The college basketball season is fascinating for many reasons, one of the chief ones being the parade of one-and-done players who will leave for the NBA after playing one season with their college teams. It is exciting for teams and coaches to have elite players, but exciting as well for national fans of college basketball who know these players will be around for only one season. Coaches have to embrace the pressure of knowing they have special players under their wing for only one winter.
It’s interesting that on Thursday, NBA commission Adam Silver and NBPA chief Michele Roberts discussed the one-and-done situation. They are looking at changing some things around so that college basketball won’t deal with the one-and-done situation. The latest reports suggest that the NBA would allow players to jump from high school straight to the NBA. At the same time, if the players do decide to go to college, they will have to stay and commit for a period longer than one year. We’ll see if that happens.
As of now, the rules are the rules, so let’s take a look at five players most certain to be gone after one season of college ball:
Michael Porter Jr., Missouri Tigers
There is no more electrifying prospect than Porter, a tall player who plays a perimeter game and can shoot from long range. The size and length of Porter combined with a natural shooting stroke and an above-average handle makes him hard to ignore for the NBA teams which will be at the top of the draft board. Porter might not have the passing or play making ability of Ben Simmons, but his jump shot will still make him a top-three pick in just about any circumstance. The team with the No. 1 pick might not feel the need to take him, but he simply won’t drop more than two spots unless he gets injured. He is very likely to be top-two if analysts are being honest.
Marvin Bagley, Duke Blue Devils
The big man got injured Tuesday against Michigan State, and so it will be worth keeping an eye on his situation, but assuming the injury is nothing overly serious, Bagley should be on course to go in the top five. He is explosively athletic, tall, and long. He will be a very bothersome interior defender, the kind of player who will alter a lot of shots and force offensive players to pass up a lot of other shots. That cumulative defensive effect will recommend him to teams in need of a rim protector, and also give teams the reassurance that they will have a high-value player.
Kevin Knox, Kentucky Wildcats
The star shooter will follow in the footsteps of Malik Monk, the 2017 shooting guard who went in the top half of the first round. Knox is a silky-smooth offensive performer whose upside is so pronounced that NBA teams will not be able to stay away from him at some point in the top 15. Knox has far too much of a developed offensive skill set to stay in college a second season – he should embrace life as a one-and-done player.
DeAndre Ayton, Arizona Wildcats
This is another towering defender, but taller and more muscular than Bagley. Ayton might not turn into an elite scorer, but his defensive tools are already very pronounced and developed. Ayton is a gifted physical specimen, and that type of prize very rarely stays in college for any time beyond his first season. Ayton should be a part of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Mohamed Bamba, Texas Longhorns
This recruit almost went to Kentucky, the foremost home of one-and-done players. That he didn’t go to Kentucky won’t change his one-and-done status. Bamba figures to be a dynamic player at both ends of the floor. He will block a lot of shots, but he will also be a low-post operator on offense, especially late in games. If he is everything or even close to everything he was advertised to be, he will be off to the NBA next summer.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
