20 college hoops players who should've stayed in school

Sure, Louisville faces an uncertain future so you cannot fault some players for leaving the program, especially if you consider the school has had three different head coaches in the last 12 months. Adel is an athletic wing who needs to improve his shooting if he's going to stick in the NBA. He did lead the Cardinals in scoring last season and is good for some highlight dunks. For now, he's likely looking at a G League career for a few years, where he can work on his shot.

I get it. His brother, Giannis, has broken through as an NBA superstar, and Kostas feels as if he has a chance in the league. He's old for a freshman (20) and averaged just over five points per game for Dayton as a bench player. Some team could take a flier on him in the second round due to physical tools similar to his brother's and a hope to develop his admittedly raw talent. Still, another year at Dayton would have helped his development and given scouts more to go on than pure hope.

A BYU player leaving early almost always has some disclaimers. Bryant, who as a junior averaged 18.2 points per game for the Cougars, already has his degree and is also married. While he isn't projected to get drafted, he could find work overseas or in the G League to support his family. While staying in schools has some injury risks, it also is something you cannot get back, and his BYU squad had a lot of promise next season. The G League and other avenues would still be available to him, but he wants to go pro now. 

Crawford never really reached the promise he hinted at during his time at Wake Forest. He would make some tough passes, and he wasn't the most stable defender. Those aren't the most attractive traits for a would-be NBA point guard. He is a good shooter and playmaker but maybe needed a bit more seasoning from Danny Manning and the Demon Deacons coaching staff. 

Davis is leaving the Aggies on a high note — his great game against North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the Sweet 16. However, he isn't projected to be drafted, and with frontcourt mate Robert Williams declaring for the draft, Davis would have had an opportunity to shine in his senior season and develop some refined moves to go with his physical game.

Duvall will likely get drafted and could sneak into the first round. However, he had a very rocky freshman season at Duke. He flashed some potential, but he wasn't reliable enough as a true point guard for the Blue Devils. In fact, Grayson Allen ended up being the primary ballhandler. With the epic recruiting class coming in for Duke, Duvall felt as if he had to leave now, but that just isn't the case. Duvall didn't expect to beat out newcomer Tre Jones but expects to win an NBA roster spot?

Eubanks just really wants to go pro. He declared after his sophomore season but ultimately went back to school. This summer, he decided to stay in the draft. His numbers fell from 14.5 points per game as a sophomore to 13.2 as the talent around him got better. He has size and hustles, though his offensive game may not be ready for the NBA right now. He's projected to go late in the second round if he gets drafted at all. He may as well have stayed for his senior season and continued to develop and grow Oregon State's program along the way. 

Franks is certainly striking while the iron is hot. After averaging just over six points as a sophomore, the junior broke out and became one of the Pac-12's top scorers at 17.4 points per game. He most likely won't get drafted and will have to prove himself overseas or in developmental leagues. Sure, coming back to school means playing for a Washington State squad that has been struggling, but head coach Ernie Kent has developed NBA guards in the past. Franks could have benefited from his coaching.

One of the rubs against Kentucky's annual recruiting hall is that players seemingly declare for the draft way before they are ready. Sometimes it is due to guys fearing that coming back to the Wildcats means they will get buried on the bench behind the incoming crop of freshmen. Gabriel averaged just 6.8 points and 5.4 boards for UK last year and gained notice by hitting all seven of his three-pointers in an SEC Tournament win over Alabama. Two games later, however, he scored just one point against Davidson. His best moments were toward the end of the season so a return to school could have vaulted him into a possible first-round pick. As it is, he may find himself undrafted. 

Gates, a junior who averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds at Xavier, will most likely go undrafted. With the Musketeers losing Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura, Sean O’Mara and Kerem Kanter from last year's top five team, Gates stood to take on a huge role in his senior season. Instead, he is most likely setting up for a career overseas.

Hogg was a big-time recruit in high school with loads of confidence and may be caught up in the mass exodus of the 2018 Aggies. Robert Williams and Tyler Davis declared for the draft, yet Hogg may have the longest odds of getting drafted. A 6-9 forward, he hopes to be a stretch four at the NBA level, but there are better options on the draft board. He could have come back to A&M and taken on a featured role and worked further on his ball-handling and shooting.

I get it. Metu has a lot of potential, and while going pro is a bit risky, there will be someone out there that will take him — whether with a second-round pick or as an undrafted free agent. Still, Metu's offensive arsenal is a bit raw. He's good around the basket and is highly athletic, but his jump shot just isn't near NBA-ready. His hands aren't steady, and he's prone to bobbling the ball. Again, someone will take a chance on him, but he could have used another year with the Trojans to work on his weaknesses.

The 6-9 Montana graduated already, and with his German citizenship, he's a good bet to have a career in Europe. He averaged just under seven points per game this season and is a solid three-point shooter, though it's unlikely he's ready for the NBA.

Moore is an athletic big man who does most of his work in the paint. He averaged a double-double in ACC play last year with the Demon Deacons, but his offense primarily comes from dunks and put-backs. He'll get a look, but he may go undrafted. Sticking around for his senior season and playing for a former great big man in Danny Manning would be beneficial, but Moore believes he's good enough for the next level.

It is hard to fault Newman's thinking. He was a one-and-done prospect when he left high school for Mississippi State. He then sat out a year before his sophomore year at Kansas. He broke out during the tournament, and he's simply striking while the iron is hot. But could it get hotter? Newman isn't a first-round pick and may struggle to find time in the NBA. If he had stayed another year at Kansas with a loaded team, he may have shown scouts some leadership skills along with a larger sample of elite play. He's a scorer but a little small to play the off guard. He doesn't have the skills to be a point guard, which could limit his opportunities.

Sampson was a sixth man of sorts for the Tigers last year so it is rather odd that he'd turn pro after his junior season. He averaged just 7.7 points last season — four fewer than in his sophomore campaign. Sure, his playing time might go down some more with a really good recruiting class coming into Baton Rouge, but it may be tough for Sampson to find playing time anywhere as a professional. 

Injuries wrecked Shine's last two seasons so it isn't a surprise that he's leaving Oklahoma State, but it is peculiar that he'd declare for the draft. He was eligible for a redshirt senior season next year, and after graduating he would also be eligible to become a graduate transfer. Basically, he didn't have to give up his collegiate career and had options. There's little chance of an NBA career so the overseas route is his best chance to continue his hoops life.

Like his teammate Tavarius Shine, Sima will leave Oklahoma State after his senior season with eligibility left, and like Shine, he most likely will have to find a career overseas. The 6-11 big man averaged just 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in his lone season with the Cowboys. As a freshman at St. John's, Sima was second in the Big East in blocks. He's played for the Spanish national team so he has international experience.

Vanderbilt expected to be a one-and-done so it's not a surprise that he entered the draft despite missing half of the season due to injury. Add in another outstanding recruiting class heading to Lexington, and Vanderbilt may have felt his best chance was to go pro this year. He was a McDonald's All-American who showed flashes of what he can bring, but he most likely won't get much run next year even if he gets drafted.

Vick should get an "honorable mention" on this list as he actually pulled his name out of the NBA Draft and did not sign with an agent. However, Kansas may have moved on from Vick (who all but assured Bill Self that he was gone), and he may not be able to come back to school. Instead, he could transfer to another program and sit out a season before playing or just go play in the G League for a year and then try to get drafted. Either way, this is a cautionary tale of "testing the waters" and then not being able to go back to college.