrue Holiday, he'll be picked on potential. But who knows if Mullens will ever reach his? | |||||
| Ronald Ogoke | Paul Quinn College (TX) | Jr. | C | 7-0 | 225 |
| Ogoke averaged 3.8 points for an NAIA school. I have neighbors who have done that, and they sell houses for a living. | |||||
| Terrence Roderick | Alabama-Birmingham | So. | G | 6-6 | 180 |
| Roderick almost averaged six whole points per game last season at UAB before 'leaving' the team. The NBA must be thrilled to have him available. | |||||
| DaJuan Summers | Georgetown | Jr. | F | 6-8 | 235 |
| I love what Summers could be a lot more than what he's ever been. | |||||
| Shawn Taggart | Memphis | Jr. | F | 6-10 | 240 |
| He won't play in the NBA next season. But Taggart had already graduated, and there was little chance of him turning into a first-round pick next year. So leaving Memphis early wasn't as crazy as it might seem on the surface. | |||||
| Jeff Teague | Wake Forest | So. | G | 6-2 | 180 |
| His ability to get to the rim will make Teague an effective scorer at the NBA level. If I were picking in the teens and needed a guard, this is the guy I'd take. | |||||
| Hasheem Thabeet | Connecticut | Jr. | C | 7-3 | 265 |
| Thabeet will go second or third overall, block shots and rebound, and if that's what somebody wants, by all means, they should take him. But those waiting for the UConn center to "get tougher" are being silly. He is what he is. And if you don't like what he is, you're going to be disappointed. | |||||
| Dar Tucker | DePaul | So. | F | 6-5 | 215 |
| Great name. Questionable future. | |||||
