Should He Stay or Should He Go?: It’s that time of year again. Even before the Final Four teams play the last three basketball games of the season, fans are looking ahead to figure out what their favorite teams will look like next year. That picture morphs almost daily as elite players decide to enter the NBA Draft, test the waters or return to school. Here’s a rundown of recent decisions.
- Jermareo Davidson, Alabama: Davidson impressed scouts and defied critics by thriving in the absence of Chuck Davis, the Crimson Tide’s most dominant player. Davidson averaged 14.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but he still needs to improve his game before receiving serious first-round consideration. So his decision to return for a senior season is wise.
- Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina: The national freshman of the year is staying. In fact, he seemed slightly surprised when coach Roy Williams apprised him of his first-round value.
- Joakim Noah, Florida: The sparkplug for the popular pick to be national champion has repeatedly said he plans to return for another year of school. Noah’s stock has soared during the Gators’ run to the Final Four, but he seems unmotivated to capitalize on that. For now, Noah is out of the draft.
- Richard Roby, Colorado: Roby took the safe route by declaring for the draft but not hiring an agent. His value is questionable because his statistics did not improve after a phenomenal freshman season. The Buffaloes need Roby to hang around another year to continue to push for a finish among the Big 12’s elite.
- Marcus Slaughter, San Diego State: The athletic Aztec will take his 16.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game to the next level. Slaughter said he has no reason to return to San Diego State because it could only hurt his draft stock.
- Curtis Stinson, Iowa State: At 23, Stinson is no spring chicken by NBA standards. So testing the waters makes sense for Iowa State’s athletic point guard. But his weakness is long-range shooting. Another year with the Cyclones could lift his draft value if he learns to shoot closer to 40 percent than 30 percent from beyond the arc. [3/31/06]
