This past Monday was the deadline for college players to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to school. Coaches and fans anxiously awaited several key players’ decisions. At Kentucky, junior guard Jodie Meeks would have instantly made the Wildcats a frontrunner to reach the 2010 Final Four. His decision to remain in the draft will leave new coach John Calipari without a proven veteran in the backcourt.
Meanwhile, a couple of ACC teams are excited about the return of key players. At Maryland, the return of point guard Greivis Vasquez makes the Terrapins a contender in what looks to be a wide open ACC race. Georgia Tech also figures to be a player with the return of big man Gani Lawal, widely considered a lottery pick until he had a disappointing season — at 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Here is a list of players who decided to stay in school and a list of those who decided to pursue NBA dreams.
Moving on to the NBA:
Austin Daye, Gonzaga
Sophomore forward
12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds per game
Chinemelu Elonu, Texas A&M
Junior center
9.8 points, 7.3 rebounds per game
Jrue Holiday, UCLA
Freshman point guard
8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Junior guard
23.7 points, 3.4 rebounds per game
Patty Mills, St. Mary’s
Sophomore point guard
18.4 points, 3.9 assists per game
Jeff Teague, Wake Forsest
Sophomore guard
18.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game
Heading back to campus:
Bryan Davis, Texas A&M
Junior forward
10.8 points, 6.5 rebounds per game
Devan Downey, South Carolina
Junior point guard
19.8 points, 4.5 assists per game
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech
Junior guard
16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds per game
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Junior forward
23.3 points, 11.8 rebounds per game
Damion James, Texas
Junior swingman
15.4 points, 9.2 rebounds per game
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech
Sophomore forward
15.1 points, 9.5 rebounds per game
Ater Majok, Connecticut
Freshman center
Never played a game
D.J. Rivera, Binghamton
Junior guard
20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds per game
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech
Junior forward
12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds per game
Donald Sloan, Texas A&M
Junior guard
11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds per game
Tyler Smith, Tennessee
Junior forward
15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Junior point guard
17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists per game
