Andre Drummond: UConn's Star Freshman Must Jump Ship to NBA as Sure Lottery Pick

When the No. 9-seeded Connecticut Huskies were blasted in the Round of 64 by the Iowa State Cyclones in the NCAA tournament on Thursday, there were two schools of thought. One was that they were a young team with a bright future, while the other is that they blew their best chance for a while. If Andre Drummond departs for the NBA, the latter will be true.

The Huskies scored a major coup prior to the season, as they secured one of the top prospects in college basketball in the form of Drummond. UConn was coming off yet another national championship, and although superstar guard Kemba Walker entered the NBA draft, adding a monstrous center like Drummond was an important move for Jim Calhoun's squad.

Despite the fact that the Huskies had Drummond, as well as other strong players like Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, they underachieved this season in a big way. Drummond wasn't always dominant, but he certainly impressed with averages of 10 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the rough-and-tumble Big East.

The 6'10", 270-pound monster showed signs of being a physical force in the paint, and it's easy to see why the Huskies wanted him so badly. Drummond could certainly use some more seasoning, as he scored just two points in 26 minutes against Iowa State in the tourney, but at this point, it would be silly for him to stay in school.

Calhoun has never had a player leave for the NBA after just one season, but Drummond should be the first. He already has an NBA body, and he is all but guaranteed to be a lottery pick, so the risk far outweighs the reward when it comes to possibly returning to Connecticut.

Perhaps the biggest reason why Drummond should declare, even more so than money, is the fact that the Huskies will be banned from postseason play next season. UConn attempted to appeal the ruling, but it was rejected by the NCAA. The team failed to reach the NCAA's academic standards, so the Huskies will essentially be a lame-duck team next year.

That doesn't mean that Drummond wouldn't benefit from coming back. But he wouldn't have anything to play for, and he wouldn't be able to improve his draft stock on the big stage. With that huge caveat staring him in the face, making the move to the NBA has to be an extremely enticing option for Drummond.

While I would hate to see a talented player like Drummond enter the league prematurely and flounder, making the leap has to be the best move from his perspective. If he is meant to be a great player, then he will be able to learn on the fly and develop in the NBA rather than having to go back to college for another year.

Drummond isn't ready to play in the NBA at this very second, but as he goes through the draft process, trains and plays in some summer-league games, he will slowly develop into a guy who can contribute at the next level. One thing that can't be taught is size, and Drummond certainly has that working in his favor.

The postseason ban is a shame for UConn because it may result in Lamb leaving as well. If that weren't looming, then I could certainly see both players staying. The smartest move for Drummond right now, though, is to take the sure bet by entering the NBA.